George Carlin’s American Dream is a 4 hour documentary that premieres Friday May 20 / Saturday May 21 on HBO and HBO Max. The premiere will be split into 2 hours each evening. Link to premiere announcement and trailer. HBO’s George Carlin Doc Gets May Premiere Date, First Trailer (Video) Link to review of the documentary. ‘George Carlin’s American Dream’ Review: Judd Apatow’s HBO Documentary – The Hollywood Reporter
Definitely gonna watch this. 14 years gone and I still miss him. Waiting for George Carlin's American Dreamcone ice cream tie in.
I'm looking very forward to this. Been a fan of George Carlin as long as I can remember, but I know almost nothing about his personal life (beyond what he shared on stage, usually about his childhood). I saw Judd Apatow talking about this on one of the late night talk shows, and it looks like it will be very good.
Thanks for letting me know about this! Carlin was brilliant, one of the true comic geniuses - up there with Mark Twain. (The poor guy doesn't deserve his name being applied to half the random twaddle that people share on Twitter.) The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in heaven. - Mark Twain
Doubt if Ben & Jerry are gonna let anybody touch that...it would mess with a flavor they've already got Colbert connected to. ("frozen to"...?) I wonder if this is gonna take all those YouTube clips we've been watching for years, and just put them into the perspective of current events, or if it's intended just to be a feel-good laugh/guilt party. I do know that Carlin hit big before HBO did, but they still sent his career and profile into the cosmos with all those comedy specials (which they still own, right?). Makes sense they should be hosting this thing - it's their "Get Back" streaming sensation writ large.
I didn't fully appreciate that what he was doing at the time went way beyond "comedy"--- he was incisive in his view of modern life, pointing out the absurdities that we accepted as part of society. The routine about "it's a club and you ain't in it" remains as one of the most truthful insights into modern life and the power structure. I'll watch this.
I was a huge Carlin fan back when his first "new George Carlin" persona was on his "AM/FM" album on Little David. In 1972 his "Class Clown" album had just come out (classic comedy album) when he appeared here in Milwaukee at Summerfest. While I wasn't able to attend, it's become historical for his being arrested for doing the Seven Words routine. A major national news story of course, but today it seems ridiculous with all of the on stage profanity by Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, etc. Wonder if this will be covered in the new HBO doc...
I can only imagine what George in his prime would have to say about the world today. I'll watch this for sure.
I have no hate for Maher, but this is absolutely ludicrous comparison. Unfortunately, while he was once maybe a bit "politically incorrect," today Maher has become the epitome of Left establishment, the polar opposite of Carlin. I agree with Colbert's assessment in the doc that the closest comparison to Carlin is to The Beatles. That's how important he was in his medium, even more important than Lenny Bruce. That said, I've always maintained that Gen-X was to comedy what the Boomers were to comedy. I would say Chris Rock or Sara Silverman are the closest we have today. Rock's "love not to know" bit was the ballsiest thing anyone has ever done on stage since Carlin. Back on topic, watched Part 1 last night and loved it. It's awesome that HBO is also supporting the doc with tons of stand-up specials that haven't been seen in ages, including his first HBO special, which I also started watching. Surprisingly, I don't think I've ever seen it all of the way through... brilliant.
Maher over the last year or so has started to push hard against the far left and cancel culture. His most recent new rules segment is an example.
Just finished part 2 as I fell asleep before finishing last night. Both parts were available together, not over 2 nights as someone above said. I enjoyed it, and feel no need to expound on that, nor talk about it for the next 5 days.
My point exactly, Maher is the epitome of ESTABLISHMENT. That's why he pushes against the hard left and so-called "cancel culture" ("cancel culture" not being a real, actual thing, but a just cute talking point to be used as a distraction for both sides, Carlin would have been quick to point out). Like all establishment, Maher has bought into the "cancel culture" myth. It doesn't get any more establishment than Maher these days, not to mention he forgot to put in jokes. His points about demographics in the video you linked show how completely out-of-touch he is. I agree that children shouldn't have elective surgery or unnecessary medicine with permanent effects, but that's hardly a cutting-edge or "politically incorrect." It's common sense.
Maher absolutely isn't the "New Left," in any context. He frequently infuriates the most ardent posters on all the Daily Kos-like sites, whenever he doesn't fall exactly in line. I don't hold comics to rigid partisan standards, because it's ultimately their job to point the finger at everyone. And comics aren't going to be well-informed about everything (Maher is completely ignorant about cryptocurrency and blockchain; for example), but again, people looking to comics for every kind of validation is like people looking to hair salon technicians to run an oil rig, or vice-versa. Comics say stuff. Carlin, though, being the legend he will always be, DID devolve into a more ordinary, reactionary cantankerous older guy (an observation that angers some), but I don't hold that against him, either. Because to expect him to have always remained otherwise just shows how desperate we can be for certain people to fulfill certain needs of ours that are unrealistic. People and jokes become less funny. Time to move on.
I don’t know if you fall into this category, but the same people claiming cancel culture doesn’t exist are the same people that informed the Rolling Stones that they can’t play Brown Sugar on stage any longer.
...and the same people who blacklisted "commies" in the 50s, burnt Beatles albums in '66, and disco albums in '79... it's not a "culture;" it has nothing to do with "culture." It's absolutely nothing new; it's as old as time. The only difference is that we have internet now. Again, there is no such thing as "cancel culture." No one "informed" the Stones not to play "Brown Sugar;" they chose not to play it. The Stones are establishment now too, or else they'd play it... and play it louder than they ever have.
I think it depends on which service you watch it on. HBO has it split into two parts over two nights. HBOMax has the whole thing out there for streaming.
