George Carlin... It's Bad for Ya!

It might be a stretch saying this as a die-hard Carlin fan, but the material, both written and as performed, in It's Bad for Ya is some of the best late-era material yet. At 70 Carlin bounces back from the level of despair (and some of the stumbles in the act itself) from Life is Worth Losing to a special that is firmly structured but loose and playful- or as much as the "old f***" can get- and is continuously, ceaselessly, funny. And funny as in reminiscent of what some of us had going on when watching Back in Town or 'Diseased' the first time. The material, even if sounding at times a tinge of the previously done (i.e. the whole bit on children in school and camp like the Children segment in Diseased), is always fresh and with such a sting of truth to everything that it scalds the mind while (here goes) tickling the funny bone.

Going from the topic of death (how long to wait to scratch off a name from the book? six weeks, unless if on the computer scheduler), the facets of communication, looking down from Heaven, spots of God (naturally), kids, and just troublesome gestures involving hats in religion and if people really have "Rights" make up the bulk of the special, centered around the premise that what's bad for you, plain and simple, is BS. Total, complete BS, which as we also learn (or if you've really learned it you're like the kid waiting at the street corner for a week following dropped off not-quite randomly by the parent) holds the country together. Carlin isn't necessarily angry though, even if disdain seems to spout out at most turns, even just to observe how horrifying children's teeth coming in look. It's skepticism tinged with the feeling that everything is NOT going to be "fine".

What it comes down to is this: Carlin is to dirty, witty, cautionary stand-up comedy what Yoda is to Jedis everywhere, which is a small spark of hope via crystal clear wisdom in a world where it's pretty damn hard to get any. At the least, we get classic GC - outrageous lines and bits from the man's 13th (or is it 14th) comedy special, including as far as an eyebrow-raising observation on people who play Mozart music during a birth!

George carlin. Recently being binge watching his conedy bits on youtube. This is first special of his that i watched and it didn't disappoint. Even in his last special he is at his best.

This was the great George Carlin's last solo film, and the last of the 14 HBO specials that he did. The set is unnecessarily big and complicated. This is not Carlin's best material imo, but I will forever be a fan of his.

My brother got me hooked on Carlin back in the 70s. I always loved his observational humor. That is, looking at every day things and finding the humor in it, like asking the question,"Have you ever tried to throw away an old waste basket? You can't do it! They keep bringing back to you!" And asking questions like why is the word kill more acceptable then the "F" word, while making prefect sense with the discussion.

However, during the 90s his stuff was less funny, and more angry. What he seemed to be doing was holding a mirror to society's face and say 'take a look!' At this point, his shows were less of a comedy show, and more of a gripe session. But in all fairness he always made a tremendous amount of sense. He really made you think.

Here was Carlin old and new. He starts out about the fun one could have by getting old, and later slamming the the state of the world. Again making perfect sense.

This was his best since "Jammin' in New York", and as it turns out his last.

I think what 'The Shootist' was to John Wayne, or 'A Prairie Home Companion' to Robert Altman, 'It's Bad For Ya' is to George Carlin. A fond farewell to a true great icon. Love him, or hate him, I think he will be remembered.

This is unfortunately Carlin's last recorded HBO concert, from a series that lasted over 30 years. Though this may not be his "best" work, it is excellent, funny, and thought provoking. This recording is also a bit different from most of his other concerts that it is a bit lengthier than most of his other concerts.

Throughout his long, prolific, and influential career, Carlin has moved from the more observational humor and fart jokes, towards a more 'humanitarian' viewpoint of society and culture. His focus on the English Language and euphemisms increased throughout the years, and culminates in this performance. Though, I would argue that his audio book "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" best displays his vast wit with regards to language, euphemisms, and the breakdown of our values. It's Bad For Ya is quite indicative of his long transformation from a comedian to a writer.

If you are offended by foul language or the disparagement of the church, you will probably not like any of Carlin's stand up material. However, if you enjoy being mentally stimulated and can tolerate the language and blasphemy, you would probably greatly enjoy this concert.