George Carlin

Legendary comedian George Carlin died on Sunday, June 22, of a heart attack in California, at the age of 71. He was one of the foremost satirist and social commentators ever. His observational humor provided new insights and perspectives on what we face in our everyday lives. To those of us who grew up in the '70's, Carlin was one of the laugh out loud funny voices we gravitated to during our adolescence. No matter what the subject matter, be it why there is no blue food, religion, or the seven dirty words you can't say on television, his was a voice that kept going as kept contemporary with the times, a necessary ingrediant of his or anyone's longevity.

Like Lenny Bruce before him, and unlike too many comics since (including nowadays, sadly), he used off color language as a tool by which to illustrate the points he was making on stage. Now that he is gone, the closest thing we have to him is Lewis Black, and perhaps, Richard Lewis.

Carlin had a prolific career. He hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live as well as appeared in many HBO specials, along with his many comedy albums and concert appearances.

He will be missed.