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George Carlin’s masterful comedy routine tackles cultural issues still relevant in 2020
Though George Carlin was a great comedian in his time, his routines are still as good as ever!
Safet Satara
10.15.20

Here’s the man who began his career as a self-proclaimed jester, and then spiced things up with “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.”

One of the greatest stand-up comedians is always spot on, and among the first to make a smooth transition from humor into philosophy.

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Treat yourself with Carlin’s 1996 performance that’s still as brilliantly relevant as it is hysterical.

Nicknamed “the dean of counterculture comedians,” Carlin is also on Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 best stand-up comedians of all time.

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Regardless of who’s got the crown, comedians dedicate their lives to making other people laugh.

They often point directly at our flaws, and that’s why we love them so much. On that note, not so many people were loved quite as much as George Carlin was. Then again, no one’s been so persistent at hitting on sensitive topics like religion, politics, drugs and other taboo subjects!

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He even got arrested a few times for doing some of his edgy routines in public!

The American stand-up comedian, social critic, and author influenced a lot of famous artists, including Ben Stiller, Stephen Colbert, Adam Carolla, Jerry Seinfeld, and many others.

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He focused on sociocultural criticism of American society.

The main factor that made Carlin’s comedy different was that he was among the first to mock personal issues. He contributed to making comedy personal.

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If we haven’t already said that the video is over three decades old, you might have thought it was a more contemporary act.

It certainly feels so. George talks about some cultural issues during his “Back in Town” show in New York City. Too many things apply to 21st-century everyday life.

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Another example: how do you feel about grown-ups who wear their baseball hats backward?

And how about the need for one-hour photofinishing? Better yet, are aftershave and cologne necessary? What would a rant be without mentioning those guys who still wear cowboy hats and cowboy boots? “Get yourself a wardrobe consistent with a century you’re living in!”

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What we like the most is how enthusiastic and amused the audience is.

By the middle of his act, you can hear someone from the crowd shouting: “We love you, George!”

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It’s interesting how Carlin doesn’t seem like he’s telling any jokes during the whole show!

He doesn’t seem to use punchlines, and still, everyone laughs the whole time.

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We figured it’s because the man speaks honestly—he says the truth, without decorating it.

Imagine just how many hours of material would George have had if social media existed back then! We would love his opinion. And politics? That’s where the comedian opens up. He says that he doesn’t vote.

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He doesn’t even leave the house on the day of elections. Why? Because there’s no one he would vote for.

And he doesn’t want to vote just like that. As he said: “People who vote, don’t have the right to complain!” Shouldn’t it be the other way around? It’s funny how the video was filmed in 1996.

It was uploaded in 2010, and you can still find lots of up to date comments!

time.com
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time.com

Since 18 million YouTube uses have seen the show, we were intrigued to check out the comment section for ourselves.

In all, people loved the show and so did we. Thank you, Carlin, for making us see the truth from a different perspective.

Check out the full performance in the link below:

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