George Carlin: Another Comedy Icon Lost

Man, Monday mornings have been a real bummer lately.

Counterculture class clown George Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, died from heart failure on Sunday evening (June 22) – he was 71. In his countless stand up shows, he taught us why to speed through red lights (“My brother might be coming the other way!”), showed us where to put our stuff and, most importantly, gave us the list of “Seven words you can never say on television” (which can, of course, be viewed on YouTube). Those seven dirty little utterances actually got him arrested for disturbing the peace in Milwaukee in 1972 – which got thrown out of court when it was ruled as free speech. "So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," he told The Associated Press earlier this year.

Let’s not forget the comedic genius of his movie career, either – granted, Bill & Ted might not have been a masterpiece, but it was pretty damn funny for its time. Some of his most memorable roles from recent years, though, were courtesy of Kevin Smith: from a role as his holiness Cardinal Glick (in the wildly under-appreciated Dogma) to the complete opposite end of the spectrum as a trucker providing tips on road head (in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back), George stole every scene he was in (Yes, even in the critically hated Jersey Girl).

Hopefully God has a sense of humor (maybe he actually was George Burns after all). Any way you slice it, the Pearly Gates may soon be resounding with the sweet sounds of Carlin’s profanity. I wonder what he’d say as he walks through that front door? My guess? “Holy fuck, what’s with all the harps?!”