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I just read that the comedian George Carlin died today. I know he was old, but the thought of George Carlin dead is just too weird. Here are some details:

Last week, it was announced that on November 10th the veteran comic whose infamous "Filthy Words" routine reached all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court would be the 11th person inducted into the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ pantheon of humor and receive this year’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. (Past winners include Richard Pryor, Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin and Steve Martin.) Reuters now also has Carlin's death, reporting that he died at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica of heart failure at age 71. Hollywood has long loved Carlin as a gentle and considerate man. But what the funnyman courageously did to fight censorship over the airwaves on radio and television is the legacy he leaves behind for the entertainment and media biz.

A publicist for George Carlin says the legendary comedian has died of heart failure at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif. Jeff Abraham says Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. Carlin died at 5:55 p.m. PDT. He was 71. Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas. It was announced Tuesday that Carlin was being awarded the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The dean of counterculture comedians, Carlin constantly pushed the envelop with his jokes, particularly with a routine called "The Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV."

And another report on his death:

Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs, dirty words and the demise of humanity, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday. He was 71. Carlin, who had a history of heart and drug-dependency problems, died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT/0100 GMT) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters. Known for his edgy, provocative material developed over 50 years, the bald, bearded Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine called "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television." A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of the routine ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court. In the 1978 case, Federal Communications Commission vs. Pacifica Foundation, the top U.S. court ruled that the words cited in Carlin's routine were indecent, and that the government's broadcast regulator could ban them from being aired at times when children might be listening. The Grammy-winning Carlin remained an active presence on the comedy circuit. Carlin was scheduled to receive the John F. Kennedy Center's prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November and his publicist said Carlin performed in Las Vegas this month. His comedic sensibility revolved around a central theme: humanity is a cursed, doomed species. "I don't have any beliefs or allegiances. I don't believe in this country, I don't believe in religion, or a god, and I don't believe in all these man-made institutional ideas," he told Reuters in a 2001 interview.

Rest in peace George Carlin.

Here's George Carlin's Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV video. Pretty funny stuff. Seven dirty words... lol

Can anyone tell me how did George Carlin die? What did George Carlin die from? I read that he had chest pains but I haven't heard real details on it. Thanks.

Hey Jaci,

I don't have good details yet but the report is that George Carlin dies from heart failure. Was it a heart attack, stroke, or something else? I'm really not sure yet.

If anyone has a better answer can you chime in here?

I just found this video that is very fitting. This is the gig where George Carlin does the "Death" comedy act. It really is funny and very fitting right now. In my honest opinion, George Carlin was probably one of the top 3 comedians ever.

Great video Glenn! The man could make fun of anything- even death.

Here are some of my favorite quotes by George Carlin:

When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?

Is a vegetarian permitted to eat animal crackers?

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

Women like silent men, they think they're listening.

As a matter of principle, I never attend the first annual anything.

The only good thing ever to come out of religion was the music.

Me being a huge fan of his, i was just cruising through ebay checking some stuff out so that i could buy something, i searched through for highest priced items on "George Carlin" to see that someone is selling a domain with his name on it?Is that right? can that be done?

Good question!! I'm not really sure. I'll ask around and see if I can get an answer.

I've seen a lot of sites with celebrity names in the domain name. I think that they can block this though with legal action, but I'm not really sure.

I'm a HUGE fan of Carlin too. Very sad. It's hard to listen to the man for 1 minute without laughing.

I never liked his mouth, but alway loved his witty comments!

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Chato B. Stewart
Mental Health Advocate - Cartoonist - and a few other things!
http://www.mentalhealthhumor.com

“Using Humor to Heal and Educate with badly drawn cartoons.”