5 ms·

Unpopular opinion: much of what he said was just total bs. Even in an example from this article, he goes on a tangent about phrases that were not used then and

Unpopular opinion: much of what he said was just total bs. Even in an example from this article, he goes on a tangent about phrases that were not used then and still are not used. "They're not used cars, they're 'previously owned automobiles.'" What? Nobody calls them that, even today, 30 some odd years later. In my opinion, George Carlin sometimes had some kernel of good observation at the heart of his bits, that he made worse and less correct the more he pontificated on it. And a lot of his observations are the kind of "common sense" folk wisdom that falls apart on closer inspection.

inhumantsar 3y ago
What? Pre-owned is widely used by dealers and manufacturers
tenebrisalietum 3y ago
"Previously owned automobiles" just got shortened to "pre-owned" and that's all over the place today, and I daresay it's seeped into things other than cars.
- GartzenDeHaes 3y ago
  Upcycled is the latest, including upcycled food https://www.upcycledfood.org/ https://www.upcycledfood.org/
  - catherd 3y ago
    If you are advocating for "used food" as the correct term, there's another state that food enters after it's been used that you might want to be careful about disambiguating :).
  - gainda 3y ago
    And “pre-loved” for things like used clothing …
hfuyf65 3y ago
It is not that unpopular. I suppose I appreciate his contributions a lot, but I agree about the kernel of truth approach rather than holy gospel. I just happen to think he forced a lot of people to think. This one of those things some of his contemporaries tried and failed to do ( not for the lack of trying, it is hard to care after certain point ).
gosub100 3y ago
he gave simple-minded people comfort for an increasingly complicated world. But notably absent from his calculated monlogue was "grandma went to heaven / (in a better place)", vs "she DIED". even crusty old George knew how far he could push it.
- nedrylandJP 3y ago
  He did say he would never die, just "pass away."
dekhn 3y ago
I think his best work was his earliest, such as "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television". But ultimately I think his best routine is "Football vs. Baseball" (American football) """Baseball is different from any other sport, very different. For instance, in most sports you score points or goals; in baseball you score runs. In most sports the ball, or object, is put in play by the offensive team; in baseball the defensive team puts the ball in play, and only the defense is allowed to touch the ball. In fact, in baseball if an offensive player touches the ball intentionally, he's out; sometimes unintentionally, he's out. ... In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line. In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!"""

inhumantsar 3y ago

What? Pre-owned is widely used by dealers and manufacturers

tenebrisalietum 3y ago

"Previously owned automobiles" just got shortened to "pre-owned" and that's all over the place today, and I daresay it's seeped into things other than cars.

GartzenDeHaes 3y ago
Upcycled is the latest, including upcycled food https://www.upcycledfood.org/ https://www.upcycledfood.org/
- catherd 3y ago
  If you are advocating for "used food" as the correct term, there's another state that food enters after it's been used that you might want to be careful about disambiguating :).
- gainda 3y ago
  And “pre-loved” for things like used clothing …

hfuyf65 3y ago

It is not that unpopular. I suppose I appreciate his contributions a lot, but I agree about the kernel of truth approach rather than holy gospel. I just happen to think he forced a lot of people to think. This one of those things some of his contemporaries tried and failed to do ( not for the lack of trying, it is hard to care after certain point ).

gosub100 3y ago

he gave simple-minded people comfort for an increasingly complicated world. But notably absent from his calculated monlogue was "grandma went to heaven / (in a better place)", vs "she DIED". even crusty old George knew how far he could push it.

nedrylandJP 3y ago
He did say he would never die, just "pass away."

dekhn 3y ago

I think his best work was his earliest, such as "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television". But ultimately I think his best routine is "Football vs. Baseball" (American football) """Baseball is different from any other sport, very different. For instance, in most sports you score points or goals; in baseball you score runs. In most sports the ball, or object, is put in play by the offensive team; in baseball the defensive team puts the ball in play, and only the defense is allowed to touch the ball. In fact, in baseball if an offensive player touches the ball intentionally, he's out; sometimes unintentionally, he's out. ... In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line. In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!"""