George Carlin — 1937-2008
I remember that I first saw George Carlin on The Mike Douglas Show. I loved his strange views of what should be totally mundane. Later, I learned he was a stand up comedian and had stood up against censorship with 7 little words you can’t say on TV.
Today, I opened CNN.com and saw that he’d died of heart problems. How could anyone with a heart that big die? His humor, though often ribald and on the edge, was never cruel. It often raised more questions after the laughter died away. He was a social commentator. Most comedians, at least to my mind the ones that have lasting power, are not just telling jokes but making observations on society and humanity. Carlin saw the absurd in our society and brought it out into the light so we could all take a look at it. He fought constantly against censorship and held a mirror up to us so we could see ourselves from the outside. He looked at relationships, cats, broadcasting, trends, fashion, just about everything — with a sharp wit, light mockery, and humor.
The world will go on. Silliness will be prevalent in society. He will be missed and I, for one, will miss his humorous take on daily life here on planet Earth.