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After reading, I wrote Mr. Carlin a series of questions as instructed. I did not hear back from him during the school year, which was fine, according to our teacher, and soon summer bega
I was in my high school English class, when our instructor wanted us to choose a book to read, and afterwards, write the author with questions that came up during the reading. I chose "Brain Droppings" as I enjoyed George Carlin's stand-up routine and had seen him live before. The book was hilarious, as expected.After reading, I wrote Mr. Carlin a series of questions as instructed. I did not hear back from him during the school year, which was fine, according to our teacher, and soon summer began. It was a random day in July that same year when I opened my mailbox, and I had a large envelope from "George Carlin Productions". Inside, I found a picture of George that was autographed as such, "Too many questions, George Carlin".
I cannot think of a more fitting response.
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Carlin efficiently kicks away all the crutches we use to justify the stupid things we live with.
"My motto? "F**k hope". P.S. In case you're wondering, I'm a joyful individual [...] I'm a personal optimist, but a skeptic about all else"Carlin efficiently kicks away all the crutches we use to justify the stupid things we live with.
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A PLACE FOR YOUR STUFF:
Hi! How are ya? You got your stuff with you? I'll bet you do. Guys have stuff in their pockets; women have stuff in their purses. Of course, some women have pockets, and some guys have purses. That's okay. There's all different ways of carryin' your stuff.Then there's all the stuff you have in your car. You got stuff in the trunk. Lotta different stuff: spare tire, jack, tools, old blanket, extra pair of sneakers. Just in case you wind up barefoot on the highway some night
A PLACE FOR YOUR STUFF:
Hi! How are ya? You got your stuff with you? I'll bet you do. Guys have stuff in their pockets; women have stuff in their purses. Of course, some women have pockets, and some guys have purses. That's okay. There's all different ways of carryin' your stuff....moreThen there's all the stuff you have in your car. You got stuff in the trunk. Lotta different stuff: spare tire, jack, tools, old blanket, extra pair of sneakers. Just in case you wind up barefoot on the highway some night.
And you've got other stuff in your car. In the glove box. Stuff you might need in a hurry: flashlight, map, sunglasses, automatic weapon. You know. Just in case you wind up barefoot on the highway some night.
So stuff is important. You gotta take care of your stuff. You gotta have a place for your stuff. Everybody's gotta have a place for their stuff. That's what life is all about, tryin' to find a place for your stuff! That's all your house is: a place to keep your stuff. If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house. You could just walk around all the time.
A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down and see all the little piles of stuff. Everybody's got his own little pile of stuff. And they lock it up! That's right! when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. 'Cause they always take the good stuff! They don't bother with that crap you're saving. Ain't nobody interested in your fourth-grade arithmetic papers. National Geographics, commemorative plates, your prize collection of Navajo underwear; they're not interested. They just want the good stuff; the shiny stuff; the electronic stuff.
So when you get right down to it, your house is nothing more than a place to keep your stuff . . . while you go out and get . . . more stuff. 'Cause that's what this country is all about. Tryin' to get more stuff. Stuff you don't want, stuff you don't need, stuff that's poorly made, stuff that's overpriced. Even stuff you can't afford! Gotta keep on gettin' more stuff. Otherwise someone else might wind up with more stuff. Can't let that happen. Gotta have the most stuff.
So you keep gettin' more and more stuff, and puttin' it in different places. In the closets, in the attic, in the basement, in the garage. And there might even be some stuff you left at your parents' house: baseball cards, comic books, photographs, souvenirs. Actually, your parents threw that stuff out long ago.
So now you got a houseful of stuff. And, even though you might like your house, you gotta move. Gotta get a bigger house. Why? Too much stuff! Or maybe, put some of your stuff in storage. Storage! Imagine that. There's a whole industry based on keepin' an eye on other people's stuff.
Or maybe you could sell some of your stuff. Have a yard sale, have a garage sale! Some people drive around all weekend just lookin' for garage sales. They don't have enough of their own stuff, they wanna buy other people's stuff.
Or you could take your stuff to the swap meet, the flea market, the rummage sale, or the auction. There's a lotta ways to get rid of stuff. You can even give your stuff away. The Salvation Army and Goodwill will actually come to your house and pick up your stuff and give it to people who don't have much stuff. It's part of what economists call the Redistribution of Stuff.
