Musings from an overworked translator

In Memorium: George Carlin June 25, 2008

George Carlin died three days ago of heart failure. Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, actor and author who won four Grammy Awards for his comedy albums. Most of you are probably wondering why a translation blog would be posting a memorial to George Carlin. Language was a frequent focus of Carlin’s work. Euphemisms that, in his view, seek to distort and lie and the use of language he felt was pompous, presumptuous, or silly were often the target of Carlin’s routines. He had such a unique way of looking at life. Who else would describe the experience of being in an earthquake as “an amusement park ride”?

Carlin was especially noted for his political and black humor and his observations on language, psychology and religion along with many taboo subjects. Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” comedy routine is an absolute classic and was central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court decision in which the Supreme Court affirmed the government’s right to regulate “indecent” material on the public airwaves, which still controls how material is aired today. If you haven’t seen it, you need to click on the above link and check it out. Since it could offend people I am not including a direct link to it here.

Goodbye, George Carlin, the funniest man who ever lived. You lived life by your rules and never let anyone censor you. You made us laugh; you made us think. You will be missed. So, in memory of George Carlin I offer you this clip on his views on “Soft Language.”