George Carlin: American Dream Premieres on HBO May 20
Humor can be a subjective thing, with different crowds finding different things funny, but I have yet to meet someone that doesn’t like George Carlin. The famed sharp-tongued comedian had a career in stand-up that spanned nearly five decades and never lost its edge. Fourteen years after his death, his quotes are still thrown around the Internet and worn as badges of pride (“Remember how stupid the average person is, then realize half of them are stupider than that.”) Later this month, Carlin will receive the ultimate tribute in HBO’s new documentary George Carlin: American Dream.
Carlin was one of the most influential comedians of all time and some very famous and successful people cite him as a role model. Many of them will be appearing to speak in the documentary, including Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Colbert, Bill Burr, Bette Midler, W. Kamau Bell, Sam Jay, Judy Gold and Jon Stewart. Members of his family and friends will also appear, including Carlin’s daughter Kelly Carlin, his manager Jerry Hamza, his second wife Sally Wade and his brother Patrick Carlin.
GEORGE CARLIN’S AMERICAN DREAM chronicles the life and work of legendary comedian George Carlin. Dubbed the “dean of counterculture comedians,” Carlin’s career spanned half a century during which he headlined 14 HBO comedy specials and appeared on “The Tonight Show” over 130 times, constantly evolving with the times and staying sharply resonant up until his death in 2008 and beyond. Carlin’s ability to zoom in on societal ills has proven eerily prophetic and much of his work resonates today with alarming – and still hilarious – clarity. The documentary examines a cultural chameleon who is remembered as one of the most influential stand-up comics of all time.
If you think you’ve seen it all, this doc promises to show off archival footage that has never appeared in public before, so you’ll want to check it out. George Carlin: American Dream premieres on HBO May 20.