Columnist Joe Delaney: Carlin remains a professional pragmatist

Joe Delaney

Friday, July 12, 2002 | 8:51 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears on Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at joe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4066.

George Carlin is conducting comedic seminars in the MGM Grand Hollywood Theatre through July 17. Carlin is wit and humorist, iconoclast, semanticist, occasional curmudgeon and an astute commentator on the human comedy ... He utilizes what he calls "theatrically exaggerated discontent" onstage in his relentless pursuit of the truth in all relationships.

There have been two showbusiness George Carlins, pre- and post-1970, the year he was fired in Las Vegas at the Frontier ... The first Carlin was an "Ed Sullivan Show" regular, doing impressions of people rather than fellow performers ... His "Hippy Dippy Weatherman" was a classic example of Carlin's approach to comedy before 1970.

Being fired was a boon, as it turned out ... Carlin hit the college circuit, no longer a Jonathan Winters work-alike ... The late Lenny Bruce was a prime influence ... Just as most jazz trumpeters have taken Louis Armstrong as a starting point, Carlin began with Bruce but quickly developed his own onstage persona, first on the college circuit and then on television.

Carlin was born in New York City on May 12, 1937 ... His father, Patrick, was an ad manager for the New York Post newspaper ... His mother, Mary, was an executive secretary for a national ad agency ... Words and their usage was an important factor in young George's early growth.

Early in life, Carlin decided on a three-point plan. First, after a stint in the service, he would be a disc jockey, then a comedian, and later, a character actor ... His long and successful career continues still ascendant ... He lives a quiet existence ... Offstage, he is direct, soft-spoken, with a low tolerance for small talk.

A Las Vegas showroom headliner for three decades, ever changing, ever growing, yet a model of consistency in his output ... In recent years, there has been an annual HBO special and a best-selling book ... Not so, this year.

In a recent conversation, he told me he was going to portray Ben Affleck's father in an upcoming film, co-starring Jennifer Lopez, titled "Jersey Girl," loosely based on Bizet's opera "Carmen" ... Carlin is also hard at work on a Broadway one-man show, basically sans scatology but based on language, words and usage, their intent and actual meaning.

Knowing Carlin, he will be achieving higher career plateaus, and in 2003 there will also be a new HBO special, a CD release and a new book ... A modern-day Diogenes, refusing to settle for less than the truth, always giving us something to think about, and, more important, to laugh about.

Weekend wrap-up

Bargains abound at many hotels during the summer months ... Check them out ... Attention, AFM Local 369 members: There will be a general membership meeting Saturday, 1:30 p.m. at the union headquarters ... Now that the hotels are going for long-term contracts in main showrooms, building star recognition, they should do the same thing with lounge acts.

Recommended: The "Legendary Ladies of Rock 'n' Roll," Leslie Gore, Shirley Alston Reeves (original lead singer of the Shirelles), Little Peggy March and the Chiffons ... Wayne Newton checks back into the Stardust on Monday ... Also on Monday, Riviera's "Splash" changes to 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. show times; all shows are topless; must be 18 years of age for admission.

Jay White as Neil Diamond must be doing well in the Riviera's Le Bistro Theatre; it just boosted his ticket price by $5 to $29.95 plus tax ... Reports have been good on Australian singer David Gilchrist, in the Le Bistro at 8:30 p.m. Mondays through July.

Burt Reynolds is one of our best comedic actors, an excellent raconteur, with many stories to tell and he tells them well ... If he does business this weekend at The Orleans, he might have a home there and open the door for other actors ... Please give to the Sun Summer Camp Fund; all of the money goes to send deserving children to camp ... See you next Thursday.