 George Carlin: Honored with a prestigious award
On Monday late comedian George Carlin, who has gained popularity for the program, titled "Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV”, was felicitated with the ‘Mark Twain Prize for American Humor’.
Sources have thrown more light on the news of George Carlin. According to them, Jon Stewart, Lily Tomlin, Joan Rivers and others have given salute to George Carlin at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for inspiring them in their own work.
Actor and comedian Dennis Leary commented that he grew up in a church that listed banned books and records in the bulletin each Sunday, including Carlin's "Class Clown" and "Seven Words." Leary said he and his fellow altar boys immediately pooled their money to listen to Carlin's "Seven Words."
"That was when I realized you could make money for saying things my dad used to say when he was fixing the car," added Leary.
On the red carpet before the show, Stewart also said that he was nearly ten years old when George Carlin's album "Class Clown" was brought out in the market. Stewart also said that it made him the funniest kid at school until his friends also found the work of Carlin.
"For all his antiestablishment cred, he was a working man. He punched in. He sat down and he wrote," "He respected what he did." This comment also was made by Stewart regarding George Carlin.
Quite a handful of protesters have gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue that is situated near the Kennedy Center. Some of them even hold banners bearing the caption, "Carlin's Going to Hell."
The prize was declared shortly before George Carlin died of heart failure in the month of June at the age of seventy-one. This is the first time in the span of eleven years that the award was presented posthumously. The program will be telecasted sometime later on PBS stations.
While briefing the reporters of a popular news agency of United States George Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall, said, "He was thrilled," "I think he represented a lot of what Mark Twain did for our country, not only being smart and funny but also being a sharp commentator."
The Twain Prize was instituted in the year 1998 and it was first given to comedian and actor namely Richard Pryor. Recent recipients of this award are namely Billy Crystal (2007) and Steve Martin (2005).
George Carlin had great respect for the prize and its previous honorees, added Jerry Hamza, Carlin's longtime manager and best friend.
During an interview with a news agency’s reporters, Hamza said, "He would have been humbly grateful." "Also George, who throughout his career was perceived as an outsider or maverick, had a real desire to connect with other comedians. He loved being in that club."
The career of George Carlin as a comedian, actor and author spanned for over fifty years. He was paired for a brief time with longtime friend called Jack Burns. After that he went solo in 1962, thereby growing his hair long and taking up the counterculture movement of the then period.
He would record twenty-three comedy albums, won 4 Grammy awards and also served as the first host of "Saturday Night Live" and create over a dozen TV specials for HBO channel.
Carlin’s "Seven Words" routine created controversy. It was the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on free speech that upheld the right of the government to sanction broadcasters who use to telecast offensive language when children might be listening.
George Carlin was very much active right till his death. In fact his 14th and final HBO special, titled "It's Bad For Ya," in which he mocks death, is scheduled for release on DVD on Nov. 25. His album of the year 1984, namely, "Carlin on Campus," was re-released sometime earlier this month. |
News / Gossips by mrios
