George Carlin (1937 - 2008): Legendary Comedian Challenged Status Quo Throughout 50 Year Career

Carlin was one of the most-well known comedians of the past 50 years and was widely considered one of the top standup comics of all time. In a career that spanned half a century, he released 22 comedy albums earning him five Emmy nominations and four Grammys. He was the first guest host of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975, appeared on “The Tonight Show” 130 times, starred in 14 HBO specials and authored three best-selling books.

The most significant moment in Carlin’s career may have been his landmark routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” When Carlin did the bit during a 1972 show in Milwaukee he was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace. A state judge later dismissed the case, saying that while Carlin’s language may have been indecent, it still represented free speech. Then, in 1973, Pacifica Radio station WBAI aired an unedited version of Carlin’s monologue.

A radio listener lodged a complaint with the FCC after hearing Carlin’s routine. The FCC vs Pacifica case would become one of the most important recent Supreme Court decisions on free speech. The legal controversy brought about the FCC rule permitting a ban on certain material when children are most likely to be in the audience.

In November, Carlin will be remembered once more onstage, when he receives, posthumously, the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

For more on George Carlin and his legacy I am joined by Richard Zoglin. He is a senior writer and editor at Time magazine and is author of, “Comedy on the Edge: How Stand-Up in the 1970s Changed America.”

Richard Zoglin, a senior writer and editor at Time magazine. He is author of, “Comedy on the Edge: How Stand-Up in the 1970s Changed America.”

Related Links

• Pacifica Radio Archives
• "How George Carlin Changed Comedy" by Richard Zoglin