Comedian George Carlin has died. But he lives on at YouTube where countless clips testify to a man who followed in the footsteps of Lenny Bruce.
The recent rise of the Evangelical conservatives in America made a lot of people think that the US is a place of censorship and circumspection. George Carlin was proof that it is still a place where speech is free-er than average. He could tell jokes about religion,race and even rape that sailed so close to the wind that they were permanently in danger of capsizing.
Carlin was a genius. I always thought he was very funny.
Although, Charlie, I disagree with people who associate certain types of Christians — I grew up in that community in the South — with censorship. I never saw it then or now.
It is usually the state that is eager to engage in censorship. I note that Ian McEwan is now in danger of being investigated for a hate crime in the UK for saying something about religion that would have an American audience howling in laughter if said by Carlin … or Chris Rock. And we don’t think of the UK as the home of evangelical Christians.
My favourite Carlin moment is when he goes after golfers!