Ok, enough about your stuff. Let's talk about other people's stuff. Have you ever noticed when you visit someone else's house, you never quite feel at home? You know why? No room for your stuff! Somebody else's stuff is all over the place. And what crummy stuff it is! 'God! Where did they get this stuff?'
And you know how sometimes when you're visiting someone, you unexpectedly have to stay overnight? It gets real late, and you decide to stay over? So they put you in a bedroom they don't use too often . . . because Grandma died in it eleven years ago! And they haven't moved any of her stuff? Not even the vaporizer?
Or whatever room they put you in, there's usually a dresser or a nightstand, and there's never any room on it for your stuff. Someone else's shit is on the dresser! Have you noticed that their stuff is shit, and your shit is stuff? 'Get this shit off of here, so I can put my stuff down!' Crap is also a form of stuff. Crap is the stuff that belongs to the person you just broke up with. 'When are you comin' over here to pick up the rest of your crap?'
Now, let's talk about traveling. Sometimes you go on vacation, and you gotta take some of your stuff. Mostly stuff to wear. But which stuff should you take? Can't take all your stuff. Just the stuff you really like; the stuff that fits you well that month. In effect, on vacation, you take a smaller, 'second version' of your stuff.
Let's say you go to Honolulu for two weeks. You gotta take two big suitcases of stuff. Two weeks, two big suitcases. That's the stuff you check onto the plane. But you also got your carry-on stuff, plus the stuff you bought in the airport. So now you're all set to go. You got stuff in the overhead rack, stuff under the seat, stuff in the seat pocket, and stuff in your lap. And let's not forget the stuff you're gonna steal from the airline: silverware, soap, blanket, toilet paper, salt and pepper shakers. Too bad those headseats won't work at home.
And so you fly to Honolulu, and you claim your stuff--if the airline didn't drop it in the ocean--and you go to the hotel, and the first thing you do is put away your stuff. There's lots of places in a hotel to put your stuff.
'I'll put some stuff in here, you put some stuff in there. Hey, don't put your stuff in there! That's my stuff! Here's another place! Put some stuff in here. And there's another place! Hey, you know what? We've got more places than we've got stuff! We're gonna hafta go out and buy . . . more stuff!!!'
Finally you put away all your stuff, but you don't quite feel at ease, because you're a long way from home. Still, you sense that you must be OK, because you do have some of your stuff with you. And so you relax in Honolulu on that basis. That's when your friend from Maui calls and says, 'Hey, why don't you come over to Maui for the weekend and spend a couple of nights over here?'
Oh no! Now whaddya bring? Can't bring all this stuff. You gotta bring an even smaller version of your stuff. Just enough stuff for a weekend on Maui. The 'third version' of your stuff.
And, as you're flyin' over to Maui, you realize that you're really spread out now: You've got stuff all over the world!! Stuff at home, stuff in the garage, stuff at your parents' house (maybe), stuff in storage, stuff in Honolulu, and stuff on the plane. Supply lines are getting longer and harder to maintain!
Finally you get to your friends' place on Maui, and they give you a little room to sleep in, and there's a nightstand. Not much room on it for your stuff, but it's OK because you don't have much stuff now. You got your 8 x 10 autographed picture of Drew Carey, a large can of gorgonzola-flavored Cheez Whiz, a small, unopened packet of brown confetti, a relief map of Corsica, and a family-size jar of peppermint-flavored, petrified egg whites. And you know that even though you're a long way from home, you must be OK because you do have a good supply of peppermint-flavored petrified egg whites. And so you begin to relax in Maui on that basis. That's when your friend says, 'Hey, I think tonight we'll go over to the other side of the island and visit my sister. Maybe spend the night over there.'
Oh no! Now whaddya bring? Right! You gotta bring an even smaller version. The 'fourth version' of your stuff. Just the stuff you know you're gonna need: Money, keys, comb, wallet, lighter, hankie, pen, cigarettes, contraceptives, Vaseline, whips, chains, whistles, dildos, and a book. Just the stuff you hope you're gonna need. Actually, your friend's sister probably has her own dildos.
