The Genius is Gone
I’ll never forget the first time I saw George Carlin do stand up. I’d become a recent stand up junkie and had been going to “Dead Comics Society”, a weekly Thursday event in a country club in Dallas.
Anyways, I will not ever forget the appreciation I had and still have, for a comic that isn’t full of crap. By this I mean, he isn’t afraid to touch the “touchy” subjects. Doesn’t shy away from taboo topics and though he couldn’t say the seven words you can’t say on television, anyone who ever heard that bit found out what those words were very quickly, a comic that inspires that kind of activity beyond the show is a legend.
George Carlin wasn’t one of those comedians where you could go to a show, leave it and promptly forget what the topic was. Our world is funny, and to stand on a stage and make jokes about marriage and kids and other “safe” things and never touch on subjects that are affecting everyone, even if it pisses someone off, well then you’re just temporary entertainment – a dime a dozen novelty, someone I see to occupy myself for a few hours and promptly forget.
If however, you come out on stage and rage about the same damn things that piss me off about people in this country, and the people that run the country and the dumbass things that we see on the news well then my friend you have my attention. In fact, if you can make me laugh about the bullshit I see on the news, I’m an automatic fan.
It’s that easy, identify with me and show me that you understand the same crap I have to deal with, that it touches you too then I won’t think that you’re pretty sure you’re better than me standing on that stage. Most comics aren’t out there to make a difference they just want to make us laugh and that is indeed a noble purpose.
But if you can make me laugh and make a difference possibly in the way that I think, then George Carlin might have someone to follow in his footsteps. Until such time comes, I’m afraid the closest thing that we have is Lewis Black, and I don’t know about y’all but he’s no George Carlin.
I’ll miss you man.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
