Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups | What does it mean?
George Carlin is credited with uttering this sentence. “Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”
I’ve come to the notion that comedians account for a small percentage of the modern era’s most bright minds. They are the most sensible and have importance in the world.
Why am I saying this, you might wonder? Giving such high praise to someone in the entertainment world is a big statement, and I recognize that.
It is, nevertheless, difficult to make people laugh. It’s even more challenging to get them to ponder while laughing. George Carlin, the comedian, comes to mind while thinking about this.
When I first heard his comedy, I couldn’t believe it was possible. On stage, he was yelling some outrageous things that the audience enjoyed. How did he keep his place in the entertainment industry while dodging censorship?
George Carlin, who was he?
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an actor, philosopher, author, and social commentator in the United States. He was born on May 12th, 1937, in Manhattan, New York, and died on June 22nd, 2008.
He was of Irish ancestry. When you visit his Wikipedia page, you are immediately transported to his horrible upbringing, alcoholic father, and single mother.
He had a complex background, but he seemed to have turned his misfortunes into his most significant asset; he could see right through a lot of BS. George was reared solely by his mother, who divorced his alcoholic father when he was a toddler.
Was he just a grumpy older man?
What difference does it make? I read between the lines a fundamental truth: It would be challenging for a highly brilliant individual to accept the world as a dumbed-down, authoritarian society.
Especially if you have a strong feeling of independence, he struggled to sit silently and hear information that was either self-contradictory, irrational, propagandist, or simply not true.
Imagine what influence it has on the bright, creative soul if you are never rewarded for asking questions, if you are continually confined, criticized, corrected, and bored to death. Carlin getting in trouble with the Air Force for being a victim is not something I can see happening.
He was undoubtedly adamant about not saying anything and getting back in line. “If it requires a uniform, it’s worthless”_Carlin, George.
What are the best ways to be politically incorrect?
I can’t entirely agree with Carlin’s beliefs, and I don’t believe he expected others to. He desired for people to become aware of their surroundings. To be able to think independently. On the other hand, he could utter the most politically wrong things and get away with it. On a big stage, he was there in front of a large audience, saying “outrageous” and even filthy things. Never trusting the government was one of his constant mantras.
“By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.”
— George Carlin
More than a chuckle
I’ve previously established that he was a witty comedian. However, you can sense the underlying frustration on the verge of exploding. At work, comedy was his fury, wit, and intelligence.
Carlin’s unique skill was to draw attention to the absurdity of society and human conduct while making people laugh. People would laugh at their frustrations and flaws, as well as at the fact that those people were caught in the act of believing a bunch of nonsense. People would laugh at themselves for being so brainwashed and unable to break free.
Simplicity and dark comedy
George Carlin was recognized for his dark humor and musings on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various forbidden topics. He was one of the greatest American comedians, yet he was also a humble man.
He had an extraordinary capacity to turn even the most mundane facts into fascinating stories. For example, he advised parents suffering from child worship to send their child outside in an empty yard with a stick in his hand, just as in the good old days:
“You should let your kid take that stick and dig a hole in the ground, and let him just watch his stick and his hole.”
— George Carlin
He managed to make even this sound fascinating and enjoyable. I’m not sure how he achieved it.
He was able to see past the layers of protection.
What continues to astound me is how a comedian of this politically incorrect quality rose to such prominence and acclaim.
The first of Carlin’s 14 stand-up comedy specials for HBO began filming in 1977. Carlin’s routines began to center on sociocultural criticism of American society in the late 1980s.
During the three-decade Johnny Carson period, he was a frequent performer and guest presenter of the Tonight Show, and he hosted the debut episode of Saturday Night Live in 1975.
Carlin’s final HBO special, “It’s Bad for Ya,” was shot just four months before he died of cardiac collapse.
He was named second on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 50 greatest stand-up comedians of all time in 2017. He was ranked second on Comedy Central’s “Top 10 Comedians of US Audiences” list in 2004.
Carlin is impossible to explain in a single article. For those who miss him, he is still available on YouTube. Why not finish with a quote to linger in his mind:
“Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.” – George Carlin.
Conclusion
Comedy plays an integral part in our life. It can positively change our life. Comedy’s use of humor allows people to discuss sensitive matters. No one does it better than a stand-up comedian. The Comic’s role is to create, sustain, and steer the audience throughout their performance. In doing so, the comedian touches on taboo topics in the host community.
Humor serves as an important place for reversing and resisting society’s inequities, fostering incongruity through disruption, and offering a stylistic reinvention of reality. One such problem that has been redefined is the concept of sexuality.