By the way, if you go to the beach while you're visiting the sister, you're gonna have to bring--that's right--an even smaller version of your stuff: the 'fifth version.' Cigarettes and wallet. That's it. You can always borrow someone's suntan lotion. And then suppose, while you're there on the beach, you decide to walk over to the refreshment stand to get a hot dog? That's right, my friend! Number six! The most important version of your stuff: your wallet! Your wallet contains the only stuff you really can't do without.
Well, by the time you get home you're pretty fed up with your stuff and all the problems it creates. And so about a week later, you clean out the closet, the attic, the basement, the garage, the storage locker, and all the other places you keep your stuff, and you get things down to manageable proportions. Just the right amount of stuff to lead a simple and uncomplicated life. And that's when the phone rings. It's your lawyer. It seems your aunt has died . . . and left you all her stuff. Oh no! Now whaddya do? Right. You do the only thing you can do. The honorable thing. You tell your lawyer to stuff it.
There were a few poetic gems hidden in these pages, such as this:
"Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music."
And some giggle inducers, such as this:
"You can lead a gift horse to water in the middle of the stream, but you can't loo
There were a few poetic gems hidden in these pages, such as this:
"Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music."
And some giggle inducers, such as this:
"You can lead a gift horse to water in the middle of the stream, but you can't look him in the mouth and make him drink."
Of course, George being George, there is a lot of cursing here, and very little political correctness. If you can't handle that Carlin is not a good choice for you.
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Reread this via audio while doing mountains of laundry earlier. I read it in print a few years ago, but UNsurprisingly, the audio is better. I miss George Car
"No matter how you care to define it, I do not identify with the local group. Planet, species, race, nation, state, religion, party, union, club, association, neighborhood improvement committee; I have no interest in any of it. I love and treasure individuals as I meet them, I loathe and despise the groups they identify with and belong to."Reread this via audio while doing mountains of laundry earlier. I read it in print a few years ago, but UNsurprisingly, the audio is better. I miss George Carlin.
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The book is really just a bunch of his regular comedic material. His lists of things that piss him off, him tearing apart various sayings or making fun of people. It was good to listen to at the end of a frustrating day.
He had me laughin
I'm listened to the audio book edition, read by Carlin himself. Since so much of his humor relies on the delivery, I think this was the best way to appreciate it. I am going to try to read his book, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? & I'll see how that goes.The book is really just a bunch of his regular comedic material. His lists of things that piss him off, him tearing apart various sayings or making fun of people. It was good to listen to at the end of a frustrating day.
He had me laughing out loud as I flew down the highway toward home. Not sure what the other drivers thought about that. Probably thought I was crazy - maybe that's why the drive seemed to fly by. Well, if they can't take a joke...
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The book has 3 types of themes - one based on language and word play which is joke book material. The other is
George Carlin is one of my favorite comedians who made grumpy cynical 60 year olds cool. So when i took this book, i was looking forward to a lot of laughs that makes me think. I had quite not taken into account how much his delivery played a role! So, the book in effect looked like George Carlin's twitter account with brainy one liners that were more a 'yeah-funny' than laugh out loud.The book has 3 types of themes - one based on language and word play which is joke book material. The other is a rant on state of affairs/human ineptitude - which without modulation sounds like a rant.The third is scenario based imagination - which draws the laughs. There is one chapter on how early men started a ritual of human sacrifice which was ingenious.
The book might have worked ages ago in the non internet era. Maybe we have become immune to wit and demand more. Maybe, there doesnt exist a humour book within a standup comedian. But this book was just ok.
Sample
"It turned out I was pretty good in science. But again, because of the small budget, in science class we couldn't afford to do experiments in order to prove theories. We just believed everything. Actually, I think that class was called Religion. Religion class was always an easy class. All you had to do was suspend the logic and reasoning you were being taught in all the other classes."
"Regarding the fitness craze: America has lost its soul; now it's trying to save its body."
"Do you know why hurricanes have names instead of numbers? To keep the killing personal. No one cares about a bunch of people killed by a number. '200 Dead as Number Three Slams Ashore' is not nearly as interesting a headline as 'Charlie kills 200.' Death is much more satisfying and entertaining if you personalize it."
See what i mean?
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"Brain Droppings" is little more than a random collection of bits largely taken from Carlin's most popular comedy album "A Place for My Stuff" without narrative arc, segue ways, or even a framework on which to hang them. As with all Carlin's material some of it is genius, particularly when he focuses on the absurdities of the English language, and some of it stupid both intentionally and unintentionally.
