More inspirational lessons from George Carlin
Carlin on shock value: "Well, shock is a kind of a heightened form of surprise. And surprise is at the heart of comedy."
With the release of the new Carlin doc, I decided to review a bunch of stuff I’ve seen/read/written about Carlin in the past to hone in on what made him so unique/great. The full collection is viewable in two editions of my Rubesletter (my personal newsletter). Part 1 was linked up last week and Part 2 just went live:
Part 1: 15 lessons in comedy creativity from George Carlin
Part 2: 15 more lessons on creating like George Carlin
Below are some extra tips not included there…
Don’t try to be a role model
Kelly Carlin:
Of course George Carlin believed in much of what he said onstage, but what mattered most to him was that audiences learned to think for themselves. He never wanted to be anyone’s role model and was never a comfortable joiner of causes.
Source: The Strange Afterlife of George Carlin
Deliver surprise
George Carlin:
You get this phrase all the time from interviewers - shock value. Well, shock is a kind of a heightened form of surprise. And surprise is at the heart of comedy.
Source: Fresh Air (May 20, 2022)
Don’t be corny
Neal Brennan:
The other thing with movies is, if George Carlin’s act was a movie, it would be a dystopian post-apocalyptic thriller. There’s something about movies that’s so cooperative and so fake. There’s something about movies where they’re upholding Judeo-Christian values that I just think is corny. I like movies, but with stand-up you can really affect people’s thought process. You’re not just an entertainer, you’re a writer, you’re a philosopher, you’re a pastor, you’re so many things.
Source: Talking to Neal Brennan About ‘Chappelle’s Show’, Standup, Podcasts and More
Keep your act accessible
Marc Maron:
It requires a scholarship to appreciate Lenny Bruce. You’ve got to sort through a number of very dated impressions and news stories. Whereas George was always making things totally accessible.
Source: The Strange Afterlife of George Carlin
Do the thing you’d do for free
Carlin:
If I were forced to do this for free, I would. If it were caveman days, and I went from cave to cave, telling my little stories in exchange for a hunk of meat, I would do that, and if they said, "No meat tonight," I would still do the show, and I think story tellers and shamans and oral traditionalists from primitive cultures probably are the fore bearers, the forerunners, of this art.
Source: Charlie Rose - 03/26/1996
More
Read the rest here…