Saturday, March 22, 2008

Comedy Review: George Carlin at Bass Performance Hall

By Erin Rice

A rather eclectic group of people gathered in the lobbies of Bass Performance Hall earlier tonight. There were older couples (50-70 y.o.) dressed in suits and flowery dresses, next to trendy TCU students in all of Urban Outfitters' brightest colors, amid 40-somethings sporting their UT pride with cowboy boots and the occasional "Hoo-Yea." All of the above were buzzing with anticipation to see revered comic, George Carlin. Judging from the laughter and standing ovation from the nearly sold-out crowd (for the 7 p.m. set), their buzz turned into appreciation, their anticipation into satisfaction.

Dennis Blair

Opening the night was comedian Dennis Blair. With an act nothing like the headliner, he managed to hold his own on stage and warm the crowd up for Carlin. Though many of his jokes seemed to have passed their shelf life (bird flu isn't really that funny anymore...), his musical comedy was priceless. With an acoustic guitar and some notorious riffs from the likes of U2, The Eagles, Avril Lavigne, and others, he took well-known songs and changed their lyrics to suit his purposes. It wasn't Stephen Lynch clever, but it brought uproarious laughter nonetheless.

George Carlin, who is a self-proclaimed "old fuck" at 70 years old, continues to live up to the ever-growing expectations of him. HBO aired his unprecedented 14th live stand-up act, "It's Bad For Ya," on March 1. This tour is much of the same material from that special. According to an interview with the cable network, he chose the name owing to the show's theme of how much "bullshit" Americans are fed. Said theme was immediately clear tonight when he explained to the audience from the start, "It's bullshit, folks. It's all bullshit and it's bad for ya."

George Carlin

The mood of Carlin's stand-up was set when he came out onto the stage and first thing proclaimed, "Fuck Lance Armstrong." He continued by throwing a few more popular names under the bus to make the point that he's tired of being told who his American heroes should be. After discussing the various advantages of getting older, he continued down the course of disputing various dogma we are expected to accept in our society and the same beliefs and practices that we aren't questioning anymore as a result. About half of his musings had to do with religion, or came back to religion in one way or another. Anyone who is even slightly versed in George Carlin humor knows where he stands on the topic, and tonight was a similar discussion with the expletives and descriptions of bodily functions rearranged. And like every time you've heard it before, it was absolutely hilarious and somewhat thought provoking.

Outside the religious topics he offered some insights on death and the role technology can play in how you react to it. He also spent quite some time talking about how child worship and the self-esteem movement have become destructive problems in this country. While he pondered notions of national pride, the Bill of Rights, and questioned the phrase "God Bless America," his act didn't focus much on current politics. Initially it seemed odd that there was hardly any mention of the election and none of the Iraq war, but it was refreshing since every other comic is doing that bit to death.

Few comedians alive today can elicit the kind of dedicated following George Carlin has, and fewer still actually deserve it. He's on top of his game not only as a man who tells jokes, but one who forces you to question the world around you. Seeing him live certainly falls in the category of life experiences you should aspire to. Of course, it's just great seeing him alive, because after all, he is a pretty old fuck.

Random quotes from the night:

"I like people... in short bursts."

"I was Catholic until I reached the age of reason."

"Americans don't question things anymore. We don't question things because everybody is fat and happy."

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