The BoormanBlog

OK. That does it. I have now officially created a ‘Dead Celebrities’ category. This was a shocker! I knew Carlin was old, but I didn’t know he was in his 70’s. George Carlin died Sunday of heart failure. He had performed as recently as last weekend. Now that I think about it. It’s not that shocking. It looked like he lost quite a bit of weight, and was looking pretty gaunt. Sad to see him go.

While it can’t be said that this guy elevated the public discourse, he certainly made me laugh when I was 10 when he said all of those dirty words on HBO.

A few decades later, I picked up one of his books “Brain Droppings” and gained a better insight into the man. The intervening decades seemed to have brought a mellowness that was missing in Carlin’s younger days. Sure, the anger was still there at the hypocrisy of religious and political leaders (his usual, if not easy, targets). The self congratulations were still there for being a champion of free speech and the subject of a Supreme Court review.

There was something more, however, a certain wisdom and restraint that only the passage of time can bring. In “Brain Droppings”, Carlin didn’t seem as interested in shocking for its own sake. Now, he was interested in using humor to point out how, for all our technological progress and prosperity, America has taken several giant steps backward when it comes to the real quality of life.

Carlin keenly observed that, despite the internet, cell phones, Instant Messaging and Email, Americans are some of the most isolated, lonely people in the world. Technology has grown by leaps and bounds in the last half century, making Americans more productive than anyone could dream. Yet somehow, we are busier than ever, with no time to enjoy family and friends.

Don’t get me wrong, Carlin was still funny in his later years, and every bit as clever. It just seemed that he was more keenly aware that life isn’t all about pushing the envelope and pointing fingers at those who would point fingers. At some point, you let the younger crowd fight for “the cause” and you enjoy the success you’ve earned, while building (or rebuilding) relationships with friends and family. Yep, Carlin was one of the few outlaws who managed to 1) grow old and 2) do it gracefully.

Of course, I could be wrong. It’s been, like, six years since I thumbed through that book at the local Borders, then put it back on the shelf. But it’s a heck of a thought, no?

Here’s to you, George.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 9:59 pm and is filed under Dead Celebrities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.