Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/11/06/george-carlin-explains-why-boo.html
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I love Carlin, and most of his material. I do find it fascinating that some of his comedic “holding up a mirror” was always so well received but when others have done similar it is nothing but scorn and loathing.
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Chris Rock and Louis C.K. did it pretty well, too.
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I am thinking also of Bill Maher and Dave Chappelle.
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I miss Carlin nearly every day. The universality of his observations continue to resonate. Having discovered him during my peak anti-authoritarian teenage years didn’t hurt either.
Jammin’ In New York remains my favorite special. The opening is classic and still relevant. [NSFW]
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George Carlin, of the so-called “silent generation” that preceded the boomers
Carlin was more of a hippy than any of those “lemme tell you about the '60s” poseurs could ever hope to be. Typically, the Boomers have tried to make the counterculture and the protest movement all about themselves, but while people their age were the foot soldiers the real leaders were mostly Silents like Carlin.
Carlin not only didn’t care about being liked by the audience, he didn’t come off as pretending that he didn’t care. He never slipped, not once. That core authenticity, probably modeled on Lenny Bruce, is why he could go after the faux-authentic (those who hold the Boomer attitude being a prime example) so viciously and still have them love him for it.
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He had the kind of long-term perspective about generations that only truly comes with having a time machine.
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soybean futures!
OK Boomer!
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‘Generations is cultural astrology for pundits’ is excellent, thank you.
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OK, Bummer!
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Carlin will most likely remain my favorite comic in my lifetime. He helped shape a lot of my beliefs.
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I have this rant on CD.
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So, young people are mad at Boomers for complaining about them, and Carlin was complaining about the Boomers younger than he was? I guess if they live long enough, members of each generation will get blamed for something from both sides. 
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Dammit, never mind.
for those here who say that George Carlin didn’t get the flack that others did who say the same thing, I agree with the others who say that George seemed sincere when not caring what others thought.
I think the evidence in favor of this is that you can look at any person bitchin about the system and judge their authenticity by whether they wear sunglasses or how much gel they have in their hair. heck, if they even combed their hair that day.
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Disclaimers: “Generations” is cultural astrology for pundits, Facebook must be destroyed, the purpose of polls is influence not observation, don’t eat yellow snow.
Facebook delenda est?
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I liked the way he sneered, “…soybean… futures. Soybean… futures.” Hilarious disdain.
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Carlin was one of the best of all time. His facility with language, his incredible intellectual prowess coupled with a sublime silliness, his ability to find humor in anything - from the most incisive political insights to the most ridiculous bathroom humor you can imagine. The span of decades that his career encompassed is also very impressive. And some of his best work was done at the end of his career. What a lovely human being he was.
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