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So Long, George

LEGENDARY COMIC, CRITIC DIES

FITSNews - June 23, 2008 - In a world where most people are too afraid to say what they’re really thinking, comedian George Carlin was always a willing spokesman.  Defying culture, convention and couth, the hippie athiest with the ponytail and potty mouth not only pushed the envelope, but defined it with his “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.”

Carlin, who died yesterday in Santa Monica at 71, is basically the inadvertent author of broadcast obscenity law in this country, although recent Supreme Court rulings have determined that his seven dirty words can in fact be used in certain contexts provided the broadcast does not occur at a time when children might be listening or watching.

In case you were wondering, Carlin’s seven dirty words were 1) shit, 2) piss, 3) fuck, 4) cunt, 5) cocksucker,  6) motherfucker and 7) tits.

Yeah … “tits.”  Anyway, Carlin has had many imitators over the years, from Howard Stern to practically every rapper we can think of (well, except Will Smith).  To many, Carlin’s four-decade career represents the epitome of glorifying obscenity for the sake of shock value and ratings - the definition of cheap, crass humor.

As our elders have often told us, “cursing is what people say when they’re too lazy or stupid to think of the correct word.”

But Carlin was about much more than just cursing.   His social commentary and irreverent world view pioneered a new style of comedy, and the generations of white and black entertainers he influenced is a testament to his substance and staying power.  In fact, we here at FITSNews readily acknowledge being in Carlin’s debt every time we cross the so-called “line.”

You can laugh and think at the same time, people.  And you can offend without being offensive.

We certainly didn’t agree with Carlin on everything, but those are two things he taught us.

Also, you gotta hand it to anybody who decreases the global tolerance for bullshit and expands the boundaries of free expression, which Carlin unmistakably did.

With anally-PC censors on the far left and the far right trying to limit speech to suit their narrow ideological purposes, those of us in the middle must retain our right to call them out - and occasionally call them “motherfucking cocksuckers” while we’re at it.

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