The Loss of a Comedic Legend

Sadly, my latest entry is also about the passing of a legend. This entry is on the passing of comedian George Carlin. George Carlin, who has entertained fans with his often controversial stand up routines, passed away on Sunday June 22 at the age of 71.

George Carlin’s humor often focused on his views on what he felt was idiotic about humanity. This ranged from people’s obsessions with celebrates and child raising to more controversial topics such as his views on religion and politics. His humor also greatly challenged censorship and what we deem as inappropriate. One of his most famous examples of challenging censorship was with his routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television”, which lead to him being arrested in 1972 for violating obscenity laws after he performed the routine at Milwaukee’s Summerfest.

In addition to being a comedian, Carlin was also an actor. Most of his roles were comedic ones that played to his strengths, such as Rufus in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Cardinal Glick in Dogma. One exception however was his part in the film Jersey Girl, in where he played the father of the film’s protagonist. The role required him to be a serious three dimensional character rather then simply a caricature. He rose to the challenge and his role was one of the highlights of the movie.

George Carlin’s comedy paved the way for future comedians to perform controversial material in their routines. It also had a hand in laxing what content can and can’t be broadcast, which is either a good thing or a bad thing depending on one’s viewpoint. His passing is a great loss to the world of comedy and he will surely be missed.