George Carlin
George Carlin, arguably, is the greatest and -- after Lenny Bruce
-- most influential stand-up comedian of all time. Born and raised by
his mother in various places in The United States. They moved frequently
in order to avoid his father, who in Carlin's words, was a stalker and
alcoholic. His mother (as well as his father) worked in marketing, where
they met. The long hours the mother worked left the young George by
himself for long hours every day, providing him (in his own words), the
time he needed to think about various subjects, listen to radio, and
practice his impersonations, that where acclaimed by his mother and
coworkers since an early age. George, born in a Catholic family, became
an Atheist at an early stage (by his own comedic recall, when he reached
the age of reason, at 2 and a half years old). Carlin started out as a
conventional comedian and had achieved a fair degree of success as a Bill Cosby
style raconteur in nightclubs and on TV until the late 1960s, when he
radically overhauled his persona. His routines became more insightful,
introducing more serious subjects. As he aged, he became more cynic and
bitter, unintentionally changing his stage persona again in a radical
way throughout the 90s. This new George Carlin, usually referred to as
the late George Carlin, is one of the most acclaimed and enjoyed by the
public and critics. Carlin's forte is Lenny Bruce-style social and
political commentary, spiced with nihilistic observations about people
and religion peppered with black humor. He is also noted for his
masterful knowledge and use of the English language. Carlin's notorious
"Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine was part of a radio censorship case
that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978.
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