LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71.

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Carlin, who had a history of heart and drug-dependency problems, died at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.

Known for his edgy, provocative material, Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine called "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television." A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of the routine ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

In the 1978 case, Federal Communications Commission vs. Pacifica Foundation, the top U.S. court ruled that the words cited in Carlin's routine were indecent, and that the government's broadcast regulator could ban them from being aired at times when children might be listening.

Carlin's comedic sensibility often came back to a central theme: humanity is doomed.

"I don't have any beliefs or allegiances. I don't believe in this country, I don't believe in religion, or a god, and I don't believe in all these man-made institutional ideas," he told Reuters in a 2001 interview.

Carlin, who wrote several books and performed in many television comedy specials, is survived by his wife Sally Wade, and daughter Kelly Carlin McCall.

Carlin was an icon who will be dearly missed.

I have fond memories of staying up past my bedtime to watch him on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

But what a legacy he's left behind on CD and DVD.

Ed

that is gutting
I didn't know of him untill he appeared in Kevin Smiths films - which he was great in.
I since went through some of his stand up and loved it.
Great shame

There are probably a few words that can be used to react to this (none of them usable here); and I thought all seven of them as I read the story.
Wherever you've gone, George, have a good time.

Au Res.,
Paul

Sad news. I didn't know of him until the Kevin Smith movies also. But they were great characters he played.

It's hard to imagine a world without George Carlin. He influenced my life in his own weird way. If nothing else, he made you stop and look at things a little differently. I believe he was one of a handful of comedians who fully understood the concept of humour. Not only did he make fun of the establishment, but he did it with good reason, too. It wasn't just funny, but in many cases, it indirectly proved a serious point. Mind you, not everything he did was like that. I still remember an incident which involved his sketch about the banister. Funny thing was, there was a group of us listening to it, and it just so happens that one of these guys had the last name of Bannister. Which was funny in itself, but he had a particular incident which correlated somewhat with that sketch, which made it doubly funny. Suffice it to say, we were all howling with laughter that day! ROFL

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Komodo,

Very sad news...

He was a great comedian and a true icon.

RIP George Carlin

Wow, his passing brings forth personal memories of listening to his LPs as a teenager in the mid-70s. Playing Carlin records was an act of subversion in my house.

Here's a typical Carlin take-off from a Tonight Show that I remember quite well:

"What does Fast Food really mean, anyway? First of all, if you're on a fast, hey, you're not supposed to have any food!

"If you really want fast food, catch a jackrabbit--now there's some fast food!

"A cheetah-burger--Fast Food!"

Alas, the living legend is now just a legend.

Carlin, along with Bill Hicks (who died WAY too young) were practiced philosophers who also just happened to have incredible comic timing and delivery skills.

And like Hicks, George will live on through his wonderful material and I'm glad for that.
Heaven? Hell? Nah, but save me a seat at the ol' Moylan Pub if you would, Mr. Carlin, and we'll catch up once I get there...

This was very sad news. I only discovered Bill Hicks about a year before he passed away (for some reason I had the "Tonight Show" playing in the background and I rarely watch that, especially since Jay Leno took over, and happened to overhear his segment. I went out and bought one of his CDs the very next day) and never got to see him live but I did get to see Carlin the last time he was in San Antonio about 5 years ago or so and he was magnificent.

During the show there was some college guy who kept interrupting him, not heckling so much as yelling back to him and laughing loudly right in the middle of his stories (i.e. not at the funny parts). After this happened two or three times Carlin asked him nicely not to yell at him on the stage. The next time it happened Carlin called for security and had him removed. The guy didn't want to go peacefully and there were words exchanged. After he was gone Carlin paused then looked out at the audience and apologized. He said he was sure that he came off as an a-hole for having the guy (who was just having too much fun) ejected, but he wasn't a regular joke-and-a-punchline comic, his whole routine was tied up with telling stories and developing a narrative flow and context for his points and if he kept getting interrupted he would lose his train of thought and that flow would be broken and that would ruin the show for everyone.

-Bob-

George was an icon who was one of the people I admired when I was a kid. I have seen him on several different shows and movies as well as some of the comedy cd'a and such. He will be missed and remembered.