Much of Carlin's stuff is timeless because he mixes in liberal doses of philosophical musings with the trivia of day to day life. The book is an excellent primer but you would be better and very well-served to listen to the direct source material – his 20 or so albums (listen to the 70s stuff as well, it is just as funny now))
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Political correctness, who needs it?
"I don't like euphemisms. Euphemisms are a form of lying. Fat people are not gravitationally
disadvantaged. They're fat. I prefer seeing things the way they are, not the way some people wish they were."
I can relate to this:
"You've never been to your friend's plac
Political correctness, who needs it?
"I don't like euphemisms. Euphemisms are a form of lying. Fat people are not gravitationally
disadvantaged. They're fat. I prefer seeing things the way they are, not the way some people wish they were."
I can relate to this:
"You've never been to your friend's place of work, but you've pictured it. Then he changes jobs, but it's a similar job. Do you bother to change your mental picture of where he works? By how much? Or your friend works at one Wendy's and gets transferred to a different Wendy's. Do you picture a whole new Wendy's? Or do you get lazy and say, "They're all pretty much the same, so I'll just go with the old one."
Pun intended...
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER.
Not always. Sometimes one thing leads to the same thing. Ask an addict.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS.
NO. Those were the nights! Think back. Weren't the nights better? Days
you had to work. Nights you went to parties, danced, drank, got laid.
"Those were the nights!"
Carlin had his way to describe the American pop-culture:
"America has no now. We're reluctant to acknowledge the present. It's too embarrassing. Instead, we reach into the past. Our culture is composed of sequels, reruns, remakes, revivals, reissues, re-releases, recreations, reenactments, adaptations, anniversaries, memorabilia, oldies radio, and nostalgia record collections. World War II has been refought on television so many times, the Germans and Japanese are now drawing residuals. Of course, being essentially full of shit, we sometimes feel the need to dress up this past-preoccupation, as with pathetic references to reruns as "encore presentations."
"Brain droppings" manages to deliver an impressive collection of Carlin's bits. His comedic voice of reason is unparalleled and filled with irreverent humour and sarcasm.
Highly recommended!
So I don't really remember the first time I heard George Carlin's stand-up, some time looooong ago, but the earliest I recall is when my dad got a double-cd collection of his stand-up and put it on when we went to the drive-in theater (who still does that?). I was in the back of
Okay, I think I should write more because honestly, when am I going to write about Carlin again? I don't think that many colleges accept dissertations on comedians but hey, if they do, I have a kick ass one in the works.So I don't really remember the first time I heard George Carlin's stand-up, some time looooong ago, but the earliest I recall is when my dad got a double-cd collection of his stand-up and put it on when we went to the drive-in theater (who still does that?). I was in the back of the car with my best friend and I was laughing uncontrollably about the uses of Julia Robert's mouth and why the hell women like to take showers together. There's a lot to be said for his comedy, a large part being delivery, but it is also how and what he chooses to talk about. Luckily, he translated all of these things to words in his book (both of 'em actually). Somehow the Carlinesq delivery was still there, and if you remember how he rapid-fired some sections of jokes you could literally read some of them in his books the same way. He was still sarcastic, he was still funny as hell, and he talked about all of the things that made me smirk.
The first joke I remember really getting attached to, "Hey fadda, if the lord can do anything, could he create a boulder so heavy that even he couldn't lift it? BAHAHAHAHA" It was an attitude of mocking authority and respected norms that got me most. It was how he mocked them. It was everything.
I've heard comedians that have made me laugh as much as Carlin, but not in the same scope. His library of jokes and material is so consistently amazing that he is really unparalleled. He sticks to his guns, he says what he wants, and he has such a F*** you attitude that you can't not love him.
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My favorite sections in all of his books are the Short Takes. That's where I get the best laffs! As with all of Carlin's stuff, some of this is hilarious, and some of it is just so-so. I happen to really like him because he says exactly what he thinks, and he ponders things most of us never consider. And he's not afraid of offending anyone. I myself have been on occasion offended by some of his stuff, but I still like him anyway.
My favorite sections in all of his books are the Short Takes. That's where I get the best laffs! ...more
My husband and I saw Carlin do stand-up about 5 years ago, and he was great, but this book is AWESOME!!! If you like Carlin, read it.
