Great, talk about things we can't afford to lose…

…A) intelligent people, and B) a Great!!! comedian.

So yeah, this is another George Carlin reaction.

I had just about dozed off the other night when my wife told me Mr. Carlin had died. Now, I’ve always liked Carlin’s stuff, but I’ve never been as big a fan as some folks I know. Part of this is that I don’t really listen to or watch stand-up comedy. Not because I don’t enjoy it, but I’m just more music oriented. I wouldn’t buy a stand-up album because once you listen to it … that’s it. I can’t imagine listening to something like that over and over again. And, of course, there is the fact that most comedians aren’t funny. But some folks, like George, they’re special. George’s stuff was two fold, because not only would it make you laugh, but it would make you think and sometimes actually educate you.

Can Dane Cook say that?

Over the years I read a couple of Carlin’s books, heard a couple albums or bits, never saw him live (though I would have liked to, although I never seem to have the time or money for stand-up shows) and just from this little bit I feel like the guy impacted me. I loved his take-no-shit attitude toward the rampaging stupidity that covers almost every inch of our planet. I loved his exasperation at the ridiculous things people say and do under the pretenses of religion and government. And I loved the fact that he seemed to feel that he should not just bitch about things, but use his vantage point to educate and enlighten others. He, like Bill Hicks, another comedian planet Earth lost about ten years ago, had the ability to make me feel like if there were people out there that saw these things, and had such a great vantage point for deseminating the knowledge, well, maybe people weren’t as terrible as I thought.

But Hicks died, and now George is dead, and Will Ferrell continues to make about twelve shitty movies a year, Mike Myers is making “a comeback” and people I know actually think the likes of Jimmy Fallon or Martin Lawrence are funny.

Do we really deserve nuclear destruction or is it just me?

………..

* I recently had the VERY UNFORTUNATE experience of seeing the first fifteen minutes or so of Semi-Pro. To say this movie is not funny is an understatement. Remember the opening diner scene in Children of the Corn? Where the crazy devil Amish kids kill all the adults over Sunday breakfeast? And the one kid puts his parent’s hand in the blender? Will Ferrell, don’t let me find out where you eat Sunday breakfeast.