George Carlin

At 71 years old, George Carlin has this physical status:

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and social critic.

He was known for his black comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects.

He and his "seven dirty words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v.

Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5–4 decision affirmed the government's power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves.

Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential American stand-up comics of all time, Carlin was dubbed by one newspaper to be "the dean of counterculture comedians".The first of Carlin's 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO was filmed in 1977.

From the late 1980s, Carlin's routines focused on sociocultural criticism of American society.

He often commented on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture.

He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the three-decade Johnny Carson era, and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975. Carlin's final HBO special, It's Bad for Ya, was filmed less than four months before his death from cardiac arrest.

In 2008, he was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him second (behind Richard Pryor) on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.

In 2004, he placed second on the Comedy Central list of "Top 10 Comedians of US Audiences".

Early life

George Denis Patrick Carlin was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City on May 12, 1937. Carlin had an older brother, Patrick Carlin Jr., who later had a major influence on his comedy. His mother was born in New York City to Irish immigrants and his father was himself an Irish immigrant from Cloghan, a village in County Donegal in Ulster, leading Carlin to later describe himself as "fully Irish". He wrote in his posthumously-published autobiography Last Words that, when his first wife Brenda was alive, "I used to have a fantasy of Ireland, the southeastern parts so that it would be a little warmer, and the two of us there, close enough to Dublin that you could go buy things you needed." His parents separated when he was two months old because of his father's alcoholism, so his mother raised him and his brother on her own. His father died when Carlin was eight years old. Carlin's maternal grandfather, Dennis Bearey, was an NYPD police officer, who wrote out the works of William Shakespeare by hand for fun.

Carlin said that he picked up an appreciation for the effective use of the English language from his mother, though they had a difficult relationship and he often ran away from home. He grew up on West 121st Street in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, which he and his friends called "White Harlem" because it "sounded a lot tougher than its real name". He attended Corpus Christi School, a Roman Catholic parish school of the Corpus Christi Church in Morningside Heights. One of Carlin's best childhood friends was fellow student Randy Jurgensen who went on to become one of the most decorated homicide detectives in the NYPD's history. His mother owned a television, which was a rare and new technology at the time, and Carlin became an avid fan of the pioneering late-night talk show Broadway Open House during its short run. He went to the Bronx for high school but, after three semesters, was expelled from Cardinal Hayes High School at age 15. He briefly attended Bishop Dubois High School in Harlem and the Salesian High School in Goshen. He spent many summers at Camp Notre Dame in Spofford, New Hampshire, where he regularly won the camp's drama award. Later, at his request, some of his ashes were spread at Spofford Lake upon his death.

Carlin joined the U.S. Air Force and trained as a radar technician. He was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana, and began working as a disc jockey at radio station KJOE in nearby Shreveport. Labeled an "unproductive airman" by his superiors, he received a general discharge on July 29, 1957. During his time in the Air Force, he had been court-martialed three times and received many nonjudicial punishments and reprimands.

Personal life

In August 1960, while touring with comedy partner Jack Burns in Dayton, Ohio, Carlin met Brenda Hosbrook. They were married at her parents' home in Dayton on June 3, 1961. The couple's only child, Kelly Marie Carlin, was born on June 15, 1963. The two renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas in 1971. Hosbrook died of liver cancer on May 11, 1997, the day before Carlin's 60th birthday. Six months later, he met comedy writer Sally Wade, and later described it as "love at first sight" but admitted that he was hesitant to act on his feelings so soon after his wife's death. He eventually married Wade in a private and unregistered ceremony on June 24, 1998. The marriage lasted until Carlin's death in 2008, two days before their 10-year anniversary.

In a 2008 interview, Carlin stated that using cannabis, LSD, and mescaline had helped him cope with events in his personal life. He also stated several times that he had battled addictions to alcohol, Vicodin, and cocaine, and spent some time in a rehab facility in late 2004. Although born into a Catholic family, he vocally rejected religion in all of its forms, and frequently criticized and mocked it in his comedy routines. When asked if he believed in God, he responded, "No. No, there's no God, but there might be some sort of an organizing intelligence, and I think to understand it is way beyond our ability."

Source

Career

Carlin met Jack Burns, a fellow DJ at radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1959. They formed The Cellar, Burns, and Carlin, a successful debut at Fort Worth's beat coffeehouse, migrated to California in February 1960.

Burns and Carlin put together an audition tape and created The Wright Brothers, a morning show on KDAY in Hollywood. They honed their skills in beatnik coffeehouses at night during their time at KDAY. Carlin requested that it be placed outside the KDAY studios near the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street years later when he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Burns and Carlin was Burns and Carlin's first album, which was released at the Playboy Club Tonight in May 1960 in Hollywood's Cosmo Alley. They broke away to pursue individual interests after two years as a team, but "remained] the best of friends."

