His career spans television, books and film, and tonight at 8 inEmens Auditorium, George Carlin can add another concert at BallState University to his resume.
Tickets cost $36.50 and $39.50, but Ball State students canreceive a $10 discount when they present their student IDs.
Carlin's comedic style has varied little since his early days.He tends to refrain from physical comedy. Instead, he uses hisknowledge of current events to get through to his audience, WesGehring, a professor in the telecommunications department, said.Carlin is most well-known for his offbeat, occasionally raunchyhumor.
"I would call Carlin a personality comedian," Gehring said. "Inhis particular case, he has a schtick that he does very well; hisschtick is that he doesn't tell jokes, but he makes very insightfulcomments about life."
Those early days of the comedian's career began in 1960 when heand Jack Burns left Texas for Hollywood, pursuing night club fameand eventually finding work as "The Wright Brothers," amorning-radio team.
In the four decades since, Carlin has parted ways from Burns andfound success in other entertainment avenues.
Carlin has appeared on "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Ed SullivanShow," and "The Carol Burnett Show." He also appeared on "TheTonight Show with Johnny Carson" more than 130 times.
Carlin was nominated for two Emmy Awards for his role as MisterConductor on the PBS series "Shining Time Station,"
"I find it kind of amusing that he used to be the conductor on'Shining Time Station,' and his comedy now is not childappropriate," freshman Megan Hill said.
Carlin hosted the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live andhas released 18 comedy albums. He was awarded four Grammy Awardsfor his efforts.
His latest movie roles include supporting roles in "Dogma" and"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." He will also appear in 2004's"Jersey Girl."
Carlin's latest book, "Napalm & Silly Putty," lasted morethan 20 weeks on the New York Times Best-Sellers list. His currentproject is a 90-minute Broadway performance about language andspeech in America titled "Watch My Language" that is slated to openin the fall of 2004.
"The things he talks about are interesting, and he's a comedianwho makes you think," Dominic Caristi, an associate professor inthe Department of Telecommunications, said. "It's not improvised;it's well-thought-out; he's not just making silly faces."
Because Carlin spends time correlating real life with hisroutines, Gehring said he believes that Carlin represents the"theater of the real," in which everyday events are presented in nouncertain terms.
"His routines are a slice of life. Some people just don't likethe way life is sliced anymore," Gehring said. "George thinks andtalks to the audience like we think and talk to our friends."
Carlin is perhaps most well-known for his routines that dealwith the English language, such as "Euphemisms" and "Seven DirtyWords."
"He likes to use the word 'wordsmith,' and I think that's a goodway to describe him," Gehring said. "He's a student of the languageand is very astute as to how it's used and abused. I think he's atthe top of the food chain (for) comedians in America."
Carlin's interest in the English language fuels much of hismaterial. For instance, he based an entire routine on the sevenwords that the Federal Communications Commission forbade from beingon air either in radio or television. Those regulations have sincebeen changed, but it raised questions at the time about how much ofCarlin's act was purely for shock value.
"I don't think it would make a difference (if he was lesscontroversial)," Caristi said. "People who are drawn to him aredrawn to him no matter what. The controversy is irrelevant."
Carlin's shows take equal aim at such topics as religion,politics and culture.
"He's provacative," Gehring said. "Even if you don't agree withhim, he makes you rethink your opinions. He's a bright man, and youwill always come out (of his concerts) a wiser person. He'sinsightful and funny, but he's also brave. He asks major questionsabout life and religion and society that a lot of people don't wantto ask because we don't know the answers, and that's scary. Hechallenges you, but at the same time he makes you laugh aboutthem."
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