Bye George

Posted by Eric on June 24, 2008

fillmore Bye George

I don’t know why it surprised me to learn that comedian George Carlin passed away Sunday at the age of 71, but it did. I mean, he’s been doing his thing since before I was born and even though his material was often indecent and crude, it was also satirical and thought-provoking. I thought he was great.

Now I didn’t hear Carlin’s “Seven Dirty Words” bit until 20+ years after it got him arrested, but it still (even today) poses the question of what speech is acceptable for mass-consumption and what isn’t. In my eyes (however) that isn’t his most memorable performance.

As silly as it sounds, one of my favorite movies is Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure which starred George Carlin as the mystical guitar-playing guru Rufus. He also appeared in Dogma and even as the voice of Fillmore in the animated Pixar film Cars, a movie that our daughter Hailey can’t get enough of.

So whether you loved him or loathed him, George Carlin is gone. And at least at our house, he will be missed.