Whenever I hear the term “freedom of speech” I will always think of you.
Who will puncture our pomposity now?
I can honestly say that no one has made me laugh more in my lifetime than George Carlin. His viewpoint was often insane and insanely funny.
On a trip to Vegas my wife and son had to convince me to go see him live for the first and only time. I was afraid he would disappoint me after I had been listening to him for 40 years. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded. He had me at “hello.” His first line on stage cracked me up and he was off and running. I’ve never forgotten that opening remark, but unfortunately I can’t repeat it here.
Most people never want to hear the contrarian view. George smacked us in the face with his free speech. He offended everyone at one time or another – and he didn’t care. He relished it. He thought it was necessary. He thought it was important. He thought it was funny. He was right. He provided wit, perspective, counter-balance, and profanity analysis. He ripped apart the things we put on a pedestal, then for good measure he tore down the pedestal. Getting people to think is dangerous,yet he was determined.
George always distinguished that belief is not knowledge, it’s only belief. Then, he harpooned our beliefs. If you watched his HBO specials (14 of them that HBO is running now as a tribute) you know he was obsessed with death, avoiding death, and the meaning of death.
If you have the guts to make it through the “you tube” clip I link to below (most of you won’t) you’ll realize the ultimate irony.
On June 22, 2008 when he died it should have been the day he finally learned what he always wanted to know.
If he found out, wouldn’t it be great to hear him describe it?
Warning: you probably won’t like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o
Thanks, George. I’m glad I live in a country where you could do what you did. Who’s going to do it now?
