Hyperbole Alert: George Carlin

Before I get into this, lets be clear on one thing: yesterday the world lost one of its great comedians. George Carlin was a funny, funny man, and by all accounts, a genuinely warm fellow. My best wishes go out to his family (though, obviously, that’s a gesture Carlin himself wouldn’t appreciate).

Unfortunately, in the wash of grief that’s been sweeping the internet, some folks are getting carried away in their assessment of the nation’s filthy court jester. Here are a few samples I’ve picked up from around the web:

“One of the true critical thinkers…”

“…anyone that heard him speak and had the education to have understood him is no doubt smarter and more insightful as a result.”

“…he was showing me a way to view the world critically and with a sense of humor at the same time.”

“He was a great man [...] also a great thinker and wasn’t taken seriously enough.”

And so on.

I hate to be a wet blanket here, but it’s important to point out that George Carlin was not, by any stretch, a great thinker. Or, perhaps he was, but you wouldn’t know it by his work. He was funny, biting, observant, and passionate, but his political and sociological rants were nothing more than linguistic sleight of hand. Carlin was so good at spinning a story, so skilled at projecting his own passion, that it was easy to get caught up in his ideology, which was full of gaping holes. It made for a terrific monologue, but would fall to pieces in a dialogue.

Carlin’s view of life seemed to be: “Everybody should be cool, man, and if they’re not, fuck ‘em.” That sort of attitude is expected when you’re 18 years old. It’s silly when you’re not. And that, really, was what made Carlin such a funny guy. Here was a grown man saying ridiculous things like some enraged teenager, complete with dirty words and a straight face. Most of what he said was ridiculous, and that made it funny.

For those of you who doubt what I’m saying, Here are two bits from Carlin’s routines, both of which tackle controversial subjects. After you’ve watched once and laughed, go back again and think critically about what he’s saying. Whether or not you agree with his ideas, there’s no question these “arguments” could be picked apart by a clever twelve-year-old.

Let’s remember George Carlin with laughter, and appreciate what he gave us. He was one of the most talented performers of his time. But let’s not confuse him for a great, insightful philosopher of our age.