George Carlin: ‘Dumb Americans’

~ beetleypete

I didn’t know about this man until my friend Antony sent me a link to this clip of a standup performance from 2016.

***Be warned, there is a LOT of swearing in this 10-minute film***

He attacks obesity, shopping habits, and the standard of education in America.

But he does make some very relevant points that still ring true, four years later.

And not just in America, but in Britain too.

55 thoughts on “George Carlin: ‘Dumb Americans’”

  1. I love Carlin. Hes not afraid to speak up, and be an ass about it. He’s also so smart, and i do enjoy his cynical satire, and ramblings. Too bad he passed away. I would be so interested in his views of everything happening right now. I bet he would absolutely despise Donald Trump, lol.

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  6. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of greatest stand-up of all time. Richard Pryor and him. I don’t know who else gets on it. Maybe Dave Chappelle. Once Upon A Time maybe Bill Cosby but Pryor and and Carlin are assured. Especially as Americans.

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  10. I’d never heard of him before today, either, Pete but will check out some of his other stuff. When he asked if paramedics were trained to wipe arses, I remembered your story about the constipated French woman! The searing would be OK on television here but I don’t think anyone would get away with the comments about obesity. People on Twitter today have been howling with rage about the proposed ban on junk food ads and we mustn’t say that obese people got that way through overeating.

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    1. Yes, it seems funny the way that ‘correctness’ has evolved. Indian comedians can ridicule Indians, and Fat comedians can joke about being fat. But nobody else is allowed to do the same.
      I watched Carlin’s ‘7 Words’ sketch on You Tube today, and it is hilarious. As for paramedic arse-wiping, I did that more times than I care to remember. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. I’m amazed that I didn’t know him. I followed many American comedians years ago, including Lenny Bruce, and Woody Allen’s early stand-up work. I used to buy their albums on vinyl. But I hadn’t heard of Carlin until today.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  12. Pete, Carlin was the comic who came up with the “7 words you can’t say on TV” comedy bit that was very outrageous for its time. His “FM / AM” album was brilliant: one side was family friendly, the other side not at all! He is an icon here and sadly passed away…thanks for sharing this! Here’s a strange coincidence; my wife just shot an interview with a VERY BIG STAR for her show…and there is a HILARIOUS George Carlin anecdote told! I will share it as soon as I can!

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  13. My all time favorite stand-up observer. To call him a comic is akin to calling Mark Twain a writer of humor. He started out in the 50’s and has never slacked off. His bad language came about because the censors tried to black list him and the morality police kept shutting down his show over a skit he did about the 7 words you can’t say on TV. He continued to use it as his way of expressing freedom of speech and the hypocrisy in America.

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  14. Scary how perceptive he was and he really tells the truth here. Not al all sure he’d get away with it on UK TV these days even if you took out all the sweating. They would be too scared of offending the snowflakes who would run screaming for their safe spaces.

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  16. George Carlin was very well known here in the States. Pete Springer provided a link to his classic seven words routine, which I’ve watched a few times before, but I couldn’t resist watching it again. Of course, whenever Carlin appeared on TV (e.g., the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson), he had to clean up his act. But he was always funny. Carlin played a lot with literal language. For example, he would rather get IN a plane than ON a plane. I have to wonder how Carlin and other comedians (e.g., Don Rickles) who pushed boundaries of political correctness would fare today in our snowflake society afflicted by cancel culture.

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    1. I have enjoyed watching his routines, and wished I had known about him before. He could still do this live on stage here, and even on TV (late at night) he would probably get away with his stuff in Britain. We have some very popular comedians who swear constantly during their shows.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  17. He did have a foul mouth, but was a keen observer and commentator on American politics and American culture. He could be quite funny and not at all politically correct.

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