A George Carlin Special Too Raw After Sept. 11 Resurfaces Now
Source: The New York Times
On Sept. 10, 2001, George Carlin, the greatest political comic in history if measured only by stand-up specials, recorded a bracing hour of social commentary for his new HBO special. The next day, he shelved it.
It wasnt only the title, I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die, that seemed in bad taste after nearly 3,000 people were killed a day later in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Mr. Carlin also told a joke about a fart so potent it blew up an airplane. You know who gets blamed? Osama bin Laden, Mr. Carlin joked. The F.B.I. is looking for explosives. They should be looking for minute traces of rice and bok choy.
If timing is everything, Mr. Carlin had nothing.
Fifteen years later, his lost special is finally being released. (It is on Sirius XM, though it will be for sale as a download or on CD or vinyl on Sept. 16, at Amazon and iTunes, among other outlets.) It will be a revelation for comedy fans nostalgic for the days when you could expect a series of articulate salvos from Mr. Carlin about every two years. This special is not bonus track material. Its a polished hour of new jokes with a virtuosic centerpiece, an intricate and elusive nearly 10-minute story that inspired its title, firmly in the tradition of Mr. Carlins comedy but also a fascinating departure.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/05/arts/george-carlin-raw-pre-sept-11-special-resurfaces.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur
PSPS
(13,590 posts)elmac
(4,642 posts)it is a news worthy story, as a big fan and the fact that he made an hour long show canned because of 911. Sure, its all about money but I will be paying up, its lost history.
GWC58
(2,678 posts)George was alive today. Too bad he passed away in 2007, a year before Obama elected.
msongs
(67,394 posts)elmac
(4,642 posts)and it definitely worked for him. I also really like the founding father of potty mouth, Lenny Bruce.
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,868 posts)People use bad words, get over it.
Kermitt Gribble
(1,855 posts)LeftyMom
(49,212 posts)TeamPooka
(24,221 posts)just because
Feeling the Bern
(3,839 posts)Tactical Peek
(1,208 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Seedersandleechers
(3,044 posts)It's being released on 9/16.
treestar
(82,383 posts)Maybe in context. Fart joke just sounds stupid. What is funny about joking about bin Laden even pre 911 like that?
Seedersandleechers
(3,044 posts)on our preoccupation for violence and murder?
Auggie
(31,161 posts)Grimelle
(219 posts)you'd swear he was psychic...
Old Vet
(2,001 posts)Islandurp
(188 posts)bora13
(860 posts)he were around to do his thing with t-rump. now that would be classy!
Also, I did sort of share a premonition with him regarding bush/cheney/9.11/iraq.
Great minds can think alike.
bananas
(27,509 posts)But they're only releasing it as audio.