What Judd Apatow Learned From George Carlin and Why His Comedy Remains So Relevant Today
variety.comAddie Morfoot ContributorGeorge Carlin’s enduring comedic legacy inspired Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio to make HBO’s upcoming documentary about the counterculture icon, whose observations remain eerily topical nearly 14 years after his death.Carlin, who appeared on “The Tonight Show” more than 130 times during his lengthy career, riffed about abortion, the planet, police brutality and organized religion in his stand-up sets and also appeared in movies such as “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” His legendary 1972 routine “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” is still regularly invoked in media circles.“We were always so surprised that anytime something happened in the news, George would start trending,” says Apatow, who co-directed “George Carlin’s American Dream” with Bonfiglio, a frequent collaborator. “Most comedians’ material ages really badly, but his work was so deep — and he also liked to talk about the big picture — that it just gets better with age.
Also, a lot of it feels like a warning.” During his 1992 HBO comedy special, “Jammin’ in New York,” for example, Carlin joked about the planet defending itself against human pollution with a virus.
Footage of that bit is one of many clips featured in the two-part HBO doc debuting May 20.“George Carlin’s American Dream” explores the stand-up’s rise to fame, his struggle with cocaine, his two marriages and his arrest in 1972 after performing his “Seven Words” routine.
Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Stephen Colbert, Bette Midler and Jon Stewart appear, along with Carlin’s daughter, Kelly Carlin, and his manager Jerry Hamza.
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