Oh, George!
Mon., June 23, 04:49 AM
When I typed the title, it occurred to me that, when I was a teenager, we used that expression the way Charlie Brown says “Rats!” Oh, George!
George Carlin has died. What a heartless thing to do!
Sometime around two this morning, I was awakened by Husband fumbling in the kitchen. He returned to his room and turned up the radio. So, from down the hall, I heard the news. Since I was now thoroughly awake, I went to the computer to read obituaries. Darn journalists, they didn’t know what they were writing about.
Anyone who knew George Carlin did not begin with the “Seven Words You Can’t Say on TV.” George was hilarious long before that and long after it. Censors are strange people, and even they don’t know why those words are offensive. That’s why it’s funny. George had a unique view of life and language.
My Middle Daughter, who adored George Carlin, discovered him sometime in the 1980’s. She was rather surprised that I had even heard of him, but when I sang out “Won-der-ful WINO,” she realized I was a fan. I first saw George Carlin on television when he still wore suits and cut his hair short. His satires on disc jockeys and drill sergeants were right on target.
Much more recently, I saw a performance where George said he was going to use a sentence no one had ever said before. Pause. “I have an anchor in my pocket.” He was right; we laughed. And maybe a few of us thought, “it’s funny and it isn’t even dirty.” This is becoming a lost art among comics.
Not that George was never vulgar. He often was. But he never used a dirty word just because he couldn’t think of anything funny to say. What’s more, I remember seeing a bit — I think he was still trying it out — that was a little offensive and not very funny. He realized it — “that was too much, wasn’t it?” — and apologized. When is the last time you saw that?
I find it very sad to think of all the subjects that George Carlin never got his teeth into. Can you imagine his take on those high school girls who think pregnancy is a team sport?