Carlin first appeared on television variety shows in the 1960s, including a Native American sergeant, a genius radio disc jockey, and a hippie weatherman. Variations of these routines appear on Carlin's 1967 debut album, Take-Offs and Put-Ons, which was released by RCA Victor in Detroit, Michigan, and appeared on RCA Victor in 1967. Carlin became a regular performer and host on The Tonight Show, first with Jack Paar as host and then with Johnny Carson. During the host's three-decade reign, Carlin became one of Carson's most popular replacements. Carlin appeared on Away We Go, a 1967 comedy film that aired on CBS. His stuff from his early career and his appearance, which consisted of suits and short-cropped hair, had been described as "conventional" by some writers, especially when compared to his later anti-establishment content.

Carlin was present at Lenny Bruce's detention for obscenity. When the police began trying to arrest members of the audience for questioning, they asked Carlin for his identification. He was arrested and taken to jail with Bruce in the same vehicle, despite telling the police that he did not believe in government-issued IDs. Carlin was making about $250,000 a year in the late 1960s. Carlin's hair grew longer, sported a beard and earrings, and generally dressed in T-shirts and blue jeans with blue jeans; over time, he modified his routines and his appearance; his hair grew longer, his beard and earrings; and, in classic T-shirts and blue jeans. He lost some TV credits by dressing strangely for a comedian at a time when clean-cut, well-dressed comedians were the exception. Jeff Wald and Ron De Blasio were hired by Jeff Wald and Ron De Blasio to help him with his image, making him more "hip" for a younger audience. Carlin's income was therefore reduced by 90 percent in West Hollywood and The Bitter End in New York City, but his later career arc was much higher. Monte Kay, a 1970 record collector, formed the Little David Records subsidiary of Atlantic Records, with comedian Flip Wilson as co-owner. In May 1971, Kay and Wilson signed Carlin away from RCA Records and recorded a Carlin performance at Washington, D.C.'s Cellar Door, which was released as FM & AM in January 1972. De Blasio was involved with the quick-paced career of Freddie Prinze and was about to sign Richard Pryor, so he released Carlin to Little David general manager Jack Lewis, who, like Carlin, was a bit wild and rebellious. He was first introduced by Ed Sullivan in a "The Hair Piece" production and quickly regained his fame as the public embraced his sense of style.

Kenny Rankin, Carlin's label mate on Little David Records, appeared on Carlin's label mate, and Rankin appeared several times as Carlin's musical guest or opening act in the early 1970s. Carlin's personal jet combined the two families; Carlin claims that Rankin relapsed into using cocaine while on tour since Carlin had so little of the drug available. The album FM & AM was very popular. It was Carlin's transition from mainstream to counterculture comedic comedy. The "AM" segment of Carlin's previous style was a retort of American life, with zany but relatively clean routines parodying elements of American life. Carlin's new look, with references to marijuana and birth control pills, as well as a playful evaluation of the word "shit" in the "FM" segment. Carlin revived a style of radical social commentary comedy that Lenny Bruce had introduced in the late 1950s.

Carlin developed his well-known "seven dirty words" routine during this period, which includes: "shit," 'piss', "fuck," "cunt," 'cocksucker,'motherfucker,' and 'tits.' These are the major seven. These are the ones that will contaminate your soul, curve your spine, and prevent the nation from winning the war." Carlin was arrested at Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 21, 1972, for breaching obscenity rules. The allegation, which prompted Carlin to refer to the words as the "Milwau Seventeenth Century," was dismissed in December after the judge announced that the words were indecent, but that Carlin had the right to say it as long as he caused no disruption. After listening with his son from Carlin's Occupation: Foole, which was broadcast on radio station WBAI, a man complained to the FCC in 1973. The FCC cited Pacifica for breaking legislation that does not allow the broadcasting of "obscene" material. The Supreme Court upheld the FCC's decision by a margin of 5 to 4 votes, finding that the routine was "indecent but not obscene" and that the FCC had the power to prohibit such broadcasts during hours when children were expected to be present.

He then exclaimed "shit!"

George Carlin was jailed seven times for reciting the "Seven Dirty Words" routine.

On October 11, 1975, Carlin hosted the premiere show of NBC's Saturday Night Live. He did not appear in its sketches at his request. He appeared on CBS Television's Tony Orlando & Dawn variety show during the 1976-1977 season.

Carlin's career didn't seem to be strong in 1976, when he appeared to be in a stalemate. He rarely performed stand-up for the next five years, though it was at this time that he began doing specials for HBO as part of the On Location series; he did 14 specials, including 2008's It's Bad For Ya! He later revealed that he had suffered the first of three heart attacks during this layoff period. In 1977 and 1978, the first two HBO specials premiered.

Carlin returned to the stage in 1981, releasing A Place for My Stuff and restoring to HBO and New York City with the Carlin at Carnegie Hall special, which was broadcast on HBO and New York City during the 1982-1983 season. Over the next decade and a half, Carlin began doing HBO specials every year or two. Any of Carlin's albums from this time forward are from the HBO specials.

