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MICHAEL SAUTTER
Veteran of Foreign Peace - Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
Articles Posted: 652; Links Seeded: 5578
Member Since: 3/2006Last Seen: 11/27/2009
Member Since: 3/2006Last Seen: 11/27/2009
6 Comments
PrintGeorge Carlin Gone, Not Soon Forgotten
News Type: Event — Mon Jun 23, 2008 11:55 AM EDT
Comedian George Carlin passed away June 22, 2008 at the age of 71.
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Counter-culture icon comedian George Carlin passed away yesterday. He changed the way I thought about comedians and more importantly he made me think as I laughed. Ultimately he was not as misanthropic as he led me to believe.
In the late 1970s when I first became aware of George Carlin most of the other comedians at the time were unoffensive, like Rich Little doing impressions or Tim Conway sight gags. I think I read about Carlin before seeing him on a talk show. A comedian was the center of a court case that went to the US Supreme Court? Wow! And all that fuss over just a few words and ideas. As a young teen I probably tuned in to see if any of the seven unspeakable words slipped out but what I got was a thoughtful discussion on the First Amendment and what society values.
That was just the beginning. Over the years George Carlin would entertain and challenge me while examining a whole host of ideas and concepts both large and small. Politics, religion and business all came under his scrutiny as did people who wished him a nice day, "Everyone wants me to have a nice day" he would cynically sneer. Ah yes, he was a cynic but often the cynic sees things more clearly then the person who sees things through rose colored glasses.
George Carlin said that he did not believe in America or even the human race. Misanthropic? Not as much as it seems at first glance. If he did not care for people at all then why did he make us forget our problems for a little while with his comedy and more importantly why did he try to open our eyes to the problems in the world? He did not have a lot of answers to man's inhumanity but recognizing a problem is the first step in finding a solution. The world and mankind are better now that George Carlin spent some time with us.
Thank you George, you will not be forgotten anytime soon.
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Note: I posted a few George Carlin videos on my Tumblr micro-blog. Warning! Potentially offensive language and you may actually think about an important issue or two: Seven Words and Religion is Bull@!$%# .
Cross-posted to my Vox blog .
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 | Carlin Dead at 71 | 236.com | Mon Jun 23 | 0 |
| George Carlin: American Radical | The Nation | Tue Jun 24 | 1 |
| Director Kevin Smith remembers George Carlin; "A God Who Cussed' | Newsweek | Tue Jun 24 | 1 |
| Milwaukee remembers George Carlin and his seven words you can't say on TV act that landed him in handcuffs at the 1972 Summerfest | The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Mon Jun 23 | 1 |
 | George Carlin mourned as counterculture hero | Associated Press | Mon Jun 23 | 111 |
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{"commentId":2029688,"authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}
George Carlin loved words, I hope my words do him justice.
{"commentId":2029688,"threadId":"296924","contentId":"1602389","authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}
- 4 votes
#1 - Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:05 PM EDT{"commentId":2029734,"authorDomain":"DrKnow"}
My favorite - "Why do we call it a glass of water when it is really plastic?"
{"commentId":2029734,"threadId":"296924","contentId":"1602389","authorDomain":"DrKnow"}
- 5 votes
{"commentId":2035312,"authorDomain":"greenguy"}
The world and mankind are better now that George Carlin spent some time with us.
It would be even better had he spent more time with us. For people who are skeptical of authority, who are suspicious of those who tell them what not to think or do or how not to act or that their ideas, desires are "unnatural," George was/is a kind of beacon, a friendly reminder that they don't matter. And that our thoughts matter. I think he explained that while most got into comedy for money, he did it because he had all these crazy thoughts in his head he needed to get out.
And we are all so much better off that he did.
{"commentId":2035312,"threadId":"296924","contentId":"1602389","authorDomain":"greenguy"}
- 1 vote
#2 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:31 AM EDT{"commentId":2036486,"authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}
{"commentId":2036615,"authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}
George Carlin Tribute
XM Satellite Radio will air a tribute to the late, great George Carlin on Wednesday, June 25th, saluting one of the greatest minds in comedy. more info
{"commentId":2036615,"threadId":"296924","contentId":"1602389","authorDomain":"michaelsautter"}
- 1 vote
#3 - Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:48 AM EDT{"canLink":false,"threadId":"296924","isPrivate":false}
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