While I was on vacation a few weeks ago, America lost a comedy icon, George Carlin. It seems that everyone in show biz had a George Carlin story, and I've been enjoying reading them. I have my own George Carlin story, which I've told here before.I'm re-running it here today as a tribute to George.
By Rick Kaempfer
President Bush takes a lot of heat for accusing his opponents of “Pre-9/11” thinking. I never thought I would be writing these words, but I feel I must defend President Bush. Pre-9-11 thinking does exist, and it can have a detrimental effect...especially in the world of comedy.
My story involves comedian George Carlin.
I’ve always considered him on the finest comedians that ever lived. He is courageous, utterly unafraid of saying what he really thinks, and has been consistently funny for five decades now.
When we had him on the John Landecker show, I was not disappointed. He came into the studio with guns blazing, trying out brand new material that he hoped to include in his upcoming HBO Special.
The tentative name of the special at the time? “I kind of like it when a lot of people die.”
The date of his appearance on our show? September 4, 2001.
His routine was shocking even then (in a pre-9/11 world), but it was laugh out loud funny. We were holding our sides as he recounted the way he cheers when stupid people die doing stupid things and how he roots that they take down as many stupid people as possible with them.
Landecker and Carlin began riffing about stupid ways for people to die, and after the hilarious segment was over, George asked if he could have a tape of it so that he could use some of the material in his special.
Our station management thought it was such a funny interview, they submitted the tape for that year’s Achievement in Radio Awards. The tape went into the mail on September 9, 2001.
Needless to say, we weren’t nominated that year.
When Carlin’s special eventually did come out on HBO, it had a brand new name. It was called “Complaints and Grievances.”
Not quite as catchy, is it?
Timing is everything.
