When George Carlin teamed up with Jack Burns for a small performance in a coffee house in Fort Worth, TX, his life had been far from jolly. He was born in 1937, in Manhattan. In his later years he would frequently refer to his memories of the 'white harlem' and his Irish Catholic upbringing. His mother had run away from his father when he was only two months old and Carlin had had a difficult childhood growing up with his mother and elder brother. After leaving high school he had begun training as a radar technician for the US Air Force and had been sent to Louisiana. It was here that he tried his luck in the arena of stand-up comedy. Over the years, he evolved into a unique icon, shunned by some for his blunt nihilism but loved by most for his honesty, insight and enlightening philosophies of life. Today, he is remembered as one of the greatest and most influential comedians.
When Vimukthi first showed me an act performed by Carlin,what struck me was his persona. A man in black, speaking the bitter truth and using humor to give life to the fears that we cloak in a conscious attempt to prove that humanity has achieved greatness. He forces his audiences to analyze religion, commerce and life itself and see beyond the cliched ideals we hold.
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