George Carlin

[SmartIdiot]

He was fantastic, he knew things you'd never see! Like you'd never see a man taking a shit while running at full speed!

 

[SultanP]

I don't get why people called him a great comedian. I've listened to hours and hours of George Carlin material, and he is very rarely funny. As a comedian he really, really sucks. As a guy who points out what the hell is wrong with the world, I guess he's alright, but I hate when people call him a comedian.

Edit: Never really seems to have anything especially enlightened to say. His thoughts could be replicated by everyone who makes a point out of using their brain a little.

 

[Daedalus1942]

So its been around 2 years since the legend died. I am still of the mind that he was, is, and always will be the greatest comedian of all time.
but what did you think of him?

He was a great comedian (one of very few Americans I can stand), but he pails in comparison to Bill Hicks.
Bill Hicks is possibly the greatest stand up comedian ever.

 

[Lullabye]

Meh. I never got that into him. I found his work to be too crude for my tastes, alot of unnecessary profanity that equated to trying to distract the audience from his lack of original material. I did however find some of his plans to be highly interesting. Prison State? Sure.
Still, all the swearing kinda bothered me. It wasn't necessary. It wasn't funny. Plus I think he was just a very judgmental old man.

Spoiler: John Pinette is funny without being judgmental

 

[Lucifron]

It could be that British humour is a little too sophisticated for his tastes. There is a preference for substance here, merely saying "fuck" over and over doesn't cut it. I get the feeling it is like this across the world though, hence the reason there is generally a flow of comedians from the UK to the USA, without the reverse happening.

Michael McIntyre, the guy in the vid, has had the fastest selling debut DVD [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_McIntyre] for a stand up comedian ever. I think that trumps Carlin to be honest.

Yes, McIntyre's scholarly foray into human psychology does indeed go beyond the intellect and sophistication of most of mankind.

I think you are mistaken in your belief that the opinions of a few people on this forum constitutes "most of mankind". Maybe getting out more would help?

Oh dear. I thought that writing my first paragraph in an overly arrogant flaire and separating it (with three dots no less!) from the rest of my post would be enough to clarify its sarcastic nature, but I was clearly mistaken.
Clarification: I am mocking your branding of McIntyre as sophisticated, the notion of which is actually funnier than the video you posted.

Not only is McIntyre a genius and in all likelihood the herald of the Second Coming, but he doesn't offend anyone with his talk of pens, which is especially important for a comedian.

It is important for a comedian to be able to pick a topic which is funny and which everyone can relate to. Relating to a Carlin routine is difficult because frankly my life is easy enough that I don't feel horrified distain towards other human beings. This is probably the reason he never did a stand up in front of more than a few hundred or so people, as opposed to the three and a half thousand McIntyre managed to pack into the Apollo five nights in a row, or the half a million he performed for on his UK tour.

If Carlin's routines aren't anything but repeated fucks in your view, then you simply haven't been paying attention.

I have - maybe you should pay more attention. Find me a routine of his which wasn't simply a rant of some kind or other directed at some group of human beings he doesn't particularly like, and then I will re-examine my position.

"It is important for a comedian to be able to pick a topic which is funny and which everyone can relate to."

I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that you use the word "everyone" figuratively rather than literally (*hint*hint*), as I am certain that you are quite sapient enough to be aware of that humor is subjective, and that there is no topic which all of mankind will find funny, and but a few topics which everyone can relate to. As such, I'll see your pen and raise you by:

Spoiler: Mortality

Spoiler: and Religion

So fucking what if he rants about things and people he dislikes? Why is that a bad thing? Not everyone enjoys a comedian telling family-friendly anecdotes about groping for pens while waddling around the stage like some simian puts. You state that South Park is brilliant, and you'll hear no opposition from me, but I don't get what your beef is with Carlin taking your enjoyment of South Park in mind.
Carlin is an entertainer, and you can usually tell when he's just ranting for the lulz and when he actually means what he says. In most, if not all, cases when he's making a serious point, he goes about it in a most pragmatic, rational and relatable way, like his approach to theodicy in the latter clip above. The vulgarisms are just there to add his personal touch and flavour, but the routines aren't about them (with at least one notable exception).