Bottom line is that just like his stand up acts he starts with a bang and I slowly lost interest.
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Note to myself: Never again read a collection of George Carlin's musing on the trolley, when commuting to work! The trolley was quite crowded, only one available seat which I took, my co-passengers cramped and then I started exploding with laughter. I did everything to contain myself: to no avail! Poor people around me were stiff with fear of this giggling maniac in
"They say if you outlaw guns, only outlaws and criminals will have guns. Well, shit, those are precisely the people who need them."Note to myself: Never again read a collection of George Carlin's musing on the trolley, when commuting to work! The trolley was quite crowded, only one available seat which I took, my co-passengers cramped and then I started exploding with laughter. I did everything to contain myself: to no avail! Poor people around me were stiff with fear of this giggling maniac in their midst.
Not everybody will like Mr. Carlin's humor: dark, cynical, deeply disappointed with the human species. George Carlin, famous for his "seven dirty words" routine, is one of the most influential stand-up comics of all time. Extremely opinionated and ruthless in his criticisms of all manifestations of human stupidity, hypocrisy, and evil:
"This species is a dear, hateful, sweet, barbaric, tender, vile, intelligent, confused, virtuous, evil, thoughtful, perverted, generous, greedy species. In short, great entertainment."I am also opinionated and my opinions coincide with his in almost every aspect of his criticism of the human race. I am just thousand times less funny than he is and also I do not have the courage to express my opinions out loud. Take the epigraph quote about guns: why would any normal, average person need a gun? How would I ever use a gun in my life? I believe that only outlaws and criminals really need guns. I am certainly for outlawing guns for regular people.
Mr. Carlin is merciless particularly about us, the "Americans":
Traditional American values: Genocide, aggression, conformity, emotional repression, hypocrisy, and the worship of comfort and consumer goods."Also:
"The keys to America: the cross, the brew, the dollar, and the gun."In addition to making bitter fun of people's fascination with violence, religion, sports, television, etc. the main target of Mr. Carlin's hard-hitting satire is the language. First, he attacks the various language inconsistencies, clichés, oxymorons, and redundancies, like in
"Unique needs no modifier. Very unique, quite unique, more unique, real unique, fairly unique and extremely unique are wrong, and they mark you as dumb. Although certainly not unique."But it is the critique of euphemisms ("I don't like euphemisms. Euphemisms are a form of lying." Precisely!) and politically correct speech that is the most devastating. I do not have the courage to quote Mr. Carlin's musings in this area. But I certainly agree with him.
The reader will find some bittersweet humor, slightly tinged with melancholy, like in:
"There's an odd feeling you get when someone on the sidewalk moves slightly to avoid walking into you. It proves you exist. Your mere existence caused them to alter their path. It's a nice feeling. After you die, no one has to get out of your way anymore."and also completely silly yet unbelievably hilarious quotes like
"One time, a few years ago, Oprah had a show about women who fake orgasms. Not to be outdone, Geraldo came right back with a show about men who fake bowel movements."The reader will also find the famous monologue about "stuff" in its entirety.
George Carlin's Brain Droppings (1997) is the third most hilarious book I have read in my life (after Wstep do imagineskopii (not translated from Polish to English, and most likely untranslatable) and The Third Policeman . I am rounding the rating up. Yay!
Four-and-a-half stars.
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Well, finally, I DID! I liked it ... I got a kick out of George Carlin's in your face, irreverent style of humor. I laughed out loud in lots of parts and was bored but dutifully reading on in other parts ... pretty much what I expected from a 258-page version of a
My roomates had this book back in 2001. I read a few pages in the middle, including the part about the very strange phoneomenon known as sleeping, and ever since then, I always wanted to get it from the library and read the whole thing.Well, finally, I DID! I liked it ... I got a kick out of George Carlin's in your face, irreverent style of humor. I laughed out loud in lots of parts and was bored but dutifully reading on in other parts ... pretty much what I expected from a 258-page version of a stand-up comic's routine. I hadn't ever seen any of George Carlin's comedy live or on TV, so my boyfriend made me watch some youtube videos of GC doing his thing. Similar to my experience reading the book, I got quite a few chuckles but felt I was spending a lot of time staring at the computer screen waiting for GC to say something funny. But with the book, I could speed through the dull parts and re-read the funny parts, etc. So ... the strange thing was, I actually preferred the book!