On November 10, 1984, he hosted SNL for the second time, this time in several sketches.

Carlin began to shine as a film actor with a major supporting role in the 1987 comedy Outrageous Fortune, starring Bette Midler and Shelley Long; it was his first big screen role after a string of previous guest appearances on television shows. Frank Madras, a playing drifter, mocked the 1960s counterculture's lingering effects. As Rufus, the time-traveling mentor of Bill & Ted's Wonderful Adventure, returned to his role in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, as well as the first season of the cartoon series, in 1989.

Carlin appeared in the film The Prince of Tides, starring Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand, as the gay neighbor of the main character's suicidal sister.

He appeared on PBS' "Mr Conductor" and narrated the show's sequences of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends from 1991 to 1995, swapping Ringo Starr. For use on Shining Time Station, Carlin narrated the first four seasons of what would later be called Thomas & Friends. Carlin was worried about recording his narration without an audience, so the show's producers included a stuffed teddy bear in the booth on the first day.

Carlin began The George Carlin Show, a weekly Fox sitcom, in 1993, starring New York City taxicab driver George O'Grady. Sam Simon, a co-creator of The Simpsons, produced and wrote 27 episodes from December 1995 to December 1995. Carlin said of The George Carlin Exhibition, "I had a wonderful time." I never laughed so much, and it was so difficult with cast members Alex Rocco, Chris Rich, and Tony Starke. That stage had a very strange, really good sense of humor... [but] I was incredibly relieved when the show was cancelled. I was furious because it had taken me away from my true work."

Carlin was honored at the 1997 Aspen Comedy Festival with a retrospective, George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy, hosted by Jon Stewart. Brain Droppings (1997), his first hardcover book, sold almost 900,000 copies and spent 40 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list.

Carlin later admitted that there were other, more pragmatic reasons for abandoning his acting career in favour of stand-up. "I neglected my company affairs and had substantial debts with the IRS because of my heroin use," he said in an interview with Esquire magazine in 2001. It took me eighteen to twenty years to dig out of. I did it honourably and I don't think they are wrong. I don't dislike paying taxes, and I am not angry because I was complicit in it. But I'll tell you what it did for me: it made me a much better comedian. Because I had to stay out on the road and I couldn't pursue that film career, which would have resulted in no success, I became a really good comedian and a good writer."

Carlin was named the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 15th Annual American Comedy Awards in 2001. Representative Doug Ose (R-California), who is a student at the University of On December 23, 2003, he introduced a bill (H.R. Carlin's "seven dirty words" are broadcasting, including "compound use (including hyphenated words) of such words and phrases with each other or with other words or phrases, as well as other grammatical variations of such words and phrases (including verb, adjective, participle, and infinitive forms)" in 3687. The bill did not include "tits," but it did include "asshole," which was not one of Carlin's original seven words. In January 2004, the bill was presented to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, where it was first introduced.

Carlin appeared on Las Vegas often as a headliner, but his MGM Grand Las Vegas career was ended in 2004 after an altercation with his audience. Carlin said he couldn't wait to get out of "this fucking hotel" and Las Vegas after a poorly received set of suicide bombings and beheadings; "where the true people are" in the northeast. "You've got to question their fucking mind to start with," he said. Hundreds and thousands of miles to give your money to a large company is sort of a fucking moronic. These are people with very limited intellects, which is what I'm always finding here. "Stop degrading us," an audience member yelled. "Thank you very much, whatever that was." Carlin said. I hope it was positive; if not, blow me.' He was immediately dismissed, and shortly thereafter, his spokesperson announced that he would begin treating alcoholism and prescription painkiller use on his own initiative.

Carlin toured his new material through the first half of 2006 after his thirteenth HBO special on November 5, 2005, Life Is Worth Losing, which aired live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City, during which he said, "I've got 341 days sober." Suicide, natural disasters, cannibalism, genocide, human sacrifice, threats to civil rights in the United States, and the case of humans being inferior to other animals were among the subjects discussed. Carlin said this was his "first show back" after a six-week hospitalization for heart failure and pneumonia at Lemoore, California, at the Tachi Palace Casino.

Carlin appeared in the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated film Cars. Fillmore's character is a hippie VW Microbus with a psychedelic paint job and a license plate number "51237" – Carlin's birthday. Carlin's last film, Happily N'Ever After, was filmed in 2007. It's Bad for Ya, Carlin's last HBO stand-up special, aired live on March 1, 2008 from the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, California. Themes included "American bullshit," rights, death, old age, and child rearing. Throughout the program, he repeated the theme: "It's all bullshit, and it's bad for ya." "Reading about words," he replied when asked Inside the Actors Studio what brought him on. When asked what made him proud of his work, he mentioned the number of his books that have been published, close to a million.

Source