George Carlin

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George Carlin bigraphy, stories - Comedian, actor, writer

George Carlin : biography

May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008

George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, satirist, actor, and writer/author who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums. Carlin was noted for his black humor as well as his thoughts on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. Carlin and his "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5–4 decision by the justices affirmed the government’s power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves.

The first of his 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO was filmed in 1977. From the late 1980s, Carlin’s routines focused on socio-cultural criticism of modern American society. He often commented on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture. In 2004, Carlin placed second on the Comedy Central list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time, ahead of Lenny Bruce and behind Richard Pryor. He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the three-decade Johnny Carson era, and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live. His final HBO special, It’s Bad for Ya, was filmed less than four months before his death. In 2008, he was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Early life

Carlin was born in Manhattan, the second son of Mary (Beary), a secretary, and Patrick Carlin, a national advertising manager for the New York Sun. Carlin was of Irish descent and was raised a Roman Catholic. Carlin’s maternal grandfather, Dennis Bearey, was born in Ireland where he quit school to immigrate to the US. Bearey served as a New York City policeman. Carlin said he picked up from his mother an appreciation for the effective use of the English language.

He grew up on West 121st Street, in a neighborhood of Manhattan which he later said, in a stand-up routine, he and his friends called "White Harlem", because that sounded a lot tougher than its real name of Morningside Heights. He was raised by his mother, who left his father when Carlin was two months old. Retrieved August 13, 2008. and his brother, Patrick was five.Stewart, Jon. , (27 February 1997) He attended Corpus Christi School, a Roman Catholic parish school of the Corpus Christi Church, in Morningside Heights., George Carlin website (georgecarlin.com)Flegenheimer, Matt, , The New York Times, October 25, 2011 After three semesters, at the age of 15, Carlin involuntarily left Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx and briefly attended Bishop Dubois High School in Harlem.Gonzalez, David. He also briefly attended the Salesian High School in Goshen, NY. . The New York Times. June 24, 2008. He spent many summers at Camp Notre Dame on Spofford Lake in Spofford, New Hampshire. He regularly won the camp’s drama award, and specified that after his death a portion of his ashes be spread at the lake. Carlin had a difficult relationship with his mother and often ran away from home.

Carlin later joined the United States Air Force and was trained as a radar technician. He was stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, Louisiana. During this time, he began working as a disc jockey at radio station KJOE, in the nearby city of Shreveport. He did not complete his Air Force enlistment. Labeled an "unproductive airman" by his superiors, Carlin was discharged on July 29, 1957. During his time in the Air Force he was court martialed three times, and also received many disciplinary punishments. Variety, June 22, 2008

Internet hoaxes

Many writings found on the internet have been falsely attributed to Carlin, including various joke lists, rants, and other pieces. The web site Snopes, an online resource that debunks urban legends and myths, has addressed these forgeries. Many of them contain material that runs counter to Carlin’s viewpoints; some are especially volatile toward racial groups, gays, women, the homeless, and other targets. Carlin was aware of these bogus emails and debunked them on his own web site, saying, "Here’s a rule of thumb, folks: Nothing you see on the Internet is mine unless it comes from one of my albums, books, HBO specials, or appeared on my web site", and "It bothers me that some people might believe that I would be capable of writing some of this stuff."]; June 27, 2008]