George Carlin passes away at 71

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LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Comedian-actor George Carlin, know for his raunchy, but insightful humor, died Sunday in Los Angeles, his publicist said. He was 71.

Jeff Abraham says Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. Carlin died at 5:55 p.m. PDT, the Associated Press reported.

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

Carlin was best known for his routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," which appeared 1972's "Class Clown" album.

When Carlin uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested for disturbing the peace, the AP reported. The comedy sketch prompted a landmark indecency case after WBAI-FM radio aired it in 1973.

The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court where the justices ruled on a 5-to-4 vote that the sketch was "indecent but not obscene," giving the FCC broad leeway to determine what constituted indecency on the airwaves.

"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," Carlin said. "In the context of that era, it was daring."

"It just sounds like a very self-serving kind of word. I don't want to go around describing myself as a 'groundbreaker' or a 'difference-maker' because I'm not and I wasn't," he said. "But I contributed to people who were saying things that weren't supposed to be said."

Carlin, who was also an author, was slated to receive the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November.

"In his length career as a comedian, writer, and actor, George Carlin has not only made us laugh, but he makes us think," Stephen Schwarzman, Kennedy Center chairman, said in a statement. "His influence on the next generation of comics has been far-reaching."

In a typical wry response, Carlin said: "Thank you Mr. Twain. Have your people call my people."

Carlin hosted the first broadcast of "Saturday Night Live" in October 1975.

He played the character of Mr. Conductor on the PBS series "Shining Time Station" and starred in more than a dozen HBO specials. Carlin was also a regular on The Tonight Show.

I was just gonna post this. Horrible news.

George Carlin dies yet Dane Cook and Carlos Mencia live.

That's fair.

George Carlin on the differences between baseball and football.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YphEUa5LPjM

FINALLY, someone else who thinks Dane Cook isn't funny. I've watched his standup, and I don't think I even laughed once at anything he said. What's so funny about wanting acid blood like in Alien? Ugh.

George Carlin certainly was someone who knew what he was talking about. We will miss him.

One of the few comedians that actually would crack me up consistently.. Rest in peace.. wait... scratch that.. make them roll around laughin in the afterlife.

He was brilliant.

RIP George.

more of a philosopher than a comedian to me.

never made me laugh out loud. more of a "it's true" chuckle. but agreed with almost everything he ever said.

I agree.. but see to me, there lies the humor with him... matter of factly he put the truth..

The world needs more people like him. People who can recognize what's wrong with the world and have the ambition and ability to make others aware of it.

R.I.P. George. You were a brilliant man and a great comedian.

Anyone heard "Capital Punishment" and "State Prison Farms" from his Back in Town CD? Absolutely hysterical. A personal favorite.

Who is Dane Cook?
Seriously.....never heard of the guy. (Sounds like i'm not missing much anyway)

dude you and trom arent the only ones who hate Dane Cook.

theres a small country of people who can't stand him. It is now, in fact, cool to hate Dane Cook.

and for Cheesey. Dane Cook is a guy who shot to fame on a couple of mildy entertaining jokes and has since ruined the distinguished art of stand up comedy. Carlos Mencia then took up where Cook left off and further dumbed down the world. Stereotyping was hilarious and then Carlos Mencia was born.


So while George Carlin wasn't hilarious to me, he still preserved all that is right with stand up comedy.

Thanks for the info Packnic!
One of my all time favs for standup is STILL Bill Cosby. He didn't have to have every other word a cuss word.
I think Christopher Titus and Gabriel Iglasias (not sure if i spelled his name right) are both super funny too.

Bill Cosby - Himself.. some of the funniest stick I have heard yet...

Cosby is funny, but if I had to say the 3 funniest today, I'd say Carlin, Eddie Murphy, and of course my fave - Dave Chappelle.

Bill Hicks was quite funny too, but he died prematurely. So did Sam Kineson.

I'm going to miss Carlin.

My favs are Zach Galifianakis and Mitch Hedberg. I like irrelevant comedy and one-liners, and they are the best.

I wasn't the biggest Carlin fan either, but I have one of his books. It's hit or miss, but when it hits it's hilarious!

One routine I remember especially is about boarding airplanes.

You dont go on the plane, you get in the plane. Evel Knievel goes on the plane.

Also, does anyone remember him getting busted at Milwaukee Summerfest in '72 for his seven dirty words? There are a lot of memories of that today.

Another one I remember is the cute little farts routine.
Braaaaap! Captain Who?

so many we can remember of him.

Well thank god it's cool to hate Dane Cook. I love to fit in.

I don't find Cook funny. Mencia steals jokes, and is just not funny and a 1 trick pony.

He was one of the best.

I agree with all who said he made me chuckle but not laugh out loud.

Chuckles.... Things like......

I asked the clerk at the book store to show me where the "Self Help Section Was." and the clerk said: "If I Told You, Then It Would Defeat The Purpose."

Dane Cook has been caught stealing jokes too, from none other than Louie C.K.. i love that guy.

Yeah, but Mencia is relentless in his stealing.

yep..i'm still trying to figure out who watches his show.

YES! Louis C.K. had a hilarious HBO show on for awhile and it got cancelled. yet Mencia has his own channel basically.

Comedy Central thinks Mencia is filling the void that Chappelle left... they are sadly mistaken.

and Trom that wasn't a knock... i hate cook too. and im cool.

My God. Is Comedy Central really that dumb? If so, someone needs to be fired immediately.

Mencia is a moron. I'm seriously wondering who out there thinks Mencia is funny. Who? Anyone? Has anyone ever laughed at Carlos Mencia?

Chappelle is simply brilliant. I miss him terribly, as I will miss Carlin. The good thing about Carlin is he left behind so much stuff.