Screw Kevin Smith's movies! GC was in them for a few moments and made the movies slightly better ... but that's not what he should be remembered for (and I sympathise with you that you don't know his earlier/recent standup/books/articles) that's the least of his stuff. I am glad that you guys know him at least from that but now it's time you guys go and check out his other stuff.
/rant
BTW I do like KS but he and GC should be kept separate. KS is a little bit like a modern-day GC and he has a lot to thank GC for ... and vise versa as GC wanted to be in movies but sadly only got cameos.
/2ndrant
well here's someone who's heard of him. Yes, I am a Kevin Smith fan, but it sucks that you people only know him as "the priest in Dogma" (or "Rufus in Bill and Ted", not a Kevin Smith film, but that's all he's known for in Britian apparently).
I would have to agree with this mainly because of his influence and he did not only do stand-up but also write books/articles which were of (social-critique) importance to people/society. Sharp wit, sharp mind, well educated in how people and languages work. Sadly missed :-(
The person I'd put in second place after Carlin as a (US) multi-talented "stand-upian" would have to be Steve Martin.
And you haven't disappointed me in your Carlin knowledge. I kind of agree with you with Martin as #2, but he stopped being funny after "Plains, Trains And Automobiles" and moved into becoming a family comedian. He's now like #25. Carlin was always on his A-game (American-British translation: He didn't become less funny over time like Martin did), his last HBO special in March is STILL the funniest thing i've seen all year, a year which includes my purchase of the full length "Flight of the Conchords" record and my attendance at a Lewis Black performance (yes, he's that angry guy in the film "Accepted", but that anger is representative of his stand up. He has a bit where he talks about the end of the universe being a corner in Houston where on one side of the street is a Starbucks Coffee resturant and on the other side of the street...is another Starbucks. In fact with the death of Carlin, Lewis Black is now the funniest living comedian in America.)
Remember, folks, America doesn't have very many really funny people or shows anymore. The funniest shows on American television right now are as follows: "The Office", a remake of a British sitcom (it's really great, as it now has it's own identity away from the British version), a dark comedy called "Pushing Daisies" (which apparently you Brits love, and If you'd like more of the same, check out "Dead Like Me", which was created by the same guy), and Tina Fey's "30 Rock".
well here's someone who's heard of him. Yes, I am a Kevin Smith fan, but it sucks that you people only know him as "the priest in Dogma" (or "Rufus in Bill and Ted", not a Kevin Smith film, but that's all he's known for in Britian apparently).
he is known in england as a comedian too, i saw his stand up recently on a show called '100 greatest comedians' but because he did most of his stuff in american he isn't going to appear on tv over hear all the time. you can't blame us for not hearing of a 60/70's comedian who did tv shows that weren't aired in england.
its like complaining that an american hasn't heard of peter kay or tommy cooper
he is known in england as a comedian too, i saw his stand up recently on a show called '100 greatest comedians' but because he did most of his stuff in american he isn't going to appear on tv over hear all the time. you can't blame us for not hearing of a 60/70's comedian who did tv shows that weren't aired in england.
its like complaining that an american hasn't heard of peter kay or tommy cooper
...um...he wasn't just a 60's/70's comedian. He was active and highly popular in America up until his death. In fact he was a completely different comedian in the 60's, wore a suit and tie and told pretty tame jokes, but then he fell under the spell of one Lenny Bruce and then became far more important and influential than Bruce ever was.
You should actually find his specials on Amazon or something. He was a funny man. What a shame. I saw him two times in concert and both times he was hilarious.
Dead Like Me was far better than Pushing Daisies for a start, PS bird from pushing daisies is a British sitcom actress who did first UK lesbian kiss before the watershed.
Loads of UK comedians have name checked Carlin as an inspiration so British comedy fans have checked him out over the years and he was very much a cult figure here.
The reason Hicks is more well known is he pushed himself on tv in the UK so we all knew his work much better. Carlin was only a standup to us if we actively hunted down his stuff, which many of us did because so many top funny guys rated his show so highly, so it can't come as a surprise that the people who don't follow standup and won't take the time to hunt something down only know him as an actor. That's what he was to them.
Steve Martin of the last 20 years isn't fit to wipe his arse which is a shame because although he sometimes took silliness to an unfunny level his gag delivery was outstanding.
you can't blame us for not hearing of a 60/70's comedian who did tv shows that weren't aired in england.
