Charlie Rose Science Series
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The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals
by Jane Mayer
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by Jane Mayer
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06/23/2008
George Carlin
An appreciation of comedian George Carlin
An appreciation of comedian George Carlin. On June 22, 2008, George Carlin was admitted to St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California complaining of chest pain. He died later that day at 5:55 p.m. PDT of heart failure at the age of 71.
DVD
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Charlie Rose DVDs on Amazon.
Audio
Audio available through Audible.com.
Audio available through Audible.com.
Transcripts
Transcripts available through Voxant.
Transcripts available through Voxant.
Really...that's it?
I used to be a big fan of Carlin and was taken back by the news of his passing. After watching around 10 of his HBO specials this past week, however, I don't really think he was much of a comedic genius at all. In fact, it seems to me that he just told the same jokes over, and over, and over again for 30 years.
Really...that's it?
George Carlin was a comic genius and deserves an entire hour with Seinfeld, Letterman, Leno, Cosby, Maher, etc. commenting on his impact on all comedians and the art of stand-up comedy. Maybe when he (posthumously) receives the Mark Twain award, another show can bestow the accolades that he so richly deserves.
A few weeks ago the show devoted the whole hour to Sex in the City drivel and yet for a genius like George Carlin they gave him less time than it would take a person to do a bath room break during a commercial. Where were Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Maher, Don Rickles or Lewis Black and others who knew and respected the man? We needed to be reminded of what comic genius means.
George Carlin was a comic genius, and a great person too. Pro-drug and anti-religion. A comedic dynamo and hero!