RIP George Carlin

George Carlin, 1937-2008.

Let me start by telling a quick story. When I was a junior in high school, a fellow student of mine from Hong Kong was legitimately depressed by what was going on back home. SARS was in full effect and popular actor Leslie Cheung had just killed himself. When she told me that both of those things were significantly bothering her, I understood the SARS, but didn't get why she was so bothered by the actor. I was sure that something unimportant like a celebrity dying would ever significantly affect me. After George Carlin's death I now know I was wrong.

Has has been a huge influence on me my entire life. My high school required that every student participate in a schoolwide speech contest. I chose to perform George Carlin routines for two of those years, and one of them earned me a first place win. He is nothing less than the sole reason why I have any interest in comedy at all.

In a completely practical sense it hardly came as a shock to me that he died today at the age of 71. A man with a lifelong history of heart problems and drug dependency isn't exactly the type of person you would expect to make it to 100. However, this really hit me hard and made me confront my sense of mortality because this is a guy who viewed every aspect of life in a rational and grounded way. By taking such a hilarious, intelligent, irreverent, and enlightened view on such subjects as death, he always seemed to be above it. It just feels wrong and out of place for a guy like him to succumb to it at any age.

I have always wanted to meet him and have him bestow his wisdom upon me. He is more or less completely responsible for my pursuit of comedy, and I regret that this will never be possible. Although he was old and far from in the best health, I feel the same way a Reds fan would feel if Ken Griffey Jr. were to suddenly drop dead. I'll move on and offer commentary on videos soon enough, but let me take this night to remember one of the most important men of my life.