It's ok, we shan't blame you ... but we shall call you an ignoramus! :razz: (j/k)
In the last decade or so he has been on many US (cable) shows as a commentator of sorts ... when you needed someone with a keen eye for an odd angle on a social issue Carlin was your man. I also agree with usspeccyfan that Lewis Black might be the next guy in line ... as long as he doesn't give himself a heart-attack or pop a vein in his forehead :grin:
well here's someone who's heard of him. Yes, I am a Kevin Smith fan, but it sucks that you people only know him as "the priest in Dogma" (or "Rufus in Bill and Ted", not a Kevin Smith film, but that's all he's known for in Britian apparently).
It's not the only way I know of him, I remember seeing him doing stand-up on cable tv when it first came into our area, way back when I was still in school. Just because I said I fancy kicking back with a few beers and watching Bill & Ted (which I did last night :smile:) doesn't necessarily mean I know nothing about the man!!
On a similar vein i hope you were saddened when the passing of the legendary UK comedian Dustin Gee happened years ago. His comic timing with partner Les Dennis was the stuff of legend
I don't remember too much about Dustin Gee, but I do remember that I saw him on the tv in the early 80s and couldn't stop laughing. I was probably only 5 or 6 at the time.
I'd completely forgot about him. Shame Les is only doing Family Fortunes on the telly now. Or was.
Oh, no. Every time you turn up something monumental and terrible happens.
I don’t think I have the stomach for it.
--Raziel (Legend of Kain: Soul Reaver 2)
Rufus: "And a special treat from the 23rd century, Miss Ria Paschelle. Miss Paschelle, as you all know, was the inventor of the statiophonic oxygenetic amplifiagraphiphonideliverberator. Kind of hard to imagine the world before we had them, isn't it?"
Dead Like Me was far better than Pushing Daisies for a start, PS bird from pushing daisies is a British sitcom actress who did first UK lesbian kiss before the watershed.
Loads of UK comedians have name checked Carlin as an inspiration so British comedy fans have checked him out over the years and he was very much a cult figure here.
The reason Hicks is more well known is he pushed himself on tv in the UK so we all knew his work much better. Carlin was only a standup to us if we actively hunted down his stuff, which many of us did because so many top funny guys rated his show so highly, so it can't come as a surprise that the people who don't follow standup and won't take the time to hunt something down only know him as an actor. That's what he was to them.
Steve Martin of the last 20 years isn't fit to wipe his arse which is a shame because although he sometimes took silliness to an unfunny level his gag delivery was outstanding.
1. Yes, i am familiar with the fact that Anna Friel is best known for the first lesbian kiss on British television, she pulls off a pretty good American accent (like that's hard, but still she does a good job), And "Pushing Daisies" doesn't even have a full season, so I can't compare it to "Dead Like Me"'s two-season run and upcoming direct to DVD movie (which has everyone but Mandy Patinkin - whose character has disappeared - and Laura Harris, who was contracted to the now canceled "Women's Murder Club" during its filming and has been replaced by the actress who played her sister in "24" in her role of Daisy Adair).
2. So that means that Carlin is as famous in the UK as Bill Hicks is over here (a beloved cult figure known for a few things. In Hicks' case it's his work with the metal band Tool and his posthumous album "Arizona Bay", one of the finest comedy albums ever made) and Carlin is as famous here as Peter Sellers is over there
3. I understand you guys don't get HBO and therefore don't have access to his 13 comedy specials (all of them are funny), and that Hicks pushed himself on UK television the same way that Carlin did here (he hosted the very first episode of "Saturday Night Live", which I believe you guys may have heard of)
4. I just got a new keyboard which does not correspond to how many words I type in a minute. It will skip vowels and any key that I don't press really, really hard. Why am I bringing this up? It took me ten minutes to write this, when normally it would've taken 2 1/2.
Comments
well here's someone who's heard of him. Yes, I am a Kevin Smith fan, but it sucks that you people only know him as "the priest in Dogma" (or "Rufus in Bill and Ted", not a Kevin Smith film, but that's all he's known for in Britian apparently).
And you haven't disappointed me in your Carlin knowledge. I kind of agree with you with Martin as #2, but he stopped being funny after "Plains, Trains And Automobiles" and moved into becoming a family comedian. He's now like #25. Carlin was always on his A-game (American-British translation: He didn't become less funny over time like Martin did), his last HBO special in March is STILL the funniest thing i've seen all year, a year which includes my purchase of the full length "Flight of the Conchords" record and my attendance at a Lewis Black performance (yes, he's that angry guy in the film "Accepted", but that anger is representative of his stand up. He has a bit where he talks about the end of the universe being a corner in Houston where on one side of the street is a Starbucks Coffee resturant and on the other side of the street...is another Starbucks. In fact with the death of Carlin, Lewis Black is now the funniest living comedian in America.)
