Comedy is a tricky business and many of the greatest comedians were essentially unhappy people. For the most part, I don't think that description applied to George Carlin, who died yesterday at the age of 71. While he did issue some pretty bitter stuff late in his career, the routines that he did that will ultimately live on are the ones where he looked gently at the absurdities of life and language.
While Carlin became known as a "counterculture" comedian and is probably most famous for the bit that Strolling Amok references over at his place, the Carlin routine that I'll always cherish is this one, where Carlin compares baseball to football. His love of language and his outstanding ear are present throughout and the comparisons are all hilarious. See him for yourself here, but the best part is the end, to wit:
In football the object is for the quarterback, also known as the field general, to be on target with his aerial assault, riddling the defense by hitting his receivers with deadly accuracy in spite of the blitz, even if he has to use shotgun. With short bullet passes and long bombs, he marches his troops into enemy territory, balancing this aerial assault with a sustained ground attack that punches holes in the forward wall of the enemy's defensive line.
In baseball the object is to go home! And to be safe! - I hope I'll be safe at home!
I hope that George is safe at home now, too. RIP.
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