Definitely agree, and was coming here to post something similar. I'm a Carlin fan from way back in the day, and I have multiple copies of most of his albums including his box set. But he's not the man he used to be. Which is true of pretty much all of us, but that means you have to evaluate what he IS, not what he WAS. And what he IS is a bitter, angry, unfunny misanthrope.
This special was almost entirely laugh free. The only chuckles where those classic Carlin moments where he says something caustic or shocking, then clarifies his position with very articulate language. It still works. But the rest doesn't. There were really no jokes in this entire lecture except a couple repeated from his past recent concerts (the all-suicide channel was in his last special for Chrissake).
Carlin as he is only appeals to the type of person he projects: the bitter, angry, self-important, misanthropic left-winger who consumes and spends just like everybody else but feels guilty about it, so they lash out at everybody else, calling them 'stupid' and generally being *beep* I love when people like Carlin go on a rant about how stupid Americans supposedly are and their audience applauds. Their audience ... of Americans. It's like that joke Chris Rock tells about rap music being misogynistic, and women loving it because "He ain't talkin' 'bout me!"
Carlin's whole schtick is just tired and based on outdated, incorrect data. Like his whole bit about how humans are supposedly the only creatures who murder (untrue) or kill for sport (untrue) or personal gain (untrue). Or he leans on stereotypes and hypocrisy - how ridiculous is a rant against capitalism from a guy who did 1-800-COLLECT commercials to pay IRS bills resulting from his years of high-society living?
It's just bile and anger from a hateful, angry old man fighting the IRS, drug and alcohol addiction, loneliness, and his own increasing irrelevance. If you're one of those oh-so-trendy "God I hate this country" Americans, you'll love it. If you're an actual intelligent person you'll sigh at what this past great has become and change the channel.
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17 years ago
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Fenrir-5
17 years ago
"I think it is hilariously hypocritical that you would whinge about someone eles rantings and construct your entire argumant into one long sentence."
Well, if you're stupid enough to disregard the rest of my rather lengthy post, perhaps.
"Carlin is not just a comedian but a social commentator."
So is Joan Rivers. Both have about the same depth.
"because murder is not the same thing as killing and killing for food is not a sport or personal gain. "
Murder is unlawful killing, so it's ridiculous to even try to apply the judgment to animals: they abide by no documented law. And animals do kill for sport and personal gain. Many animals kill their own species for territory or property (food, females), and several species including dolphins and whales have been observed killing for sport. Even cats kill for sport.
Isn't it funny how only ignorant people are sure of their intellectual superiority? No wonder you're a Carlin fan. Be sure to catch his next great special: George Carlin Complains for Ten Hours About His Uncomfortable Bowel Movements and Those Damn Kids on His Lawn.
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17 years ago
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Fenrir-5
17 years ago
"What Carlin was talking about was killing for personal gain as in ..."
Please. He makes a specific point that humans are supposedly the only animals who kill for personal gain. It's a tired, ignorant point that has been hounded on by misanthropes and sci-fi writers (or is that redundant) for ages, and which was based upon a very naive and anthropomorphic image of animals. Animals are actually quite brutal, cruel, and mean. In fact, our desire to kill for personal gain comes from our animal nature.
"Lets face it are dolphins capable of plotting a political assassination?"
What a ridiculous statement. Do dolphins have a political structure? They don't even have thumbs to accurately grip the rifle. You're attempting to contrast uniquely human behavior with animal behavior specifically to point out that animals don't engage in that behavior. It's the same as asking: do dolphins organize charity relief for their war amputees, or will a dolphin perform a Heimlich maneuver on another if he/she is choking?
Idolize the animal kingdom as much as you want, but I've never heard of a human mother eating one of her own babies or paralyzing her husband with an incapacitating venom injection during sex so the eggs can hatch inside him, then consume his flesh for sustenance.
Carlin's new routine is bitter, bilious misanthropy mixed with a few bathroom/gross-out jokes when he realizes nobody has laughed for fifteen minutes. Pass.
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17 years ago
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Fenrir-5
17 years ago
The key word makes no difference regarding the correctness of the statement. Animals deliberately kill for personal gain and/or fun. This is documented scientific fact. Watch an episode of "The Planet" or "The Blue Planet" for proof.
Thanks for helping illustrate my point though: Carlin is an ill-informed misanthrope whose new 'humor' only appeals to others just like him.
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17 years ago
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Fenrir-5
16 years ago
You keep providing your own qualifications and attributing them to Carlin. The funny thing is that the qualifications make no difference, and of course Carlin said nothing of the sort anyway.
Murder by definition can only be committed by humans. So your statement is like saying only oranges taste like oranges. It's self-defining. And I've already proven, repeatedly, that everything else stated in this ridiculous bit of human-bashing is documented to be false. So please, just stop. You're embarrassing yourself.
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