Remember, folks, America doesn't have very many really funny people or shows anymore. The funniest shows on American television right now are as follows: "The Office", a remake of a British sitcom (it's really great, as it now has it's own identity away from the British version), a dark comedy called "Pushing Daisies" (which apparently you Brits love, and If you'd like more of the same, check out "Dead Like Me", which was created by the same guy), and Tina Fey's "30 Rock".
he is known in england as a comedian too, i saw his stand up recently on a show called '100 greatest comedians' but because he did most of his stuff in american he isn't going to appear on tv over hear all the time. you can't blame us for not hearing of a 60/70's comedian who did tv shows that weren't aired in england.
its like complaining that an american hasn't heard of peter kay or tommy cooper
...um...he wasn't just a 60's/70's comedian. He was active and highly popular in America up until his death. In fact he was a completely different comedian in the 60's, wore a suit and tie and told pretty tame jokes, but then he fell under the spell of one Lenny Bruce and then became far more important and influential than Bruce ever was.
You should actually find his specials on Amazon or something. He was a funny man. What a shame. I saw him two times in concert and both times he was hilarious.
Loads of UK comedians have name checked Carlin as an inspiration so British comedy fans have checked him out over the years and he was very much a cult figure here.
The reason Hicks is more well known is he pushed himself on tv in the UK so we all knew his work much better. Carlin was only a standup to us if we actively hunted down his stuff, which many of us did because so many top funny guys rated his show so highly, so it can't come as a surprise that the people who don't follow standup and won't take the time to hunt something down only know him as an actor. That's what he was to them.
Steve Martin of the last 20 years isn't fit to wipe his arse which is a shame because although he sometimes took silliness to an unfunny level his gag delivery was outstanding.
I'm almost as sad over his death as I was when Spalding Gray jumped in a river.
It's ok, we shan't blame you ... but we shall call you an ignoramus! :razz: (j/k)
In the last decade or so he has been on many US (cable) shows as a commentator of sorts ... when you needed someone with a keen eye for an odd angle on a social issue Carlin was your man. I also agree with usspeccyfan that Lewis Black might be the next guy in line ... as long as he doesn't give himself a heart-attack or pop a vein in his forehead :grin:
It's not the only way I know of him, I remember seeing him doing stand-up on cable tv when it first came into our area, way back when I was still in school. Just because I said I fancy kicking back with a few beers and watching Bill & Ted (which I did last night :smile:) doesn't necessarily mean I know nothing about the man!!
I don't remember too much about Dustin Gee, but I do remember that I saw him on the tv in the early 80s and couldn't stop laughing. I was probably only 5 or 6 at the time.
I'd completely forgot about him. Shame Les is only doing Family Fortunes on the telly now. Or was.
I don’t think I have the stomach for it.
--Raziel (Legend of Kain: Soul Reaver 2)
https://www.youtube.com/user/VincentTSFP
http://www.billandted.org/sounds/bj/bjlria.mp3
1. Yes, i am familiar with the fact that Anna Friel is best known for the first lesbian kiss on British television, she pulls off a pretty good American accent (like that's hard, but still she does a good job), And "Pushing Daisies" doesn't even have a full season, so I can't compare it to "Dead Like Me"'s two-season run and upcoming direct to DVD movie (which has everyone but Mandy Patinkin - whose character has disappeared - and Laura Harris, who was contracted to the now canceled "Women's Murder Club" during its filming and has been replaced by the actress who played her sister in "24" in her role of Daisy Adair).
2. So that means that Carlin is as famous in the UK as Bill Hicks is over here (a beloved cult figure known for a few things. In Hicks' case it's his work with the metal band Tool and his posthumous album "Arizona Bay", one of the finest comedy albums ever made) and Carlin is as famous here as Peter Sellers is over there
3. I understand you guys don't get HBO and therefore don't have access to his 13 comedy specials (all of them are funny), and that Hicks pushed himself on UK television the same way that Carlin did here (he hosted the very first episode of "Saturday Night Live", which I believe you guys may have heard of)
4. I just got a new keyboard which does not correspond to how many words I type in a minute. It will skip vowels and any key that I don't press really, really hard. Why am I bringing this up? It took me ten minutes to write this, when normally it would've taken 2 1/2.