Something special to note was the section on Animal Instincts (starting in page 236). George Carlin lashes out against circuses, the running of the bulls, scientific experiments on animals, zoos, "the whole beef-rancher-manure-cattle-hamburger side show," etc etc. GOOD FOR HIM!!!! It's refreshing to find an intelligent and truly compassionate person in show business!
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There are a million laughs and "ah ha! touche'" moments in this book, almost literally, but there are a lot of groaners an
This book proves, to me anyway, that there is something to be said for editorial selection. When Carlin (a hero of mine, btw) was on stage, he -- like all comics -- had to pare it down the essentials: the tried-and-true tested stuff that he knew would get the laughs. His routines were honed gemlike and glittering with gems. No filler, no fat, no "brain droppings," as it were.There are a million laughs and "ah ha! touche'" moments in this book, almost literally, but there are a lot of groaners and not a few things that are embarrassing to have been set to paper and published for millions to see. What I like about this is that we get to see the mind of a great comic at work in the initial "thinking out loud" stage -- throwing every idea at us, as though he had written down on little scraps of paper and then compiled every good and not-so-good half-baked idea he'd ever birthed. What I don't like about this is, well, the very same thing.
I know, before you say it, I realize the book is called Brain Droppings.
It's probably weird that, if this were half as long and subjected to the same rigor he gave to his standup material, I would probably have given this four stars. But who knows? This is a good light summer read before I gear up for heavier lifting.
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Still, this is my kind of humor: smart, insightful and witty. The fact that Carlin uses such foul language in between the jokes is kind of off-putting; such language generally doesn't bother me, but it's odd to hear him rant about precision and accuracy in language and then wield profanity like a blunt object at the end of every sentence.
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If you're a die-hard Carlin fan and must consume everything he ev
Huge fan of George Carlin's stand-up comedy; in fact, he's in my top three. But Brain Droppings was a letdown, of sorts. The ideas and witticisms presented by Carlin were too inconsistent, meaning there were far more "sighs" than laugh-out-loud moments. Having read the book more than a decade after its release may have played into this as well, considering many of the references are quite dated (pagers, fax machines, Dukakis, etc.)If you're a die-hard Carlin fan and must consume everything he ever published, go ahead and read it. But for those who simply enjoyed what he accomplished as a comic, be content to let his polished barbarisms and command of the English language be relegated to a microphone and a stage.
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So, why dont you do yourself a favor and read this funny nonsense one 😉
I highly recommend the audiobook version read by the author himself if you want a full Carlin Impact.
In short, great entertainment."
Still remember CDs, guys?! Well, for me it's one of those highlights of my generation that I will not forget because this is how I first experienced this book in its most candid audio version; and I could feel Carlin's visceral disdain for humanity and brainlessness. I have recently re-read it and Brai
"HUMAN BEINGS: This species is a dear, hateful, sweet, barbaric, tender, vile, intelligent, confused, virtuous, evil, thoughtful, perverted, generous, greedy species.In short, great entertainment."
Still remember CDs, guys?! Well, for me it's one of those highlights of my generation that I will not forget because this is how I first experienced this book in its most candid audio version; and I could feel Carlin's visceral disdain for humanity and brainlessness. I have recently re-read it and Brain Droppings by George Carlin is accurately my kind of humour: smart, insightful and witty, and if you are dark, cynical, and has been at least once been deeply (or remotely) disappointed with the human species, then this is for you too.
Wrapped in all his humour, George Carlin is extremely opinionated and ruthless in his criticisms of every social manifestation: human stupidity, conformity, hypocrisy, and evil. As the reader, I witnessed some bittersweet humour, the kind that is slightly tinged with melancholy. He efficiently kicks away all the crutches we use to justify the stupid things we live with.
For example, he is not the kind of guy who would simply say "fuck them" and leave it like that. Instead, he would determinedly cry "FFFuck 'em!!", with a hateful frown that you could easily read from the succinctness of his words and the sharpness of his sarcasm. Carlin is definitely the kind of guy that would prefer honest conflict over dishonest harmony.
My review here is more of an exposé of my favourite pieces and quotes of his brain droppings:
"I'm not "laid-back," and I'm certainly not "mellow." I associate those qualities with the comatose. The solar system wasn't formed because matter was laid-back; life didn't arise from the oceans and humans descend from the trees because DNA was mellow. It happened because of something called ENERGY!
