George Carlin was one of the most influential and controversial stand-up comedians of all time. He was known for his sharp wit, his black humor, and his criticism of politics, religion, language, and society. He was also a successful actor, author, and social critic. But what was his background and what did he believe in? Was he Jewish or not? Here is a brief overview of his life, his ethnicity, and his religion.
Early Life and Family
George Carlin was born on May 12, 1937, in New York City, to Patrick John Carlin and Mary Bearey. His father was an Irish immigrant from County Donegal, who worked as an advertising manager for The Sun newspaper. His mother was an Irish-American secretary, who had met his father while working in marketing.
Carlin had a troubled childhood, as his parents divorced when he was only two months old, and his father was an alcoholic who often abused his mother. He was raised by his mother in a poor neighborhood in Manhattan, where he attended Corpus Christi School, a Roman Catholic parish school. He later said that his mother was the one who taught him to appreciate the English language and to question everything.
George was a rebellious and mischievous kid, who often ran away from home and got into trouble at school. He was also interested in comedy and drama, and performed in summer camps and school plays. He dropped out of high school in the 10th grade and joined the Air Force, hoping to become a radio disc jockey. He worked as a radar technician and a radio announcer in various bases, but he also faced disciplinary actions and court-martials for his insubordination and pranks. He was discharged in 1957.
BIO/WIKI
| Name | George Carlin |
|---|---|
| Birth name | George Denis Patrick Carlin |
| Birth date and place | May 12, 1937, New York City, U.S. |
| Death date and place | June 22, 2008, Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Ethnicity | Irish-American |
| Religion | Atheist (raised as Roman Catholic) |
| Comedy genres | Observational comedy, character comedy, surreal comedy, blue comedy, black comedy, wordplay, sarcasm, irony, satire |
| Comedy subjects | American culture, society, politics, psychology, religion, profanity, everyday life, nihilism, misanthropy, drug use, language, mass media, popular culture, current events, death, masculinity, family, parenting, race relations, old age |
| Awards | Five Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album, Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (posthumous) |
| Influences | Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor |
| Influenced | Bill Hicks, Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle, Louis C.K., Bill Maher, Bo Burnham, and many more |
Comedy Career and Fame
After leaving the Air Force, Carlin pursued his dream of becoming a comedian. He worked as a radio DJ and a newsreader in various stations, while also performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs and coffeehouses. He met Jack Burns, another comedian, and they formed a comedy duo, Burns and Carlin. They were discovered by Lenny Bruce, a legendary comic who helped them get gigs on TV shows like The Tonight Show with Jack Paar and The Merv Griffin Show.
George and Burns split up in 1962, and Carlin continued his solo career. He developed a clean-cut and conventional style of comedy, appealing to mainstream audiences and TV networks. He appeared on various shows, such as The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Hollywood Palace. He also released his first comedy album, Take-Offs and Put-Ons, in 1967.
However, Carlin soon became dissatisfied with his image and his material. He felt that he was not being true to himself and his views. He was influenced by the counterculture movement of the 1960s, and he decided to change his persona and his comedy. He grew his hair and beard, wore jeans and T-shirts, and started to talk about more controversial and taboo topics, such as politics, religion, drugs, sex, and language. He also used more profanity and sarcasm in his jokes, challenging the norms and the authorities of the society.
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Carlin’s new style of comedy was more popular with the younger and more rebellious audiences, but it also caused him more trouble with the establishment. He was arrested several times for obscenity and public indecency, and he was banned from many TV shows and venues. He also faced censorship and lawsuits for his infamous routine, “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television”, which listed seven vulgar words that were considered unacceptable on broadcast media. The routine was part of a landmark Supreme Court case, F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in 1978, which upheld the government’s power to regulate indecent speech on public airwaves.
Despite the controversies and the difficulties, Carlin became one of the most successful and respected comedians of his generation. He won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums, such as FM & AM, Class Clown, Jammin’ in New York, Brain Droppings, and It’s Bad for Ya. He also starred in 14 HBO comedy specials, starting with George Carlin at USC in 1977 and ending with It’s Bad for Ya in 2008. He was the first host of Saturday Night Live in 1975, and he was a frequent guest and guest host on The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson era. He was also a prolific author, writing several books of humor and memoirs, such as Napalm and Silly Putty, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, and Last Words.
"Governments don't want a population capable of critical thinking. They want obedient workers." ~ George Carlin pic.twitter.com/2JyHs1pbHv
— illuminatibot (@iluminatibot) January 13, 2024
George was also a successful actor, appearing in many movies and TV shows, such as Car Wash, Outrageous Fortune, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Prince of Tides, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Scary Movie 3, and Jersey Girl. He also voiced characters in animated films and shows, such as Tarzan II, Cars, and Shining Time Station. He was also the narrator of the American version of Thomas & Friends.
Carlin was widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time. He was ranked second on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest stand-up comedians in 2004, and second on Rolling Stone’s list of the 50 best stand-up comedians of all time in 2017, in both cases behind Richard Pryor. He was also awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor posthumously in 2008, the highest honor for a humorist in the United States.
George Carlin Jewish, Ethnicity and Religion
George Carlin was of Irish descent, as both his parents were of Irish origin. His father was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States as a child, while his mother was born in New York to Irish immigrants. Carlin was proud of his Irish heritage, and he often joked about it in his comedy. He also identified with the Irish-American culture and history, especially the struggles and the humor of the Irish people.
Carlin was raised as a Roman Catholic, and he attended Catholic schools as a child. However, he rejected his faith and became an atheist when he was a teenager. He said that his Catholic education taught him to question and think for himself, and that led him to realize that religion was a fairy tale. He also said that he was influenced by his father, who was also an atheist and a critic of the Catholic Church.
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George was very vocal and harsh about his views on religion, especially Christianity. He often mocked and ridiculed the concept of God, the Bible, prayer, church, and religious hats. He also questioned the logic and morality of religious doctrines and practices, such as the Ten Commandments, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the virgin birth, the miracles, the saints, the angels, the devil, and the afterlife. He also expressed his preference for worshipping the sun and praying to Joe Pesci, and he challenged God to strike him or the audience dead. He said that religion was a form of brainwashing, manipulation, and control, and that it was the source of many evils and conflicts in the world.
Carlin was not Jewish, nor did he have any Jewish ancestry or affiliation. He did, however, make jokes about Jews and Judaism, as well as other religions and ethnic groups, in his comedy. He said that he respected Jews for their intelligence, humor, and resilience, but he also poked fun at their stereotypes, traditions, and beliefs. He also said that he admired the Jewish comedians, such as Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, and Mel Brooks, who influenced his style and career.
George Carlin was a legendary comedian, who made millions of people laugh and think with his provocative and insightful humor. He was also a talented actor, author, and social critic, who left a lasting mark on the entertainment and cultural scene. He was of Irish descent, and he was an atheist, who rejected and criticized religion, especially Christianity.
He was not Jewish, but he joked about Jews and Judaism, as well as other religions and ethnicities, in his comedy. He died on June 22, 2008, at the age of 71, from heart failure, leaving behind a legacy of laughter and wisdom.
