RIP: George Carlin (1937-2008)

Just heard that George Carlin passed away. Wow.

As a kid, I would go to my 'cousin' Kris Cerola's house a lot. We'd spend days doing all sorts of creative stuff; burning army men with rubber cement ("NAAAA-PALM STRIIIIKE!!"), torturing his bulldog, Rocky, with the call of "Where's your freds? Where's your freds, Rocky?" (that dog would lose his MIND when you said that. I still don't know what 'freds' are.), you know...typical preteen mayhem, but nothing too bad. Nobody got hurt.

We also look through Ms. Cerola's (now Mrs. Gilfoy's) records and art magazines and stuff. She was a graphic designer. There are all sorts of images I can never get out of my head that are uniquely 'Cerola'. There are records that I know I saw and heard for the first time at their house. Mrs. Cerola had Jean-Michael Jarre's 'Oxygene' record and the cover would have one think it was some rockin' shit or maybe it would sound like Yes. It was actually some of the first truly 'electronic music' I had ever heard. (I'm actually gonna go back and listen to his stuff some more. I am sure I will find the roots of a lotta stuff I dig now in it.)



Sounded like bleep and bloops then...now, I think I hear what Mama Sue heard. Kinda bad-ass, huh?

Also at the Cerola House, I discovered George Carlin. We KNEW we weren't supposed to listen to that album, same way we weren't supposed to listen to the Richard Pryor records I'd sneak outta my Uncles' collection, and that made it that much funnier. Now, a lotta the concepts may have gone over our head, but man, was this hippie funny. We could just look at the covers and know there was something good in there. We felt like we were in on something great. Two goofy kids listening to the 'Seven Words You Can't Say On Television'; we didn't understand that George Carlin was making a statement about censorship and morals. We just heard this cat doing these voices and cussing up a storm. We knew we could get in big trouble just listening to it., but we had no idea as to how much trouble Carlin had gotten in for performing it. It's landmark, culture-shaping stuff.

Here is the original 'Seven Words You Can't Say On Television'. Just listen to his FLOOOOW....the dude is absolutely incredible...

ummm NSFW, of course





Comedy will never be as dangerous and so well-thought out. It's too easy now. You got the Youtube, you got the cable tv; kids don't hafta search hard and they are easily impressed. Now, you can film yourself getting hit in the balls and become famous.


Kris and I thought started out listening to bad words, we had no idea we were getting a lesson in the ridiculousness of the idea of 'bad words'. As I grew up, I continued to watch and listen to George Carlin. I love words and I am sure I developed some of that love listening to his work, especially his HBO specials in the 80's. He just had a way of playing with words that has definitely informed my rapping.



I would be remiss to forget that I read his book 'Brain Droppings' while I was in Gary helping to plan my Father's funeral. Helped me way more than 'The Celestine Prophecy' or 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' woulda. Me and George, we click.

You know, I don't cuss much on my records and in my writing, but this blog is for George...and the dude went to the wall for the freedom for all of us to say what we want...

Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, tits.

Peace out, George.