Letters to the Editor
-
General Case Argument
Arnold Schwartzenegger is trading in his Humvee for a Corvette because a Corvette is like a Cougar on steroids.
Terminator I
Terminator II
Terminator III
and Coming Soon
Terminator Forever
In this movie, the robots won't let you out the door.
Face forward, close your eyes. "I'll be back." Ahnuld must visit wardrobe for Commando 2: Spring Break
-
Twain vs. Carlin
JNagarya wrote:
Twain was never so compromising with the "pop culture" demand that he write and speak in sound bites.
Well, Twain could afford to be that way, because his audiences tended to be generally more well rounded- more blessed with a basic, soound literacy and generalist education. They were aware of the essential facts, knowledge of the era and this could be exploited by Twain.
Today, when you have half of American high schoolers believing that the Civil War was fought after VietNam (accrding to an OECD History assessment paper) and more than 41% of adults functionally illiterate, and 63% who can't even read to first year college level - it's a different story.
One other aspect, Carlin never claimed to be a "moral philosopher" but rather a comedian. Hence, he is going to rehearse acts that can be used again- for different audiences. And hopefully audiences that will appreciate them. For example, he said on one occasion he doesn't intend to play for Vegas audiences again. They are fat, over-bloated middle -aged tourist types and "don't get it".
Twain, by contrast, was more a commentator of the times - who mixed aspects of social commentary, with moral philosophy and also biting humor. Let's also forget there were many commonalities, for instance Twain had as little use for religion as Carlin does. Recall one of Twain's most famous quotes:
"Religion began when the first fool met the first knave"
On the whole, and as a general rule, it isn't productive to compare celebrities of widely differing eras - precisely because one must factor in the social, cultural, educational milieu as well.
But I will guarantee that in many ways, many of Twain's one liners (like the one above) were every bit as shocking in their day as Carlin's zingers are today.
-
Have You Ever Been George Carlin?
Why, yes. yes, I have. I was George Carlin for a week back in '87. So I have the right to "dis" him.
Right after that I was Snoop Dogg for a day and a half. So watch out, Snoop.
And, of course, I was President Bush for one semester of grad school. (Boy, did my grades suffer!) So I have the right to dis him.
What sucks is that I have not yet been a white whale. So don't bother asking me what I think about Moby-Dick.
-
Another way to think about Carlin
Think of it this way. Carlin is like House, the TV Doc. House doesn't give a shit about anyone, he's even said as much on the show. He just goes about his business, saving people's lives. Why doesn't he care? Because caring gets in the way of him doing his job.
Similarly, Carlin doesn't give a fuck about anything, because that would get in the way of his ability to stand outside and accurately observe the human species. And make no mistake - whether you agree or disagree with his opinions, his overall view of our species is very accurate.
I think most of the people who have posted angry negative opinions of Carlin here are the ones who most need to listen to what he is saying. But they can't, because they can't admit the truth about their own collusion with the forces of ignorance.
Yeah, Carlin isn't as funny as he used to be, but I don't listen to him for laughs. I listen to learn.
-
Cheers to Heather
I've loved George Carlin since I was a little kid, but I have been bothered by his more recent claims that he has no stake in the fate of humanity. I have had arguments with my brother about it (he has adopted a similar stance), and I have found this attitude especially troublesome during the Bush years. I really appreciate the way in which Heather Havrilesky called out Carlin on the logic of his position. I also have to hand it to George for acknowledging where his system logically (and emotionally) breaks down. This was a great read. It's rare for me to read an interview that has questions that I myself would love to ask the subject, and a subject who answers them respectfully and honestly.
Thanks so much.
-
When the #*@%! will this TV show air on HBO?
Inquiring minds want to know.
-
not going to watch
carlin is in las vegas and he hates the world. how entertaining. and i am supposed to sit and listen to him foment for an hour or so. this is an old man who has nothing to say to me. a sad end to our generation of love and life. the comics are so cynical. yet so happy with the money they are raking in with all the discontent. i will pass. enuf.
-
Macropus....
...You just made me squirt coffee out of my nose! He and Albert Fish really could be separated at birth, though I don't think Carlin has lost it to the extent that he's suffed pins and needles into his bdomen...Still, you never know...
-
Here's Albert Fish--you be the judge!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Fish
-
I'm amazed at the optimism of Salon letter writers
Jeez, is it really news that the world completely sucks? I'm 48 years old. That means I've been an adult for 30 years. In those three decades not a single good thing has happened. America has moved further to the right with every passing year. More militant, more hateful, more greedy.
We now imprison more people in both raw numbers and per capita than ANYONE, including China. We have military bases in, what, 170 countries? We still have no national health insurance. My daughter just lost a job where she's been busting her ass because she called in sick for the first time in a year. Of course, they're allowed to fire you for that, they're allowed to fire you for any reason or no reason, that's "at will" employment and it's the standard ONLY in the US of all "developed" countries.
We have pathetic child care. We despise children and the people who take care of them. We have prostitution and pornography EVERYWHERE. And then there's our religious tendencies, which are nothing but shameful. For so many people who should know better to believe in fairy tales like virgin births and rising from the dead is just mind-boggling to me.
I hate this country and I don't understand why anyone likes it. I've been voting progessive for 30 years and have never seen it make any difference at all. It's just an exercise they let us go through every so often to make us think we have any power at all. We don't.
Carlin is right. It's all bullshit. We're a miserable species and Americans are the worst lot of all. Sorry to those of you who don't want to believe this, but it's the truth.
And the sickening optimism of some of you letter writers makes me cringe. What in the world do you base that optimism on? What good has happened in the last three decades? Someone please enlighten me, because I see none.
You go, George.