Every day brings a new story. And each day contributes to the art of story telling -- in prose and poetry, in music, on the stage, on the screen, and, of course, in books.
Today is the story of May 12th
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It is the 132th day of the year, leaving 233 days remaining in 2022.
On this date in 1937, the comedian George Carlin was born.
First known as as the Hippy Dippy Weatherman, Carlin caught the eye of the public -- and the police and eventually the U.S. Supreme Court -- for his story, The Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. He was arrested in Milwaukee in 1972 after doing the routine live; WBAI in New York aired the monologue, and in 1978, the Supreme Court issued a 5-4 decision saying the Federal Communications Commission had the right to regulate "indecent materials" on the public airwaves.
As his career went on, Carlin grew from being a stand-up comic to a stand-up philosopher, using artful language, honing his stories with rhythm, and developing a cadence like the best speakers,
Carlin explained his use of the language and his thought process during a 2007 interview.
The seven words routine, besides being robustly funny, particularly in Carlin's delivery, highlights Carlin's strengths. It was originally on his album, Class Clown. He revised it slightly for another album, Occupation: Foole. This time, he called the routine Filthy Words, and when radio Station WBAI in New York played that version, lawyers came a callin'.
Video copies of his shows, many from a series of HBO specials in the 1980s, remain available on YouTube and continue to be popular as he skewers culture, politics, religion, and above all, hypocrisy. His routines remain fresh and pointed today, as new audiences appreciate his wit and honesty.
Carlin died in 2008 in Santa Monica.
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