# ADSactly Comedy: George Carlin

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> “Some people see things that are and ask, Why?
Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not?
Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.”

Hello again dear @adsactly comedy lovers,
Since I started doing this series about personalities in the history of comedy, I’ve gotten a lot of interesting responses from you. Many have expressed admiration for the Pythons or Robin Williams or other legends we’ve featured. And many of you have also mentioned other people you’re a fan of, be it stand-up comedians or slapstick actors, and one of the people I’ve heard a lot about is George Carlin.
Now, as I said before, we are not going in any chronological order with this series, so it’s very possible to go back and forth in time, as the images present themselves.

George Carlin is one of the first comedy loves for me, he’s always been a great favorite of mine, and I constantly find myself referencing him either directly or through the way I speak or my humor.

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As you know, I don’t really like to dwell on the personal lives of the people I write about. I’d just like to say that like many of our past comedy legends, Carlin was an army man, in his youth, but he received a general discharge at the age of 20, having been deemed an “unproductive airman”. During his stint in the Air Force, he was court-martialed no less than three times, so that should tell you a little about Carlin’s relationship with authority.

Following his discharge, Carlin began appearing in night-clubs and performing stand-up comedy, together with comedian Jack Burns. They were known as The Wright Brothers. Later on, Carlin became a regular on The Tonight Show, hosted by Johnny Carson.
It’s interesting to note that in the early years of his career, Carlin put on a very “good” attitude. Very straight-laced, as it were, always showing up in suits, with neatly short-cropped hair and quite tame material. Of course, this would prove a sharp contrast to his later anti-establishment routines (some of his best known material).

In my opinion, there are two eras of Carlin. There is the younger Carlin, the seventies, eighties, even early nineties Carlin. The era of the infamous “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” (I will link the video below, but viewer discretion is advised, as you can imagine), a joke that even got him arrested in Milwaukee, in 1972. Naturally, this only increased Carlin’s fame and cemented his anti-establishment image.

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As I was saying, a lot of his earlier stuff is more light-hearted, more focused on situational comedy and laughter. Watch for example, the video below (1976):

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It’s very good material, it’s very funny, very true-to-life, which I think is what made Carlin so well-liked. I know that’s what drew me to him.

> “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”

And then, there’s the later years, the specials and the jokes that were more politically-focused, more bitter. If you compare the ‘Rules’ skit above to this clip taken from the ‘It’s Bad for Ya’ special – recorded only four months before Carlin’s death.

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I’ve chosen not to dwell on one of his political attacks, though there are many out there on the Internet and you’re welcome to watch them, but if you listen to this video below, you will notice that bitterness I was talking about. It’s like, as he grew older, Carlin lost his patience for people and focused more on complaints. Again, not saying the material was bad, quite the opposite, actually. It’s just that, with most stand-up comedians, their style was more or less constant throughout their careers and I can’t help but notice this change in Carlin’s stand-ups, which I personally find interesting.

> “That's why they call it the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.”

Carlin was a widely prolific man, not only did he produce his own specials, write his material (obviously) and perform heavily well towards the end of his life, but he also authored five books: ‘Sometimes a little brain damage can help’, ‘Brain Droppings’, ‘Napalm and Silly Putty’, When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops?’ and his autobiography ‘Last words’. He influenced a large majority of popular comedians from today, such as Louis CK and Bill Maher.

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But most importantly, whether you were watching a skit, listening to a show or reading one of his books, Carlin made you think. He drew attention to a lot of injustice and things that shouldn’t be happening and sure, he was brutal, but he encouraged his audience to wake up and see the world for what it is. And that’s why I don’t think there will ever be a man such as him.

> “I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions.”
―George Carlin

If you ask me, Carlin died too young. He suffered cardiac arrest in 2008, at the age of 71 and I can’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like to have him around another ten years. Seriously, can you imagine this guy in our world today? He would’ve had so much material to work with.
There are, of course, the conspiracy theories that claim Carlin was assassinated, that he spoke too much against the American government. Admittedly, he was on the FBI watchlist and the government were keeping a close eye on him, but there is no definite evidence to prove these theories.

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Carlin left behind a daughter, Kelly Carlin, who is also a stand-up comedian, and quite a talented one, at that.

## So, are you a Carlin fan? What’s your favorite skit/routine? Please let us know in the comments below!

*References [1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carlin#Written_works) [2](https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/22782.George_Carlin)*

##### Authored by @honeydue

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