Truth be told, I don't watch George Carlin in order that I might succumb to a few chortles, but because I've always admired this man's incisive and forthright social commentary, which was usually spot-on. This guy knew how to tell it like it is. It is what made this particular stand-up comedian so unique. GC was not just about making his audience laugh. Any personified whoopee cushion atop a stage can do that. Carlin has been dubbed the thinking man's comic, and rightly so.
I was curious to see how much of Carlin's material in JAMMIN' IN NEW YORK has stood the test of time and so re-viewed it in order to find that out. Much to my surprise, very little of it is outdated. About the only talk that is is the stuff about war in the Persian Gulf. This was one of his earlier live events, back when men wore pleated pants and ponytails. The latter happens to be a pet peeve of mine, but I digress.
In the news of late, in certain parts of the globe, is this politicized clampdown on -- forget political graft, deceit, and corruption for a moment -- plastic of all things, which brings to mind one of the monologues contained here, titled "The Planet Is Fine." Very timely, this.
Carlin also goes on about syntax and the hairsplitting of terminology as it applies to air travel, and as one who chooses to occasionally ignore conventional grammar himself for common sense, this bit was both identifiable and much appreciated.
Superfluous wording. Ah, yes. Carlin notes how some people prefer to use highfalutin terms in order to make something sound more important than it actually is. Like the other week when I passed by a "hydration station" (i.e. water cooler). A mouth-watering term to any language-loving enunciator, but needlessly uppity-sounding to say the least.
There is some constructive criticizing of the government, which is what democratic dissent is all about. The part about how those in power often seek to divide the people is something very few comics would go into, but Carlin does. He also has some unflattering things to say about environmentalists.
Not every joke or observation goes over well. At least not with me. As one who likes to golf, I found Carlin's derisive remarks in regard to this particular pastime way off the mark. But considering we're both into free speech, I would rather he be free to voice erroneous and unfunny comments from time to time than be censored.
Incidentally, I think Carlin's incorrect when he says that the term pre-recorded is a redundancy. This HBO special, for instance, was recorded in real time whereas, say, episodes of televised sitcoms are usually recorded beforehand, to be aired at a later date -- that is to say, they are pre-recorded. Getting analytical here, I know. Just saying.
Overall, JAMMIN' IN NEW YORK is quite groovy and for the most part remarkably dateless. I can do without all the observational humor and there is some of that here as well. Carlin is at his best whenever he's on a riff or a rant and the least interesting when he resorts to body English and the making of funny faces. But I suppose some in the audience who are only amused by slapstick-like fare would find this entertaining and such ones are not left out from enjoying the show. Bravo!
I was curious to see how much of Carlin's material in JAMMIN' IN NEW YORK has stood the test of time and so re-viewed it in order to find that out. Much to my surprise, very little of it is outdated. About the only talk that is is the stuff about war in the Persian Gulf. This was one of his earlier live events, back when men wore pleated pants and ponytails. The latter happens to be a pet peeve of mine, but I digress.
In the news of late, in certain parts of the globe, is this politicized clampdown on -- forget political graft, deceit, and corruption for a moment -- plastic of all things, which brings to mind one of the monologues contained here, titled "The Planet Is Fine." Very timely, this.
Carlin also goes on about syntax and the hairsplitting of terminology as it applies to air travel, and as one who chooses to occasionally ignore conventional grammar himself for common sense, this bit was both identifiable and much appreciated.
Superfluous wording. Ah, yes. Carlin notes how some people prefer to use highfalutin terms in order to make something sound more important than it actually is. Like the other week when I passed by a "hydration station" (i.e. water cooler). A mouth-watering term to any language-loving enunciator, but needlessly uppity-sounding to say the least.
There is some constructive criticizing of the government, which is what democratic dissent is all about. The part about how those in power often seek to divide the people is something very few comics would go into, but Carlin does. He also has some unflattering things to say about environmentalists.
Not every joke or observation goes over well. At least not with me. As one who likes to golf, I found Carlin's derisive remarks in regard to this particular pastime way off the mark. But considering we're both into free speech, I would rather he be free to voice erroneous and unfunny comments from time to time than be censored.
Incidentally, I think Carlin's incorrect when he says that the term pre-recorded is a redundancy. This HBO special, for instance, was recorded in real time whereas, say, episodes of televised sitcoms are usually recorded beforehand, to be aired at a later date -- that is to say, they are pre-recorded. Getting analytical here, I know. Just saying.
Overall, JAMMIN' IN NEW YORK is quite groovy and for the most part remarkably dateless. I can do without all the observational humor and there is some of that here as well. Carlin is at his best whenever he's on a riff or a rant and the least interesting when he resorts to body English and the making of funny faces. But I suppose some in the audience who are only amused by slapstick-like fare would find this entertaining and such ones are not left out from enjoying the show. Bravo!