He often achieved miraculous revelations about American culture and society merely by placing words, “dirty” or not, into unexpected contexts. Carlin knew language like no other, and he observed the arbitrary boundaries language barred between certain people. And Carlin was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most cunning of linguists and the most gifted of orators. Often we laugh not just because it’s funny, but because it’s true. These three never solely intended to make people laugh, but to use language in a way to break down social boundaries and comment upon normative, but absurd, social behavior. The station appealed, leading to a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the FCC’s favor, thus giving the FCC (who are also, of course, responsible for there being “Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on Television” in the first place) unprecedented authority over the type of material that can be broadcast.Ĭarlin is often cited along with Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce as part of the triumvirate that every aspiring American standup venerates, and the immediately obvious similarities between these three comedians are not coincidental.
Once a man complained about his son hearing the broadcast, the Federal Communications Commission gave a citation to the radio station. But the worst of his troubles came when the bit was broadcast on a New York City radio station the following year. Ironically, thirty-six years later, these news broadcasters still can’t repeat those words on television.Ĭarlin first faced trouble for performing "Seven Dirty Words" in 1972 at a Milwaukee concert, where he was promptly arrested on obscenity charges (he later jokingly called the bit “The Milwaukee Seven”). In news media broadcasts reporting his death and paying tribute to the man, he is often identified as best known for his “Seven Dirty Words You Can Never Say on Television” bit which was first introduced on a comedy album he released in 1972. Numerous celebrities, journalists, media figures, and lovers of comedy have mourned the death of one of our great comedians, George Carlin.
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