However, amidst those lines of sarcastic disappointment, there is an uninterrupted thread of very deep philosophy stemming from Language and Human Behaviour. It is undeniable that Carlin is a master wordsmith. If we extract all comedy from this book, either voluntarily or by the lack of personal humour, Brain Droppings still serves as a thesis on the English language.
"We take a lot of things. We take a lot of good things. We take time, we take heart, we take solace, medicine, advice; we take a job, take a break, take a vacation, a leave, a nap, a rest, a seat, we take a meal.
We take, take, take until we can't take anymore. Maybe it's because our inner nature is not primarily one of giving, but of taking. Even these things we take that should balance our lives and give us rest do not. We make work out of them. We do them aggressively; always in control.
Take. But when we give, we give a lot of bad things. We give trouble, heartache, sorrow, we give someone a hard time, a migraine, give 'em a heart attack, and give 'em a big pain in the ass.
So I say, 'Give up, get fucked, take a hike, and have fun.'"
F.T.L.O.M., George Carlin is an astute observer of human behaviour. More quotes:
"and can't we figure out something evil to do to these people who call themselves "survivors"? Such self-regard!
'I'm a survivor.'
'Good. We'll be sure to tell everyone at your funeral that you're a fuckin' survivor.'"
Brain Droppings, as the title implies, is literally intricate droppings out of Carlin's brains that have been carved into words. I love how much this man hates pretention. Wait, the quote that follows is my favourite and dare I mention that I live by the same rules, hence one for reason why I relate to it this much:
"I'm tired of being unable to buy clothing that doesn't have a writing and printing all over it. Insipid sayings, pseudo-wisdom, cute slogans, team logos, designer names, brand trademarks, small-business ego trips; the marketing pigs and advertising swine have turned us all into walking billboards. You see some asshole walkin' by, and he's got on a fruity Dodger 0 hat and a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt. Of course you can't see the shirt if he's wearing his hot-shit Chicago Bulls jacket. The one that only 50 million other loser jock-sniffers own. And since this cretinous sports fan/consumer zombie is completely for sale to anyone, he rounds out his ensemble with FedEx sneakers, ValuJet socks, Wall Street Journal sweatpants, a Starbucks jock strap, and a Microsoft condom with Bill Gates's head on the end of it. No one in this country owns his personal appearance anymore. America has become a nation of obedient consumers, actively participating in their own degradation."
I will never be able to review Brain Droppings, because it does not necessarily require one. But rather, it is a whole fucking trippy and thorough ride inside Carlin's intriguing brain. To be precise about who George Carlin has been, I will give you this nugget: George Carlin didn't die. He passed away.
...moreCarlin was especially noted for his political and black humor and his observations on language, psychology, and religion along with many taboo subjects. Carlin and his "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which
George Denis Patrick Carlin was a Grammy-winning American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and philosopher.Carlin was especially noted for his political and black humor and his observations on language, psychology, and religion along with many taboo subjects. Carlin and his "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a narrow 5-4 decision by the justices affirmed the government's right to regulate Carlin's act on the public airwaves.
Carlin's mid-2000s stand-up routines focused on the flaws in modern-day America. He often took on contemporary political issues in the United States and satirized the excesses of American culture.
A disciple of Lenny Bruce, he placed second on the Comedy Central cable television network list of the 10 greatest stand-up comedians, ahead of Bruce and behind Richard Pryor. He was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show during the three-decade Johnny Carson era, and was also the first person to host Saturday Night Live.
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If you didn't know what sleep was, and you had only seen it in a science fiction movie, you would think it was weird and tell all your friends about the movie you'd seen.
They had these people, you know? And they would walk around all day and be OK? And then, once a day, usually after dark, they would lie down on these special platforms and become unconscious. They would stop functioning almost completely, except deep in their minds they would have adventures and experiences that were completely impossible in real life. As they lay there, completely vulnerable to their enemies, their only movements were to occasionally shift from one position to another; or, if one of the 'mind adventures' got too real, they would sit up and scream and be glad they weren't unconscious anymore. Then they would drink a lot of coffee.'
So, next time you see someone sleeping, make believe you're in a science fiction movie. And whisper, 'The creature is regenerating itself."
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Source: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55352
