George Carlin: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

George Carlin came out of a Manhattan Irish-Catholic childhood on West 121st Street — "White Harlem," as he called it — and out of the radio-comedy tradition, before Lenny Bruce's example turned him from a suit-and-tie nightclub act into the counterculture's foremost language critic. This mix traces the comedians and thinkers who armed him, the New York scene that raised him, and the successors who took his seven words further.

The Kynda mix for George Carlin

• Key Influence · The Berkeley Concert by Lenny Bruce (1965). Carlin repeatedly named Bruce as the figure who showed him comedy could be about ideas rather than gags. As a young man he was present at a Chicago club where Bruce was arrested on obscenity charges; Carlin refused to show police ID and was hauled off in the same wagon. Bruce's freeform, word-obsessed monologues are the direct ancestor of the "Seven Words" bit and of Carlin's mid-career shedding of his clean-cut nightclub persona.
• Influencia Obscura · Inside Shelley Berman by Shelley Berman (1959). Berman's Grammy-winning album — the first spoken-word LP to win — proved that a comic sitting on a stool with a telephone could sell records like a jazz musician. Now largely forgotten outside comedy-history circles, Berman's neurotic, precisely observed monologues on everyday absurdity shaped the whole class of early-sixties "sit-down" comics that Carlin entered. His fussy attention to the texture of ordinary speech prefigures Carlin's later linguistic autopsies.
• Local Roots · Danny Kaye's radio and stage comedy legacy by Danny Kaye (1945). Carlin was a New York City kid who idolized the verbal acrobats of radio and vaudeville-descended film comedy, and Kaye — Brooklyn-born, famous for tongue-twisting patter songs and rapid-fire nonsense — was the era's supreme technician of the mouth. Carlin's own delight in lists, alliteration and breathless catalogues of words belongs to the same New York tradition of showing off with the English language at speed.
• Beyond the Medium · The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce (1911). Bierce redefined ordinary English words to expose the hypocrisy hidden inside them — exactly Carlin's method in his euphemism routines, where "shell shock" becomes "post-traumatic stress disorder" and the pain drains out of the phrase. Carlin's late work, and his books of definitions and observations, sit squarely in the American misanthropic-lexicographer tradition Bierce founded, trading jokes for definitions as the unit of attack.
• Peer · That Nigger's Crazy by Richard Pryor (1974). Pryor and Carlin came up in the same clubs and reinvented themselves at almost the same moment, abandoning polished nightclub acts for confessional, profane, culturally specific truth-telling. Both were prosecuted or arrested over language, both moved comedy from the tuxedo era into the album-and-HBO era, and they are routinely paired as the twin hinge points of modern American stand-up. Pryor's breakthrough LP is the parallel document to Carlin's mid-seventies work.
• From the Canon · Class Clown by George Carlin (1972). The album where the reinvention completes itself: Carlin looks back on Catholic schooling and childhood language taboos, then closes with "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television," the routine that got him arrested in Milwaukee and eventually reached the Supreme Court via the FCC v. Pacifica case. It is the pivot from his clean-cut Ed Sullivan persona to the bearded language critic, and it explains every later phase of the career.
• Key Collaborator · Second City Comedy: The Jack Burns Legacy by Jack Burns (1960). Burns was Carlin's first professional partner: they met as radio DJs in Fort Worth in 1959, formed Burns and Carlin, moved to Los Angeles and recorded together before splitting in 1962. Burns went on to Second City, to partner Avery Schreiber, and to head writing on The Muppet Show. The two-man interview structure they built in those Texas and California years is the scaffolding Carlin kept using solo for decades.
• Legacy · Chewed Up by Louis C.K. (2008). Louis C.K. has spoken often about a formative Carlin lesson — that discarding your entire act each year and building a new one from what you actually think forces growth — and credits that idea with saving his career. He appeared alongside Carlin in a well-known conversation about the craft, and his practice of retiring an hour annually is the most literal inheritance of Carlin's method in contemporary stand-up.

