Goodnight, funnyman: George Carlin dead at 71

June 23rd, 2008, 1:57 pm · Post a Comment · posted by Michael Doss

Carlin Fans of comedy, filth and obscure Supreme Court trivia lost a hero yesterday — George Carlin:

Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71.

Known for his edgy, provocative material, Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and an infamous routine called “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.” A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of that track, from his classic 1972 album “Class Clown,” ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to (and as part of) his comedy, Carlin was probably one of the most outspoken celebrity atheists in modern times - Positive Atheism has a huge list of his quotes, mostly from his routines. There aren’t many mainstream atheist voices out there that also reached the masses — it’s sad that we’ve lost one.

Photo courtesy Robert Sebree, HBO.

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