 mzalen, Thu, July 3rd, 2008 Last week George Carlin died. I was never really much of a Carlin fan. To be honest, I can’t even remember one stand-up routine he did, probably because any time I saw him on television I changed the channel. Yes, I know a lot of people out there think he was hilarious, but I just never connected with his work. Maybe it was his style, or his humor, or both – I really can’t say. And yet recently I was mesmerized when I saw him on the history channel. …yes, I watch the history channel. And if you want to be a lazy smart person, you would, too. Moving on… The topic of the show was “the history of humor,” and it featured a number of different comedians talking about their craft. Guiding these interviews was another comedian, who used the comments of his peers as a way to analyze the evolution of humor. I was fascinated by the piece, primarily for one reason: it showed how serious comedians take being funny. George Carlin was by far no exception. I watched as he speculated about the motivation behind his career. Apparently he dropped out of school when he was in 9th grade. While it was entirely his choice, it nonetheless doomed him to a lifetime inferiority complex. As a result, he always felt the need to prove his mental capacity. In his own words, he explained how the last thing he wanted from his audience when doing stand-up was for them to think. Instead, he wanted to guide their thinking so that by the time he got to the punch-line, they would say, “wow, that guy is smart!” His interview didn’t dominate the show, but it really stuck with me – both because of what he said, and also because of how he said it. While occasionally he would crack a joke and smile, for the most part his face was almost impassive. It was a look I recognized very well. A FEW months ago I was at my parents’ house when they invited some family friends over. One of them had read my cartoons and wanted to know how I came up with all of those ideas. “Well, it helps to have multiple personalities,” I told her. Maybe it was my answer, or maybe it was the fact that I gave it with a straight face, but something made her look at me like I was crazy before she walked away. The truth is I’ve been searching for years to discover where those ideas come from. I have no idea. But I know that if I figure it out, I will never stop having them. And the fear that I suspect all those who work in comedy have – that being funny will suddenly just stop – will be disappear. But that’s not the kind of answer that you tell people. Nor do you ever describe the science and the mechanics that are needed in order to successfully pull off a strip. And you definitely don’t talk about motivation. I suspect, and I think I have heard as much, that most comedians are constantly battling a dark side of their personality. There’s something sinister embedded in them which enhances their cynicism of the world. And that cynicism, when properly tailored, makes a great joke. Which is why when I look in the mirror, the face that George Carlin gave his interviewer often stares back. It’s one which says, this work ain’t no joke. It’s hard, it’s tiring, and it’s got me worried sick. But it’s what I love, and I’m going to keep on doing it. CATEGORY: General Society
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