George Carlin has been riding his own coattails for a while now and Complaints and Grievances is just another example of that. If this comedy CD didn’t say George Carlin on the cover, who would bother listening to it?
This is empty, unfunny, messy comedy by somebody who should start figuring out he is not longer against the system, he is the system. I recall an interview Carlin gave on 48 Hours where he was heading for a show and said something to the effect “I am going to go out there and these people will destroy each other for my amusement.” Says a lot.
Another post 9/11 stand-up comedy CD where the stand-up comic walks on eggshells, Complaints and Grievances should have been titled Bitching and Moaning By An Old Fart. George Carlin has become so jaded and so used to his audience swallowing whatever he passes off as a funny joke that he jumps from one topic to the other without any segue and points it out (aka F you).
Carlin always says he is a lover of words and yadda yadda yadda but this doesn’t stop him from using four-letter words (and no, I am not a sensitive soul) just so a bad joke will get a reaction from audience members.
Beginner comics use the F word up and down the flagpole because it’s easy money, Carlin does it here because he is lazy.
Is it just me, by the way, or is one of the tracks on Complaints And Grievances (Traffic Accidents) a retread? I think it is but I do not have the patience or fortitude to listen to other later George Carlin comedy CD offerings such as Jammin’ In New York or You Are All Diseased to make sure.
I knew the end was near when I saw George Carlin at the Hampton Casino about six years ago. After bitching about smokers in the front row smoking (Hey, George, if you want a non-smoking audience, say so on the bloody tickets) Carlin said something like, “Hey, guys, you know me and I wouldn’t sell you anything … but I have this new book out called ‘Braindroppings’ and its 99% new material.”
Well, guess we know you better now, George, and the book is 75% new material at best.
George Carlin
Complaints And Grievances
Comedy CD
Atlantic
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