3 ms·

Off topic, but I don't enjoy listening to Carlin. I feel like he must be an acquired taste because he's so loved. He's called the inspiration of many of my own

Off topic, but I don't enjoy listening to Carlin. I feel like he must be an acquired taste because he's so loved. He's called the inspiration of many of my own favorite comedians, but when I listen to him to me he sounds like a really smart and insightful/philosophical person....rambling angrily. His sets don't set me up for a tension-breaking punchline like my brain expects. End ramble.

erikpukinskis 8y ago
That makes sense to me. He is from a different time when there was just less audible chaos being pumped into our lives. You could easily go a whole day without someone throwing a hyper-edited escalating sonic experience at you. Now, after decades of movie trailers one-upping each other and those editing capabilities being distributed to teenagers, we are maximally sonically marinated and we expect some politeness when people are trying to deliver sound bites. In Carlin’s time watching an act like his was possibly the most exciting verbal experience you would be exposed to that week, if not that year. We cherished the performers who could dial up to 12 without losing coherence because it was rare and exciting. Now it sounds overblown and maybe a little aggressive to a modern ear.
twiceaday 8y ago
For what its worth, you are describing Carlins newer specials. His career spanned over 40 years. And yeah look at the shift in tone just from the names of his HBO specials 1977 On Location: George Carlin at USC 1978 George Carlin: Again! 1982 Carlin at Carnegie 1984 Carlin on Campus 1986 Playin' with Your Head 1988 What Am I Doing in New Jersey? 1990 Doin' It Again 1992 Jammin' in New York 1996 Back in Town ------------------------- 1999 You Are All Diseased 2001 Complaints and Grievances 2005 Life Is Worth Losing 2008 It's Bad for Ya If you are interested, check out his older stuff like Carlin on Campus. "A Place for My Stuff" [1] for example. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac
drblast 8y ago
Listen to "Class Clown." It's an earlier recording and he was extremely mellow and funny. His later stuff was kinda funny at the time but has not aged well at all comedy-wise IMO.

erikpukinskis 8y ago

That makes sense to me. He is from a different time when there was just less audible chaos being pumped into our lives. You could easily go a whole day without someone throwing a hyper-edited escalating sonic experience at you. Now, after decades of movie trailers one-upping each other and those editing capabilities being distributed to teenagers, we are maximally sonically marinated and we expect some politeness when people are trying to deliver sound bites. In Carlin’s time watching an act like his was possibly the most exciting verbal experience you would be exposed to that week, if not that year. We cherished the performers who could dial up to 12 without losing coherence because it was rare and exciting. Now it sounds overblown and maybe a little aggressive to a modern ear.

twiceaday 8y ago

For what its worth, you are describing Carlins newer specials. His career spanned over 40 years. And yeah look at the shift in tone just from the names of his HBO specials 1977 On Location: George Carlin at USC 1978 George Carlin: Again! 1982 Carlin at Carnegie 1984 Carlin on Campus 1986 Playin' with Your Head 1988 What Am I Doing in New Jersey? 1990 Doin' It Again 1992 Jammin' in New York 1996 Back in Town ------------------------- 1999 You Are All Diseased 2001 Complaints and Grievances 2005 Life Is Worth Losing 2008 It's Bad for Ya If you are interested, check out his older stuff like Carlin on Campus. "A Place for My Stuff" [1] for example. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

drblast 8y ago

Listen to "Class Clown." It's an earlier recording and he was extremely mellow and funny. His later stuff was kinda funny at the time but has not aged well at all comedy-wise IMO.