In 2004, I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing George Carlin for Seven Days prior to his visit to Burlington. I’ve been a lifelong fan of his work, and have distinct memories of listening to his album “Class Clown” back in the 1970s.
I’m always reminded of him when I’m at the airport and some flight attendant suggests that it’s time to “get on the plane.” As Carlin once remarked, “Fuck you! I’m getting IN the plane. Let Evel Knievel get ON the plane.”
In the last 24 hours, a lot of ink has been shed praising Carlin for his influence on comedy, culture and the English language (much of which he would undoubtedly ridicule), so I won’t bore you with mine. Suffice it to say that, for someone who had a deep and abiding contempt for the human race as a species, he was one helluva nice guy, and I’ll miss him. Thanks for making me piss my pants, George!
This article appears in Jun 25 – Jul 1, 2008.
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