One of the most awesome TV programs that I ever saw was when Dennis Miller used to have a show on HBO and George Carlin was the guest. He basically took over the show and left Dennis Miller speechless. One of observations from that show (not a direct quote, it was too long ago): We don't have choice in America, we just think we do. We have 30 brands of cat food, 50 brands of breakfast cereal, but only two political parties?
My fav of Carlin's is something like this (quoting from memory) "Waging war for peace makes as much sense as #@&%ing for virginity"
I never disparage the dead, but believe your observation is on the mark. I saw him in a recent (couple weeks ago, I think it was his latest) HBO special and wondered what changed that made him so bitter? He was such a downer I changed the channel. RIP George, say hello to Richard Pryor.
HBO Remembers George Carlin with Specials Encores Following George Carlin's death, HBO announced it will remember the famed comedian with a series of encore presentations of his specials for the network, spanning the breadth of his work. Carlin's most recent special, "George Carlin: It's Bad for Ya," which debuted in March, will air again Friday, June 27 at 9 pm/ET on HBO. Along with "Bad for Ya," HBO2 has stacked Wednesday, June 25 and Thursday, June 26, with back-to-back Carlin specials, starting at 8 pm/ET each night, and running through 1 am/ET. If you're missing the edgy entertainer already, HBO's lineup seems like a bittersweet way to recall his finer, funnier moments.
New from Nabisco! Tater Tits! Bet you can't just eat one! (Isn't that how it went?) I appreciated his humor, even if I disagreed with his way of hating on beliefs. I saw him once, met him once, and he was a funny guy.
So sad to see George go. We saw him "live" last year and loved his performances. One of his quotes we liked was "People are basically stupid and will believe anything the Govt. tells them." He told it how it is and made no apologies! A man of my own heart. R.I.P George, we'll miss you.
True towards the end there were only parts of his routine that I enjoyed. His diatribes against Christians/Religion were bitter and full of hate but the rest was still funny. Wildkow
Out of curiosity, do you consider yourself christian or religious? I'm riffing on Martin Gardner here, of course:
I've always thought that all funny people are smart, but not all smart people are funny. One favorite: "You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans."
George was a classic. He realized early on (in the spirit of Lenny Bruce) that words are nothing more than words. I think deep down his was a gentle soul; he was simply enraged by the total loss of morals of politicians and corporations and the incredible apathy of the American voters. My favorite quote: "This country has been sold to the highest bidder." Amen.
he will be missed. too many of his "talk fast, rhyming" bits were awesome and i frequently tried to see the same bit just to see if it was the same every time. a great mind, a great performer.