George Carlin. R.I.P.

[Dave James]

Seinfeld, Bill Maher and Lewis Black on George Carlin

George Carlin was "the total package of what a comedian's skills could be," Jerry Seinfeld said Monday in a "Larry King Live" tribute to the comedian.

"He was a brilliant writer, a brilliant performer," Seinfeld told CNN's Larry King. "He literally could train his eye on something very kind of mundane and regular -- he could talk about a couch pillow or he could take on, you know, abortion or politics or religion.

"So there was no subject that his mind was not able to dissect and make fun. ... He had an amazing breadth of subject matter," Seinfeld added, calling Carlin "one of the Mount Rushmore guys in our profession."

He also fearlessly used profanity, scatology and irreverence in making his points about the absurdities of human life. His "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine prompted a landmark indecency case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"He really didn't care, you know, if it was going to rub anybody the wrong way," observed Seinfeld, who credited Carlin as a huge influence. "I used to love this routine he would do about how whenever the UFO people come on television, everyone in this studio audience laughs at them. But when they talk about religion and the man in the sky with the white beard and the robe, everyone is very reverent and which one is really more absurd? And, you know, obviously, that's going to get religious people upset."

Bill Maher, who as the host of "Politically Incorrect" and HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher" has raised hackles himself from time to time, noted that Carlin probably would have dismissed much of the praise he was receiving in death.

"I bet you if he was here now, what he would be saying is, 'Why do people say nice things when you die? That's the stupidest thing to do. They can't hear you, you know?' " Maher said.

But Maher added that, for him, "there's nobody higher" in the comedy pantheon.

"Look, there's many ways to get a laugh. To me, this is the highest way. It's also saying something," Maher said. "If you took the jokes out of his act, it would still be a very interesting speech that made you think."

Carlin may have seemed angry and indignant onstage -- and there was that side of him, the comedians agreed -- but he was personally a kind, gracious man, said "The Daily Show" contributor Lewis Black.

When Black was a struggling performer, he recalled getting a call from Carlin, a man he'd never met, out of the blue.

"He said, 'Listen, Lewis, this is George Carlin. First, let me tell you, there's nothing I can do for your career.' And then he went on to say he'd heard my stuff, and he really liked it and I made him laugh," Black said. "If I had any things to send it to him, because he had friends who liked to laugh. That was what he could do. That alone really was for me, it was huge, absolutely huge.

"It shut my mother up," he added.

Seinfeld said he had talked with Carlin a few days ago, not long after the death of "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert.

"We were actually joking about death," he said. "We were kidding about how, you know, they kind of come in groups. It was like Bo Diddley and Tim Russert. And he was saying how I feel safe now for a little while because, you know, there should be a lull before they come after the next person."

Seinfeld marveled at Carlin's output.

"This guy did 14 HBO specials -- 14. I've done two. And, you know, very few comedians do more than three or four -- I mean, plus the books," he said. "I don't think we'll ever see someone who, in their lifetime, creates as much comedy as this man did."

Up over and out.

[Big Al]

Here's a nice letter that appeared in today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

Focus on ... Something about George

I am writing to tell people one thing about George Carlin. There was not, and is not, a sweeter person in the entertainment field. I have known George since around 1980.

Spanky, of the 1960s musical group Spanky and Our Gang, introduced me to him.

I went to see Carlin the next night at the Sahara in Las Vegas. After the show I went back stage and we talked. I started throwing a lot of his old bits at him.

He asked me how I knew them and I said that at one time I had all his records and had memorized them.

When he asked what I meant by had, I said a fire destroyed my house and my record collection. He said, “Well, we will have to take care of that.”

I thought “sure.”

Carlin waited until he left town before people from the Sahara called me (I was performing at the Silver Nugget) and said they had a package for me.

I went down and, wrapped in plain brown paper, were 12 autographed long-playing albums.

I was stunned.

Through the years, I found this to be typical George behavior. He called one time out of the blue because he heard I wasn’t feeling well. He just wanted to see how I was doing. Every time he was in town, if I contacted him, he would leave tickets for me to see him.

Keep in mind we were not running buddies. He didn’t have time for that. But if you made an effort to stay in touch, he did too.

I use to kid him that I would ruin his bad reputation by telling people what a really sweet person he was.

George, wherever you may be, the secret is out, my friend. You are one good man.

Let me add one thing. I wrote a song that was inspired by, and dedicated to, George. He got a kick out of it.

The title? "I’d Like to Thank my Grandma’s Milkman (I Think He Left Me His Genes)."

Love you, George.

— Joe Hardin Brown, Dallas

[Shawn]

A Message by George Carlin: The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings

but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend

more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger

houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have

more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more

experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too

little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too

tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk

too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years

to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and

back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We

conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things,

but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the

atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan

more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We

build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies

than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and

small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are

the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken

homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway

morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do

everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is

much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when

technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can

choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not

going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,

because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is

the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a

cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones,

but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it

comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person

will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the

precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the

moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

[Larry Kart]

A Message by George Carlin: The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings

but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend

more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger

houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have

more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more

experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too

little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too

tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk

too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years

to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and

back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We

conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things,

but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the

atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan

more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We

build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies

than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and

small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are

the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken

homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway

morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do

everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is

much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when

technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can

choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not

going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe,

because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is

the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a

cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones,

but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it

comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person

will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the

precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the

moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

Weren't the above lines really taken from the collected remarks of Ross Perot?

[papsrus]

I've just remembered an appearance he made many years ago on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He came out and all he did was look straight into the camera and react to the audience with his facial expression. Carson was practically in tears. It was pretty damn funny, as I recall, and he didn't say a word.