George Carlin is gone. Damn it. I never got to meet him.

Carlin showed me what comedy could be. He demonstrated that its full scope extends well beyond what is merely funny. His wit was restless, impatient; it tugged persistently at the uneven corners of our society. People who know me well will attest that in a normal conversation, it’s quite common for me to quote George Carlin. It’s no accident: he was so prolifically funny and insightful for so long that he covered the majority of topics relevant to our lives at one time or another. More than any other individual source, George Carlin’s stand-up work was the basis of my comedic sensibility. Continue reading →