Source: yahoo.com
George Carlin, who died of heart failure Sunday at 71, leaves behind not only a series of memorable routines, but a legal legacy: His most celebrated monologue, a frantic, informed riff on those infamous seven words, led to a Supreme Court decision on broadcasting offensive language.
The counterculture hero's jokes also targeted things such as misplaced shame, religious hypocrisy and linguistic quirks
Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.
"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.
The actor Ben Stiller called Carlin "a hugely influential force in stand-up comedy. He had an amazing mind, and his humor was brave, and always challenging us to look at ourselves and question our belief systems, while being incredibly entertaining. He was one of the greats."
Carlin constantly breached the accepted boundaries of comedy and language, particularly with his routine on the "Seven Words" — all of which are taboo on broadcast TV to this day.
When he uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, freed on $150 bail and exonerated when a Wisconsin judge dismissed the case, saying it was indecent but citing free speech and the lack of any disturbance.
When
George... you are gone but will be never forgotten for those 7 words!
Yeah. It's hard to believe he's gone
Steve
Man that SUCKS! He was great and will be missed!
Paul May
In his Younger days he had the Spark and was hilarious but in the past while he had seemed to become an angry old hippy, his last show i saw was a man that was not very funny and was just plain mean in his routines .. Sorry for the loss of anyone but seems everyone speaks of those that pass in glowing terms and not just speak truth, Carlin would be the first to say tell truth , the good and the bad.. PRM
Paul Mays said "In his Younger days he had the Spark and was hilarious but in the past while he ..."
They do speak the truth. He was a great man during most of his life, just because he got mean and onery in his last days doesn't change that. In the other articles it wasn't hidden that he had a history of drug abuse or anything else. We're not saying he was a saint, just that he made us laugh quite a bit over the years and we will miss him.
I loved him he was funny and made you think, but I didn't always agree with him, he will be missed.
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Just one of the many articles honoring the late, great George Carlin. I know I'll miss him