As a catchy ending to this segmented wall-o'-text, allow me to add: Fo sho!

 

[Lucifron]

Double post, but no message from edit-quoting...

I don't get why people called him a great comedian. I've listened to hours and hours of George Carlin material, and he is very rarely funny. As a comedian he really, really sucks. As a guy who points out what the hell is wrong with the world, I guess he's alright, but I hate when people call him a comedian.

And I hate it when a person chastizes a whole bunch of people on no more ground than differing opinions that are of a wholly subjective nature.

 

[SultanP]

Double post, but no message from edit-quoting...

I don't get why people called him a great comedian. I've listened to hours and hours of George Carlin material, and he is very rarely funny. As a comedian he really, really sucks. As a guy who points out what the hell is wrong with the world, I guess he's alright, but I hate when people call him a comedian.

And I hate it when a person chastizes a whole bunch of people on no more ground than differing opinions that are of a wholly subjective nature.

Guess we're lucky I didn't chastise anyone then, eh? The OP asked our opinions, I stated mine. I didn't say anything about people who like him, that's their business, but personally, I wish people would stop calling him the greatest comedian.

 

[loremazd]

I think he's hilarious. I also think people who think his rants were anything but funny ideas are silly. I also think a lot of people like him simply because they're annoyed with a group he did funny rants about.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

He was a bit of a dick, but he was insanely funny.

Being insanely funny requires being a bit of a dick.

A really funny guy. Over the top, sure, but got me laughing.

Naah not at all.

Now don't go throwing around "ur stoopid, durr" in a cleverly disguised fluent sentence like this one: "It could be that British humour is a little too sophisticated for his tastes." You, clearly an intelligent person, of all people, should know that liking one thing or finding it amusing does not necessarily exclude liking other things.

No no don't misunderstand. Not liking something of a certain sophistication is a matter of taste, not intelligence. I myself prefer something like Halo to something like MGS. Fallout 3 was a vast improvement over Fallout 2 and 1 in my view. I don't care for Mozart, but the Beatles "I am the walrus" is a classic.

When it comes to comedy, my views are probably the least sophisticated here. I actually prefer slapstick. I'll take Jim Carey over Woody Allen any day. This cracks me up every time I see it:


When it comes to stand up however...

But allow me to rephrase what I said there, just to avoid any future misunderstandings:
George Carlin was an amusing stand up comedian because of his style of "being a dick" and insulting pretty much everything and everyone. This doesn't work the other way, just being a dick won't make anyone funny. He wasn't especially smart with his material, repeating worn phrases about atheism and profanities along with circular logic. Remember, sometimes it's not always about what you say, but how you say it that matters. In Carlin's case, he was funny because of that.

Not my favourite, though. That would be no other than Jimmy Carr. Mostly because of the quality of his live material and indeed, presentation. Cambridge style. Oh right.

Also, isn't everyone entitled to a personal opinion? Your dislike of Carlin almost blinds you here, it seems to me you are in your mind framing everyone who enjoyed his stand up to be a mindless drone and an unquestioning disciple of Carlin's narrow minded views. Because your opinions are clearly superior and somehow more "right".

...I think a bit differently. The coarseness and "blunt force" comedy just doesn't work for me if the comedy in question is spoken. I need to be able to either relate to the comedy or it has to be 'true' in some way which is ridiculous (satire).

 

[Sjakie]

Personally i think his comedy is not that good.
But man, do i revere the man's thinkings and he does have a way of being briliant with words.
He's a bit of a personal hero to me for his views and how he makes fun of others.

May George be screaming up at us!

 

[Blindswordmaster]

He was truly brilliant. What more can I say? The world is a worst place for his death. That said:Shit, Piss, ****, Cocksucker, ************, Tits, Twat, and Fart. Rest in peace you magnificent bastard.