Comedian extraordinaire, political and social satirist George Carlin Died last Sunday in the afternoon due to heart failure at the age of 71 in St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
I don't expect a lot of people to read this much less know who this man is, however, I'm pushed by my inner bastard to do this. Sort of a goodbye.
George Denis Patrick Carlin was born in Manhattan, New York on May 12, 1937. A high school dropout, Carlin found his true path when, after being discharged from the army, started as a comedy team alongside Jack Burns with whom he would perform until the early 60's.
After that came a line of live TV Shows before actually pursuing a career as a stand up comedian in the 70's. Carlin went off to become one of the most intriguing and groundbreaking performers in history, reaching mass popularity when his (at the time) controversial record "Class Clown" which featured the Seven Words You Can't Say On Television routine was broadcasted live from a public station in New York City and The FCC (people supposed to censor and regulate anything broadcasted on TV, Radio and Press) fined said station. The seven words were Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker and Tits. 
Mr. Carlin was also the first person ever to host Saturday Night Live. I will repeat that. George Carlin was the man, THE man, to ever host the very first episode of Saturday Night Live. Beyond that, his professional life was primarily stand up routines with the addition of 4 published books, a collection of these including never before seen material and about 16 appearances on Film. He was named 2nd best comedian in Comedy Central's recount of the top 100 stand up comedians of all time. But that's just what he did, now let me tell you who he was. 
Around my 16 years of age and 3rd semester of high school I was getting pretty much into pop culture and certain non-mainstream fads. One of them, was sketch, stand up and improv comedy. I would really much enjoy all the stuff from Jerry Seinfeld, later on Robin Williams, Gabriel Iglesias, The Original Kings of Comedy, The Original Queens of Comedy, anything by the guys at Def Jam comedy club, and my then favorite, George Lopez. All of them good in their own separate space. All of them talented, all of them pretty amazing as well. But none would compare to the moment I accidentally downloaded the whole You're All Diseased album.
The first time I listened to it I didn't know what to think. The man was a pessimist, way to pessimist. He was rude and raunchy and at moments even disgusting. That first time I heard Carlin speak, I couldn't believe that what he said came from an elderly man. Someone who opposes the establishment and says things pretty straight forward without breaking a sweat was new in my life. After I listened to the record for about 2 hours, I just sat there thinking, laughing still at some of the stuff he said. George Carlin went of to become one of my heroes.
I was a kid and different from who I am today. George Carlin was one of the many who help change my point of view about everything. He gave me something I had to seek and use and learn to use. Wit. He gave me courage, through his words. Unlike Hunter S. Thompson or Woody Allen or Stephen King, those guys gave me examples and ideas. I wish to be like them, but Carlin taught me how to function. I was shy before I knew about him, I was so self aware of stuff that didn't really mattered. I was weaker. Carlin gave me the push, gave me the help that nor my friends or my family could. I needed him.
Watching him on stage calm and non-threateaning gave me a new meaning of tough. He was tough, one of the toughest guys I'd ever known. Because he talked. He didn't moved a lot. He didn't shouted a lot. He wasn't buff or hard or, like I said, he didn't looked dangerous, but he was dangerous. He was blunt and crude and raw and tough. And that changed me. He was the first bastard I ever met, the first real bastard. Because this is how they come. They're not big, they're not physically strong. No, they're tough, they could stand a beating and scaring and torture but the way they'd talk to somebody could make you shiver in fear. The way he said things, the way he thought things.
He was a teacher to me like many have been teachers without them knowing so. He is the reason I write how I write. Free. I'm free because I listened to Carlin and I watched Kevin Smith movies and because I've been through grammer school and middle school and high school like any other kid went through those painfully embarrasing moments in which you don't stand up for yourself and everyone takes a toll on that. I've allways been a dork, but now I do stand up for myself and I do defend my ground and no one can shake me that easily. No one can get to me unless I let them and no one can scare me the way I used to get scared.
Now I'm not shy and I'm not weak and it's all in part thanks to him, thanks to Carlin.
George Carlin was a man of words. And he lived up to those words. He said things like he meant them and he said things that could destroy a fucking nation. One of the best things he could've ever said, "I fucking hate self help books, motivational speakers and all that shit. When you buy this books, you're not getting self help. That's not self help, That's help! If you did it yourself, you didn't need help to beggin with".
He challenged authority, government, religion. He challenged society and made them think for themselves. Pushed them as far as they needed to be pushed just so they could push back. He was a New Yorker by heart and a savior no less. He wasn't afraid. And he made us just as unafraid. If he didn't like something he would tell it to go fuck itself and so have we. He made me a figheter and an ideologist and he did it by making me laugh. No one will ever come close, as close as changing so much in me than George Carlin ever did. And no one will go on as far as to understand how much does he meant to me.
I said before that my inner bastar push me to do this. It isn't my inner bastard. It's me, is the human that I am. Carlin made us humans, not puppets or robots. He's my savior and now he's gone. I wanted to meet him, I wanted to shake his hands, to have a talk with him. Just like I do with Woody and Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino. Guess we'll just have to meet on another life. If heaven does exist, he's right there right now on the lower east side in an improv bar with Lenny Bruce and Richar Pryor. Hunter S. Thompspon is probably working the bar.
"We're all fucked. It helps to remeber that"
"If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, set them on fire"
"Most people are not particularly good at anything"
"I never eat sushi. I have trouble eating things that are merely unconcious"
"The only good thing to come out of religion was the music"
"I'm not concerned about all hell breaking loose, but that a PART of hell will break loose... it'll be much harder to detect"
"Well, if crime fighters fight crime and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight? They never mention that part to us, do they?"
"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy"
"I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately"
"Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong"
"The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."
"Those who dance are cosidered insane by the people that can't hear the music"
Goodbye Mr. Carlin. We will remember you allways...And thanks for the kind inspiring words.
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