Comedian Bio: George Carlin

George Carlin in 2008

With nearly 50 years on stage, George Carlin is one of the longest-running stand-up comedians ever. He managed to achieve this by adapting his act over the years and evolving along with the times (and often just ahead of them).

The beginning

When Carlin first entered comedy in 1959, it wasn't as a solo stand-up comedian but as part of a comedy duo with Jack Burns whom he met while working with KXOL radio in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. After successful shows in the local coffeehouse they moved to California and worked together for another two years on shows for stand-up as well as radio and television.

At that time, Carlin presented a very different act than the one people nowadays often remember. He wore a suit, never knew where to leave his hands and he didn't sport a beard yet. Also his material was more 'pg', focusing more on imitations and ridicule of characters, rather than having a clear political or religious motive.

Later

During the 1970s Carlin changed his appearance. He started sporting a beard and long hair, paired with faded jeans and t-shirts. At first this cost him a few television bookings since the norm was clean-cut, well-dressed comedians, but the public quickly caught on to his style and he regained his popularity.

George Carlin in 1969

This was also the era Carlin's act became more controversial. A famous example is his routine “Seven words you can never say on television” which got him arrested on one occasion in Milwaukee, but the judge ruled he was allowed to say the words as long as they didn't cause disturbance.

“Shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits. Those are the heavy seven. Those are the ones that'll infect your soul, curve your spine and keep the country from winning the war.”

-        George Carlin, Seven words you can never say on television

Over the years Carlin became increasingly critical of current politics and religions. This caused controversy again, but as before, the controversy actually benefited his career. An attempt was made in 2003 by a Californian politician to introduce a bill to ban the broadcasting of the Seven dirty words routine, but that never made it through the subcommittee for the constitution.

The end

Carlin continued to perform right up to his death in 2008, dying one week after his last performance. His wishes were honoured and as a result he was cremated, his ashes were scattered and there were no public memorial services held.

Carlin leaves behind a legacy to be remembered. His recordings are still widely available both on- and offline, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, has received numerous awards, including the first ever posthumously awarded Mark Twain Prize for American Humour.