Monday, June 23, 2008
Another one bites the dust (George Carlin)
Source: The Globe and Mail
People die every day. It certainly is a strange and fascinating phenomenon; death. Everybody's lives ultimately revolve around death. Whether people choose to produce memes, spread genes, or sit around eating nachos and wanking and playing World of Warcraft all day, people do everything they can to make life worthwhile until time runs out. Since death is such a natural part of life, it's never surprising to hear that somebody dies. No one is guaranteed much in life. They may not be guaranteed wealth, fame, the spouse they want, kids they like, or even happiness. Though, at the end of it all, everybody can rest assured that they will rest in peace. But yet, I'll take this moment to comment on the death of George Carlin. I just discovered this news, and find it very unfortunate.
From The Globe and Mail:
LOS ANGELES -- Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71.Carlin, who had a history of heart and drug-dependency problems, died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. local time (9 p.m. ET) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.
Upon discovering the news, I said to myself, "This is a joke, right?" But, it settled in that it was the real deal. I can literally list the few stand-up comedians I actually like: George Carlin, Bill Maher, Bill Hicks, and Dave Chappelle. Michael Richards split my sides with his grand performance in November 2006. But that's only one act he had. But George Carlin was one of the greatest of the greats, in my opinion, and it's only that.
I found his acts hilarious and incisive. With his barbed wit, he tackled one of the most prevalent threats to our environment; bullshit. From dissecting silly semantics, to tearing the absurdity of faith and religion to shreds, to ridiculing the banality of life and consumerism, to skewering the political circus with his stark skepticism. And of course, his doses of vitriol were always seasoned with "shits", "fucks", and dirty jokes.
He was one of the true free thinkers, and a man who wasn't ashamed to admit he didn't believe in anything.
I got to see him perform almost exactly two years ago. I got my fair share of knee slappers. There was a lot I have learned from his technique and from his bluntness, though I of course will never be able to carbon copy it, nor would I want to. As I said of Kurt Vonnegut, as I've said of many, as I hope someone will say of me, I don't think George Carlin will miss this place very much. It's interesting while it lasts, but once it's over, there's no need to go back for more.
George Carlin (May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008)
