1937-2008Monday, June 23, 2008
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2 comments:
This is perhaps the saddest day for me since Chris Farley dying. I know he probably didn't have a lot of time left, but he truly was a pioneer and easily my favorite comic ever. I actually thought I would lose Mel Brooks before him, so this was a little surprising.
He was still performing and still making us laugh and think. His entire year is booked on his website. He had another 30 plus concerts this year. He truly loved his craft and honed his gift constantly. At the age of 71, he was still trying new things and mastering an art he had already mastered. He had a record 15th HBO show on earlier this year and probably had enough material for a hundred more.
I, with the help of pengin, had the privilege of catching his act last year in New Jersey. He did look old, but he was more youthful and alive in spirit than ever before. It was the best birthday gift I've ever had. My only regret is that I didn't get to do it again.
His biting wit poked fun at everyday observances including perhaps best of all, his ability to dissect language. He was Rufus from Bill and Ted, Cardinal Glick in Dogma, and gave an outstanding performance in Jersey Girl. He wrote three books (of which I own all three), had numerous albums (of which I own most), 15 HBO specials (which I own 14), and even had a cruddy TV sitcom (which I probably don't want to ever see).
"You ever notice that there aren't any Chinese guys named Rusty?"
"What exactly do you do if the Dalai Lama appears on Nightline, and your not happy with his answers?"
"Douche: A Female Duke"
"Most of our prayers to God take place on a Sunday, his day off."
"If no one knows when a person is going to die, how can we say they died prematurely?"
He was one of my heroes, and the Earth lost a big portion of its sense of humor, but heaven got a hell of a lot funnier (but than again he would probably say he's in hell kicking the shit out of Hitler). I at least get the pleasure of laughing everyday as I wake up and change the date on my George Carlin day-by-day desktop calendar.
This year just doesn’t get any easier, does it?
Carlin was undoubtedly a comedic genius, an icon of the stand-up stage and one of the finest I have ever seen, if not the finest. I wasn’t fortunate enough to see him perform live, but I would have loved to. Some of the bits that he was able to pull off still leave me completely dumbfounded, in awe of the man’s ability to remember those incredibly intricate and wordy bits. His targets were often sacred cows like religion and decency and he’d tackle them with a fierce knowledge and understanding that showed he knew what he was talking about… and he knew exactly where he stood on the issues.
His delivery was perfection, an uncanny ability to spit out his act in machine gun fashion but appear like he was riffing right off the top of his head. The man had a mind like a steel trap. I’m 46 years his junior, never had any of the drug issues Carlin had and I still marveled at him. Still do and still will in the future.
I figured this one would probably strike you pretty hard Chach. I didn’t know the extent of your idolatry for the man, but in addition to his large contributions to the stand-up world, Carlin was also known for his roles in Kevin Smith films. He pitched the Buddy Christ in Dogman and was also, hands down, the best thing about Jersey Girl. In that performance especially, he showed real warmth without a hint of the vitriol that can sometimes work its way into his act. It was a lovely performance, one that made me wish he’d have tried acting more often.
Plus, it’s another loss that seems to come out of nowhere considering Carlin had just staged his 15th HBO act and, as you said, had tour dates lined up throughout the rest of the year. His vitality really makes this abrupt end shocking, and as they all are, tough to take.
So long Mr. Carlin and thank you for the plethora of material you left behind, piles of which I have yet to uncover and can look forward to in the future, any time I need a good laugh.
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Oh and if the rumors are true about the failing health of Paul Newman, this could very well be the worst year I can recall for celebrity losses. Newman, I don’t know if I could handle. Get well soon. I’m still holding out hope for that last collaboration with Redford.
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