Monday, March 23, 2009

Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, and Tits.

In honor of George Carlin, who died last year at the age of 71. Here's the original routine titled, "Seven Word You Can Never Say on Television".

I'm sure there's video somewhere of Carlin doing this routine, in some form or another. In 1972, Carlin released an album of stand-up comedy entitled, Class Clown. One track on the album was "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television", a monologue in which he identified these words, expressing amazement that these particular words could not be used, regardless of context. He was arrested for disturbing the peace when he performed the routine at a show at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (my hometown, by the way).

On his next album, 1973's Occupation: Foole, Carlin performed a similar routine titled "Filthy Words", dealing with the same list and many of the same themes. Pacifica station WBAI-FM broadcast this version of the routine uncensored on October 30. Blah, blah, blah. Fast forward. The FCC appealed to the Supreme Court, which in 1978 ruled in favor of the FCC in FCC v. Pacifica Foundation. This decision formally established indecency regulation in American broadcasting.

Carlin died last year at the age of 71. It's really a shame, 'cause I'm sure if George were here now he'd have a helluva lot to say about Bernard Madoff, AIG, our economy and the greed and incompetency that led to most of this bullshit this country is knee-deep in. He'd probably say, 'they're all Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker(s) and, Motherfucker(s). And Tits.'

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