I was about seven-years-old when I was first introduced to George Carlin ... yes, seven. One of my older brothers had George Carlin's "Class Clown" album (yes, I'm old) that introduced me to my very first comedic hero.
In the dank, dark, stinky bedroom of a teenage boy, I sat between dirly laundry and a pile of Carlos Castaneda books, and listened in awe of this genius, who could so eloquently combine such offensive words like f**k, piss, c*nt, tits and c**ksucker into a sarcastic monologue that made a meaningful point about censorship. Though I was seven, I GOT it. I understood his sarcasm - and I laughed until I cried. That's when I fell in love with comedy. That's when I fell in love with George Carlin's humor.
If any of you were lucky enough to catch his television show in the early 90s, you will understand what I mean by genius. Only Carlin could pull off a monologue, in the bathroom, talking to his dog about the importance of trimming, not plucking, your nose hairs. Again, I laughed until I cried.
George Carlin passed away today at the age of 71. His contribution to comedy, and his devotion to being true to himself and not the censors or networks, made him the ballsy comedian that we, as his audience, love, and we, as fellow comedians, appreciate and respect.
When I read the news today, my heart felt heavy. I wanted to visit YouTube and watch his videos. I wanted to read his notorious "Seven Words." Instead, I just sat at my desk, between piles of paper work and V-Blab video, and cried.
He was genuinely a comical genius who will truly be missed.
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