Monday, June 23, 2008

Comedic Icon George Carlin passes away

Shame to be the bearer of bad news, but apparently George Carlin, one of the true icons of stand-up comedy has passed away from heart failure. He was 71.

We were supposed to celebrate his legacy while he was still with us, as it was announced earlier this week that the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, a lifetime achievement award presented to an outstanding comedian, would be awarded to George Carlin, in a ceremony to be held on November 10, 2008.

Here are some favourite Carlin clips (via ALOTT5MA), as George talks about stuff, or the difference between baseball and football, the hippie-dippy weatherman, and in his most famous bit the seven words. George Carlin was a wonderful observer of life, and a master of social commentary whose influence can been seen on comedy clubs around the world and on TV in shows like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report". His legacy stretches over 50 years, and managed to remain relevant and insightful and most of all, funny as all hell over every one of those years up until today.

Some numbers of note from a recent Washington Post article:
  • George Carlin was the first host ever of "Saturday Night Live"
  • He appeared on "The Tonight Show" more than 130 times?
  • He released 22 albums, and won four Grammy Awards, between 1973 to 2002
  • George Carlin starred in 14 specials on HBO.
  • His three books have been bestsellers
  • His TV shows have been nominated for five Emmy
Frequently when I introduce myself, the reply is often "Carlin? Oh, like George Carlin? Any relation?" None that I ever found, but I would have been proud to be.

RIP George, thanks for the laughs that will go on forever.

No comments:

The Wonder of the Wild: ROM presents the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

Curiosity and the Cat / © Hannes Lochner (South Africa) I’ve been visiting the  Royal Ontario Museum regularly, mainly through the Friday N...