Devoted to show business and the entertainment industry

The humorist of the counterculture, George Carlin, has died at the age of 71 of heart failure. His humor even led to a Supreme Court decision that ended in the television restrictions we have today.

Anybody alive at the time knows the most controversial and well known monologue performed by Carlin was the "seven words you couldn't say on television." That was what led to the eventual Supreme Court decision on what langauge could be spoken on broadcast television in the U.S.

While it may have ended that way for the words, it made Carlin a hero to those who like to poke a stick in the eye of "the man." His legacy in history was assured from this one incident.

It occurred in 1972 when he spoke the words at a show in 1972 he performed in Milwaukee. He was arrested and charged with disturbing the peace. The case was eventually dismissed, but the publicity for him was priceless. Everyone knew who George Carlin was after that.

The decision of the Supreme Court was that the government had authority to fine stations that allowed offensive language during the hours children watch.

Although that will be what Carlin is most remembered for, he did a lot of work and produced a lot of material over his career. He ended with 23 comedy albums he produced, wrote three books and had 14 specials made specifically for HBO. He had also appeared in several movies during his lifetime.

George Carlin - Dirty words Monologue That Made Him Famous

For his spoken comedy albums, Carlin won four Grammy Awards, while being nominated for five Emmys. This year he is being awarded with the 11th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which he'll now postumously receive on November 10. It can be seen on PBS.

Surviving Carlin are his wife Sally Wade; daughter Kelly; and his brother Patrick.

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