A Comedians Tribute to George Carlin

Upon hearing the news that one of modern stand up comedies forefathers passed away Sunday evening I had to laugh. I could just picture George using his death to play a practical joke on the nurses and doctors. I cried too, but I know damn well it's the last thing Carlin would have wanted anyone to do.

George Denis Patrick Carlin was born on May 12, 1937 in New York City. He grew up on 121^st street in Manhattan. He quit high school joined the Air Force but Carlin had a very different calling. Before being "dismissed" from the Air Force for being an "unproductive airman" Carlin started working as a DJ at KJOE in Shreveport Louisiana. After his discharge he went to work at KXOL in Fort Worth Texas where he met Jack Burns. The two formed a comedy team, moved to California and worked together for two year before going their separate ways. The rest is history.

I was just 14 when I heard my first George Carlin album. The first line I heard was "I was fired from a casino in Las Vegas for saying sh*t. This in a place where the main game is called craps." After that I was hooked. I remember listening to his records over and over till I could recite his routines verbatim. And the fantasy of actually doing what he did was always there too. But being brought up by Depression Era, Blue Collar parents meant that such pursuits were taboo. As far as my dad was concerned, anything to do with show business was fool hearty and a waste of time. So, I didn't ever even try stand up till I was 45 years old. And let me tell you, no one is more surprises than I that anyone thinks I'm good enough to be paid for doing it. But it wouldn't matter if I got paid or not because once I got my first laugh I was hooked.

Yeah, it's tough as hell when you bomb, and most folks couldn't take that kind of kick in the groin. But when it works and the audience is laughing hysterically... Well, it's a high that is indescribable. And believe me when I say that without the inspiration of the greats like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Lenny Bruce, there wouldn't be nearly as many of us doing it these days. Those guys broke the mold and often paid for it by spending time in jail. Once George Carlin was arrested for not having any ID while attending a Lenny Bruce show when Bruce was arrested for using profane language.

Carlin didn't just make us laugh, he also made us think. He was completely fearless with his commentary concerning government and the wealthy. But few escaped his cutting wit. The one thing George had the smallest amount of patience for was stupidity and spoke of it often. But his most famous bit was the "Seven words you can't say on television." His quick and hilarious rant on each of the words kept us holding our stomachs, but it was the hypocrisy of it that was the point George wanted to make.

George Carlin's half century contribution to the world of stand up comedy is a monument to itself. And the timelessness of his material will ensure it will continue to be rediscovered generation after generation.

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Devin Barber, Politics Correspondent

Devin's column, "Left Of The Right" published weekly or more to Gather Essentials: Politics is a Blue Collar Democrats take on current political news.

Devin was raised by proud Roosevelt Democrats. Being the son of parents counted among the throng of Americans displaced by the Great Depression has given Devin a deep rooted passion for causes dealing with the poor and the working class.

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