There’s less laughter in the world today with the sad announcement that George Carlin, trailblazing comedian, died last night of heart failure. Carlin’s influence cannot be overstated; when asked at a TimesTalk interview last Fall which comedians made him laugh, George Carlin was one of the men Stephen Colbert named (Kinaesthesia‘s recap of the interview is here). Well-earned remembrances are being posted everywhere, as are interviews Carlin gave. Here’s an excerpt from George Carlin’s famous “Seven dirty words you can’t say on television” routine (NSFW, obviously).
Here’s a look at one of The Daily Show‘s interviews with Carlin:
You can watch Carlin’s other Daily Show interviews here and here.
George Carlin leaves behind family, friends and a legacy of laughter. He will be missed.
I heard the news last night and I’m still in shock. I know he was ill and 71, but he was never one of those people that I thought to myself “He could die soon”. I’ll always remember when I was 9 years old and I would wait until everyone would go to sleep so I could sneak into my brothers room and steal his “Class Clown” CD. I think I listened to “Seven Dirty Words” so many times that the CD is unplayable now. I can recite the thing word for word, too. I feel so lucky that I was able to see him do stand up in person. RIP George.
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I cannot express how shocked and upset I am. Carlin was the best of the best, and never failed to make me think and make me laugh. Which that he gave was more important? I’ll never know. But I know that I will be missing him.
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A great light has gone out, and the world of comedy will never be the same. I was lucky enough to see a few of his shows live over the past couple of years, and he was an amazingly smart and articulate comedian. I’ll never forget the show we went to just after When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? came out, and at the very beginning of the show, he recited the first few opening paragraphs from the book verbatim, from memory. His material has paved the way for hundreds of comedians who followed him over the years and, without a doubt, no one will ever forget him. We miss you, George, and we thank you for everything you’ve contributed to the world of comedy throughout your career. You will be sorely missed.
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I was so shocked when I was checking out the news on msn this morning and saw this. Wow. He will be missed.
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It’s always sad when an extraordinary person dies, but when it’s one of your heroes, the sadness is even more profound.
Rest in peace, Mr. Carlin.
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I found out late last night, and I’m still reeling over the fact. Just recently, two friends and I took the two and a half hour trek to my college and on the way back, we listened to George Carlin’s comedy, and it was better than any music you could have listened to. No matter how many times I’ve heard his material, it never fails to make me laugh over and over again, and that’s hard to do. The man was a living legend, the last member of the Holy Trinity of Comedy.
The world is a darker and sadder place without him. My condolences to his family. May he rest in peace.
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My brother called me this morning to tell me that George Carlin had died and although “the 7 dirty words” is the most famous, we agreed that as kids we always loved another one of his routines.
So, George, thanks for the laughs and to celebrate his life, may I suggest you go to Youtube and search for “Wonderful WINO 1966″.
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OMG. I didn’t know until I saw this.
OMG. No offense to Stephen, but he was my favorite Comedian.
Oh, man.
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He heavily influenced Stephen too, he said on Larry King that “class clown” was his favorite LP(which he wore out), so I’m sure he’ll understand :)…
it really is a shame, and I know he’ll be missed by all, he had such an immense impact on the world of comedy… it’s always especially sad when someone in the comedic community dies, for some reason to me it just seems more tragic, like when John Ritter died, but at least George lived a long full life…
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I wonder if Carlin will be a Moment of Zen or mentioned on the Report at all….
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Oh I’m almost positive Jon will at least mention him. I have “40 Years of Comedy: A Tribute To George Carlin” and Jon gives a few minute introduction, and he’s been on The Daily Show a few times. I think a Moment of Zen is probable.
Whether or not “Stephen” mentions him, I’m not sure.
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TDS already has a section of their website remembering George Carlin.
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George Carlin was just not supposed to die. Period. I mean – I knew he was in his 70′s. I knew he was sick a few times, I knew he’d beaten the crap out of his body for years. I knew all that, and yet seeing this info today just shocked the hell out of me.
He’s just one of those people that you think are just unbeatable. Only George Carlin could pull off the 7 Dirty Word, and then go on to be “Mr. Conductor” on Shining Times Station, and then go on to do this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCljFYn3zTY
which, as a geek, is my favorite bit.
I’m so going to miss him.
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Thanks so much for the link, Lincognocity. That one really is amazing, and it speaks to the quality of the man’s overall body of work that it’s not his most instantly recognizable bit. I think most comedians would be proud to aspire to it as a “best” piece; with Carlin, it was just another great entry in an impressive store of jokes.
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Wonderfully witty, keen, and erudite… he was absolutely brilliant. He had a marvellous gift of pointing out (and making us think about) the absurdities in our world. His influence in comedy has been enormous, and he will be dearly missed. Rest in peace, George.
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God bless the soul of George Carlin and bring comfort to his family and friends.
Good night, sweet prince.
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This is so sad. Now the world’s a little less funny…and it’s not like we can really spare it!
RIP Mr. Carlin
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Ah, this is such a disheartening way to start the week. He was an inspiration and a joy to watch. Rest in peace.
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