GEORGE CARLIN R.I.P.

George Carlin died about a week ago. I know when famous people die, there's this huge trend of everyone paying tribute. This isn't that. George Carlin was one of the first stand-up comics I was ever aware of. I saw one of his '80s HBO specials, the one where he talked about "A Place For My Stuff" and he updated the "Seven Dirty Words" list. I remember video taping it and watching it a couple of times. His cursing was shocking to me, but once I got over that, I realized that what was so special about him was his complete command over the English language, and the joy he seemed to take at playing with its inconsistencies.

I felt that there was an underlying rebellion to him. It was like, "Don't trust anything, not even the English language." Something about that stuck with me. It also showed me how intelligent humor could be (something I think I was already tuned into, since I watched The Muppets and M.A.S.H.).

I really regret never going to see him perform. I know he had a huge distaste for celeb obits, and he definitely didn't believe in an afterlife. So, I don't know if saying "Rest In Peace" really makes sense. But thanks for the laughs, George Carlin.