Carlin

First there’s fame and then the grave. Might be something that George would have said. In his thoroughly iconoclastic approach to entertainment he garnered numerous awards and performance dates (some of which are on You Tube).

His book “Napalm and Silly Putty” is filled with what his audience has come to expect—language that dives into the gutter and soars into impeccable logic. It’s fun to read but the staggering carom of his thoughts makes a straight reading of the book nearly impossible (except for Carlin junkies).

His title derives from what he considered two of the most important inventions that mankind ever came up with. One to wipe out as many humans as the jellied gasoline could contact and the other to provide endless hours of harmless fun.

Carlin’s take on napalm permeates the book as he is constantly making allusions to devices and methods that would eliminate the most people at one fell swoop. Part of it was his shtick, but I suspect that there was something deep down that didn’t really like people in general all that much.

So George had his fame and now is no longer among the living. Having spent seventy years doing essentially what he wanted to do, one can be tolerant of the negative behaviors that probably shortened his life.

If you want some chuckles and a few belly laughs then pick up a copy you won’t regret it.