What influenced George Carlin

• Lenny Bruce (1925). Lists Lenny Bruce as an influence on Carlin. (also via Class Clown, The Berkeley Concert) “Carlin would have been the first to acknowledge his debt to Bruce for a lot of the elements in his routine on seven dirty words you can't say on television.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Richard Pryor (1940). George Carlin is listed among comedians who cited Pryor as an influence. (also via Occupation: Foole, That Nigger's Crazy) “Many prolific comedians have claimed Pryor as an influence including George Carlin , Dave Attell , Martin Lawrence , Dave Chappelle , Chris Rock , Colin Quinn , Patrice O'Neal , Bill Hicks , Jerry Seinfeld , Jon Stewart , Bill Burr , Joe…” (Wikipedia)
• Danny Kaye. Wikipedia lists Danny Kaye as one of Carlin's comedic influences. (also via Danny Kaye's radio and stage comedy legacy) “once I was good enough at that, they'd have to let me in the movies, like Danny Kaye.” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Mort Sahl. Lists Mort Sahl as an influence on Carlin. “And then Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Nichols and May and a lot of other people in the improv groups and some underground press and so forth took hold of comedy and changed it.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Nichols and May. Lists Nichols and May as an influence on Carlin. “And then Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Nichols and May and a lot of other people in the improv groups and some underground press and so forth took hold of comedy and changed it.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Bob Hope. Carlin names Bob Hope as a childhood aspirational model. “my dream was to be like Danny Kaye in the movies or to be like Bob Hope in the movies.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Lord Buckley. Nunberg traces Carlin's comedic style back to Lord Buckley. “The sardonic tone and scat riffing went straight back to Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl and Lord Buckley.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• The Berkeley Concert by Lenny Bruce (1965). The Berkeley Concert (Lenny Bruce) — titan for George Carlin “He placed second on Comedy Central's list of top 10 American comedians in 2004, while Rolling Stone magazine ranked him second on its list of the 50 best stand-up comedians of all time in 2017, in both cases behind Richard Pryor and ahea…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer by Tom Lehrer (1959). An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer (Tom Lehrer) — ghost for George Carlin (musicbrainz.org)
• The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce (1911). The Devil's Dictionary (Ambrose Bierce) — culture for George Carlin (openlibrary.org)
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller (1961). Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) — culture for George Carlin (openlibrary.org)
• 2000 Year Old Man by Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner (1961). 2000 Year Old Man (Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner) — titan for George Carlin
• Inside Shelley Berman by Shelley Berman (1959). Inside Shelley Berman (Shelley Berman) — ghost for George Carlin
• Jonathan Winters. Lists Jonathan Winters as an influence on Carlin.
• Jerry Lewis. Lists Jerry Lewis as an influence on Carlin.
• Marx Brothers. Lists the Marx Brothers as an influence on Carlin.
• Spike Jones. Lists Spike Jones as an influence on Carlin.
• Ernie Kovacs. Lists Ernie Kovacs as an influence on Carlin.
• Ritz Brothers. Lists the Ritz Brothers as an influence on Carlin.

