George Carlin surprise.

[Kenbushway]

I am a huge fan of Carlin and I agree with all of his positions. He has a way of getting me to think deeper than a puddle. When I am across this video on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eScDfYzMEEw

I was quite surprised by the video's content and his views. Does or did this surprise anyone else?

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

George usually had a point or message in his routines. It's kinda what set him apart from most comedians.

Damn I miss that guy.

"We didn't kill them"

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Seems pretty typical of his usual cynical brand of comedy.

As much as I respect Carlin as a comedian and agree with much of what he says, people tend to lose sight of the fact that he was, you know, A COMEDIAN who was trying to be funny and topical and outrageous, and that not everything he says should be treated as gospel truth and the basis for their entire social and political belief system.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ You know someone who takes a comic's schtick that seriously?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

^ You know someone who takes a comic's schtick that seriously?

I've known people who say things like "Well, George Carlin says..." as if that's the be all and end all of conversation on any given subject. Which is not a problem with Carlin, but with those people.

 

[RJDiogenes]

George Carlin cracks me up and I like that his humor is designed to make people think, and I admire his level of sarcasm. But he's often wrong, as he is in this case. I suppose I could enumerate all of the mistakes in reasoning that he makes in this routine, but I think I'm coming down with carpal tunnel this week.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Interesting note: many times in this routine, it seems like he's paraphrasing point-for-point the passage from Jurrasic Park--the book, not the movie--where Malcolm (the "rock-star" scientist) lectures Hammond on whether mankind can destroy the planet, or whether nature will find a way to survive.

For the record, I love Carlin. Not that I agree with everything he says, by any stretch of the imagination. But his smackdowns of Political Correctness--on all sides of the aisle--were such that his flaws paled in comparison. R.I.P., George.

 

[Gary7]

He is first and foremost a legendary comedian. Nobody has ever been quite like him. The only person I find who comes close is Lewis Black.

Carlin's top priority is to entertain and be funny, but he also has incredibly astute messages in his material. Yeah, was a conniving ornery old coot who could throw incredibly sharp barbs at people. He was also adept at taking real issues and stretching them in incredibly clever ways, generating plenty of laughs in the process. I call him an "intellectual comedian", because he really makes you think.

His real talent was "play on words". He could take anything anybody said and find a way to play with the meaning and/or intent.

"Save the Planet"... yeah, it's not really the right phrase. After all, the human race is obsessively self absorbed. It's really more about "Saving the Human Race", by making sure we have a pleasant and healthy environment to live in. The Earth may be damaged by our business here, but once we've perished the Earth will recover all of it and move on. So yeah, we've got to do SOMETHING that ultimately saves US from extinction. But at the rate we're going it's not looking very good...

 

[Locutus of Bored]

For the record, I love Carlin. Not that I agree with everything he says, by any stretch of the imagination.

Yes, Rush, I agree. Blindly following the opinions of an entertainer; even one whose shtick is politically motivated, is wrong, Rush. You hit the nail on the head, Rush. Rush is absolutely right on this one, folks.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Actually, I think this is pretty great - and he's almost certainly right.

"Save the Planet"... yeah, it's not really the right phrase. After all, the human race is obsessively self absorbed. It's really more about "Saving the Human Race"...

Exactly so.

 

[iguana_tonante]

For the record, I love Carlin. Not that I agree with everything he says, by any stretch of the imagination.

Yes, Rush, I agree. Blindly following the opinions of an entertainer; even one whose shtick is politically motivated, is wrong, Rush. You hit the nail on the head, Rush. Rush is absolutely right on this one, folks.

 

[Avon]

the message i get from that video is 'why bother? give up and die already'. which was kinda what i thought of him before he died.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

the message i get from that video is 'why bother? give up and die already'.

That was the message that *most* of Carlin's routines propounded, at least after he started to get really into the 'grumpy old man' type (pretty much everything after What Am I Doing In New Jersey?).

Then again, what do I know, my favorite routine he ever did was The Indian Sergeant which is when he was still a suit-wearing clean-shaven dude.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZsDUkPCbKY[/yt]

 

[Gary7]

the message i get from that video is 'why bother? give up and die already'. which was kinda what i thought of him before he died.

No, that was the punch line. He'll do that, harp on something and make you think it's one thing, but then drop a little hint at the end that it's not what he really thinks.

He didn't advocate "giving up", just to live your life as best you can and we'll either make or we won't. To fret, worry, and turn your life upside down about what we humans are doing to the environment will only make you miserable. There's little you can do about it, beyond "doing your part", unless you're in a commensurate position of power or influence that can really affect policy. Most of us are just plain old average. We're nothing really special. Some of us are special in certain ways, but when you get right down to it, we're not much different from each other. What's sad is when you go through life with the illusion that you are. Most people do. That's why so many people play the lottery, despite the ridiculous odds against them, because each thinks "I'm the one, I'll be the one to win this time!".

 

[NebulaClassGuy]

I agree with everything Carlin said in the OP's linked-to video. The Earth survived something at least the size of the Moon slamming into it, and it will survive us.

 

[Avon]

just because its natural doesnt mean its right or inevitable

 

[Rush Limborg]

For the record, I love Carlin. Not that I agree with everything he says, by any stretch of the imagination.

Yes, Rush, I agree. Blindly following the opinions of an entertainer; even one whose shtick is politically motivated, is wrong, Rush. You hit the nail on the head, Rush. Rush is absolutely right on this one, folks.

Yes...I am. Glad to see you acknowledge it.

 

[1001001]

Seems pretty typical of his usual cynical brand of comedy.

As much as I respect Carlin as a comedian and agree with much of what he says, people tend to lose sight of the fact that he was, you know, A COMEDIAN who was trying to be funny and topical and outrageous, and that not everything he says should be treated as gospel truth and the basis for their entire social and political belief system.

So, you're saying The Book of the Road isn't real????

"If it will get me a couple of hundred miles across the country then sure...I'll take a shot in the mouth"

Damn!

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

just because its natural doesnt mean its right or inevitable

"Right" is irrelevant to truth, and "inevitable" is... always a bit of an overreach.

That said, if an observation is accurate or even well-taken then how it makes you feel is not so important.

 

[Holdfast]

George Carlin surprise...

And with that, my work here is done.