06.23.08
Thank you, George Carlin
George Carlin is dead.
I had the honor of meeting Carlin in 1975, as part of a small group of student journalists interviewing him after a show in Madison, Wisconsin—physical miles and philosophical eons away from Milwaukee, where he was arrested after a 1972 show. The charge: disturbing the peace, because he had uttered the seven words you can’t say on television.
In that ‘75 group interview, Carlin was relaxed and reflective, talking the craft of comedy . . . and the craft of words. He said something in that interview that I’ve quoted dozens of times in the near dozens of years since that interview: “The funniest number of all is 105.” Then he repeated it, stretching it: “A hundred and faahve.” He paused. Perfect timing. “It takes a long time to go through all the others to prove it to you.”
I wrote up that quote as a humorous brief that I submitted as part of my 1976 job interview with Writer’s Digest magazine. I didn’t get that specific job, but I did well enough to be recommended for another spot at the company, and years later became the editor of the Digest. I like to believe that my love of words was instrumental in landing that position; I suspect that relying on Carlin’s wit and perspective communicated that love better than I did myself. Thanks for speaking so well, George.
I find it sadly ironic that the web page displaying the story that told me of his death had two “Related Video” links. One was headlined in words Carlin would have cheered: “Comedian George Carlin dead at age 71.” Right below it, a second link labeled “Comedian George Carlin Passes Away at 71.” Carlin railed against such empty, soft language as “passes away,” and the headline writer has insulted Carlin’s work by using not only the sort of dodge words but also specific dodge words Carlin attacked. Enjoy one of his tart diatribes against euphemisms—including, yes, “pass away”—at YouTube.
I doubt that I’ll be the only person to say this, or even the first. But when I heard this morning that Carlin had died, I uttered a couple of those words you can’t say on television.
, 
and 
. Feel free to 
Jennifer said,
June 23, 2008 at 10:31 am
That’s a bummer way to start my morning. I loved George Carlin and his brand of comedy. He changed with the times and always had something new to make us think about. His enthrallment with language and his spin on its uses by and against us always captivated me. I’ll miss his rhythmic poetry of jargon and his crazy ideas of what might be “neat”…suicide channel??…, but what he contributed is out there for us all to enjoy as long as we are here. I knew he had had more health trouble in the past few years, and he was getting up there in age for someone who lived the lifestyle he had (until recently). I was lucky enough to see him perform live 6 times. I guess that will have to be enough. Thanks, George!
Everything You Know About English Is Wrong » A couple of further thoughts on the loss of one Mr. Carlin said,
June 25, 2008 at 8:28 pm
[…] 6/23/08 tribute to George Carlin was one of several billion tributes posted almost instantly after news of his death began to […]