Peers and kindred spirits

• Joan Rivers (1933). Rivers names George Carlin as part of the same generational group of performers coming up together. (also via Take-Offs and Put-Ons) “I was in a group with George Carlin and Woody Allen and Barbra Streisand and Simon and Garfunkel and Bill Cosby.” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Jack Burns. Carlin formed a comedy duo with Jack Burns early in his career. (also via Second City Comedy: The Jack Burns Legacy) “He forms a two-man comedy team with Jack Burns, and they move to California.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson by Johnny Carson (1962). The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (Johnny Carson) — collaborator for George Carlin “Carlin was a frequent performer and guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Kenny Rankin. Kenny Rankin frequently performed as Carlin's opening act and musical guest. “Starting in 1972, singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin was Carlin's label-mate on Little David Records, and Rankin served many times as Carlin's musical guest or opening act during the early 1970s.” (Wikipedia)
• Sam Simon. Sam Simon created and wrote The George Carlin Show, in which Carlin starred. “The show, created and written by The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon, ran for 27 episodes, through December 1995.” (Wikipedia)
• Tony Hendra. Tony Hendra collaborated with Carlin on his autobiography and one-man show. “After his death, his collaborator on both projects Tony Hendra edited the autobiography for release as Last Words.” (Wikipedia)
• Ed Sullivan. Ed Sullivan presented Carlin's comeback performance of "The Hair Piece." “he was presented by Ed Sullivan in a performance of "The Hair Piece" and quickly regained his popularity as the public caught on to his style.” (Wikipedia)
• Britt Allcroft. Britt Allcroft worked directly with Carlin as developer of the shows he narrated. “According to Britt Allcroft, who developed both shows, on the first day of the assignment, Carlin was nervous about recording his narration without an audience” (Wikipedia)
• Flip Wilson. Carlin's album Class Clown was released by a label owned by comedian Flip Wilson. (via Class Clown) “such uncensored comedy albums as "Class Clown," put out, I learned in this documentary, by a record label owned by another groundbreaking comedian, Flip Wilson.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Danny Kaye's radio and stage comedy legacy by Danny Kaye (1945). Danny Kaye's radio and stage comedy legacy (Danny Kaye) — geography for George Carlin “Carlin idolized Danny Kaye and wanted to become a comedic actor like him.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• That Nigger's Crazy by Richard Pryor (1974). That Nigger's Crazy (Richard Pryor) — peer for George Carlin “He placed second on Comedy Central's list of top 10 American comedians in 2004, while Rolling Stone magazine ranked him second on its list of the 50 best stand-up comedians of all time in 2017, in both cases behind Richard Pryor and ahea…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Wanted by Robert Klein (1972). Wanted (Robert Klein) — peer for George Carlin “Klein's follow-up album, New Teeth (1975, Epic/CBS Records), featured the comedian's on-stage work on tracks such as "Mother Isn't Always Right" and his transposition of George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television," titled "…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Second City Comedy: The Jack Burns Legacy by Jack Burns (1960). Second City Comedy: The Jack Burns Legacy (Jack Burns) — collaborator for George Carlin “== Career == === 1959–1969: Early work and breakthrough === In 1959, Carlin met Jack Burns, a fellow DJ at radio station KXOL in Fort Worth, Texas.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Take-Offs and Put-Ons by George Burns (1935). Take-Offs and Put-Ons (George Burns) — geography for George Carlin

Who George Carlin influenced

• Louis C.K.. Louis C.K. has cited Carlin as a comedic influence. (also via Chewed Up) “I saw George Carlin at the Comedy Store in L.A. getting ready for a set. That was pretty amazing.” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Stephen Colbert. Stephen Colbert has cited Carlin as a comedic influence. “Is that he's the Beatles of comedy. At a certain point in his career, there's this huge shift.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Chris Rock (1965). Chris Rock has cited Carlin as a comedic influence. “Sam Kinison , George Carlin , Mort Sahl , [ 44 ] and Rodney Dangerfield .” (Wikipedia)
• Jerry Seinfeld (1954). Jerry Seinfeld has cited Carlin as a comedic influence. “I wanted to be just like him, getting every word in the right spot, because when he did it, it thrilled me, you know, and I wanted to do that. I wanted that skill. And I've spent my life pursuing it.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Steve Martin (1945). Martin names George Carlin among comedians he respected and drew from. “I just respected comedians, whether they were or they weren't from new or old - about Bob Newhart, I loved, and George Carlin was hilarious at the time and Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor.” (Fresh Air (NPR))
• Chewed Up by Louis C.K. (2008). Chewed Up (Louis C.K.) — legacy for George Carlin “Comedians who have claimed Carlin as an influence include Adam Ferrara, Bill Burr, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Louis C.K., Lewis Black, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Bill Maher, Liz Miele, Patrice O'Neal, Colin Quinn, Steven Wright, Mitc…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Bill Hicks: Relentless by Bill Hicks (1992). Bill Hicks: Relentless (Bill Hicks) — legacy for George Carlin
• Lewis Black. Lewis Black has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Jon Stewart. Jon Stewart has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Bill Maher. Bill Maher has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Bill Burr. Bill Burr has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Jay Leno. Jay Leno has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Kevin Smith. Kevin Smith has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Bo Burnham. Bo Burnham has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Steven Wright. Steven Wright has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Mitch Hedberg. Mitch Hedberg has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Russell Peters. Russell Peters has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.
• Jim Jefferies. Jim Jefferies has cited Carlin as a comedic influence.