Talking more death -- George Carlin's genius as a comic icon

I miss the 1990s. It was a rebellious, daydreaming, I could care less what you wear, where your next party is at non-conformist days. The music had a pulse, and it was that pulse I could identify why it's o.k. to have a tempered rage. My solitude led to voracious reading and writing poems and short stories. Middle and High School is that microcosm of American society, reminding us how superficial everyone is -- athlete, nerd, preppy, weirdo, redneck, and ass-kissing pawn to authority. Today, you're judged on what you do for a living.

Groups were never my thing. I hated hanging around too many people, because the odds an asshole enters the picture vastly increases. Get me one-on-one with anyone, and I can begin to tap into the commonalities we share. Yes, this even included the self-proclaimed Jesus Freaks or Born-Again Christians (trickled into my college days). Enter George Carlin.

Carlin just let his thoughts come out. It was uninhibited, and he didn't care who he offended. His comic routines had me hysterically laughing, but there was always a broader theme he addressed. Mainly, he mocked how stupid our superficiality really is. We have to buy, buy, buy useless shit we don't need, parade around with it like it's a badge of honor, and tell everyone else, "Hey, fuck you." And his take on what we think is hip, he also mocked. For example, one of his stand-ups he was puzzled by the phrase "heard that." After a series of mock dialogues, he finally yelled (emphasize paraphrasing here) "You're an asshole. Can you hear that?" It was pointing out these shortcomings that really made him a quality human being.

My aunt who never sends me e-mails sent me one a few days after 9/11. It was a lengthy poem emphasizing just how powerful it is to really treasure our friendships and family. After reading it, I noticed at the bottom who it was written by -- George Carlin. The same foul-mouthed, cynical Carlin who seemingly is a nihilist. Yeah, it's that Carlin. I know today people like Bill Maher and Lewis Black, who I also love for their humorist satire, wouldn't be where they are without Carlin's innovative work. He'll be missed, but thanks to modern technology, I can still watch one of his stand-ups on DVD. I think the mere notion I'm halfway attempting to eulogize him would probably have him saying, "I don't know this asshole. Why do people only care about someone after death? Then, it goes away, and people go back to that microwave frenzied age they're living in. I've got to look at my profile on MySpace, zone out on YouTube, bitch about gas prices, love my minister so I can be in Heaven, and find anyway I can to ignore my bitching wife. I want to come back as a virus, so I can put your life on hold."