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FacebookI recently had to renew my car insurance–that means it’s time for my semi-annual insurance complaint (just because I stopped complaining doesn’t mean it’s no longer true). My dues went up (again). I spent $400 on car insurance in 2007 with nothing to show for it. I spent another $220 for the first six months of ’08. Now it’s up to something like $250. What a total waste of money: the day I get a dime out of car insurance is that a teen starlet does not flash her privates on the internet. At least one of the two gives me pleasure.
George Carlin died last week and I can’t help but feel a little sad. I’m not sure why–I’m not the type to get caught up in celebrities’ deaths. I guess there was just something to George Carlin: besides being a funny comic, he just seemed like a real likeable guy.
There is a tremendous amount of media coverage of his death–many other celebrities are saddened by his death. I’ve read Carlin tributes from Matthew Berry and Kevin Smith–just a wide spectrum of different folks in different strokes of the entertainment business. There’s one common thread I’ve notice amongst everyone who discusses Carlin: nobody has a bad thing to say about him. Everyone talks about what a down to earth kinda guy he was–how he always treated everyone respect. When someone gets that kinda coverage, you start to realize it might be true.
I think the way you treat people greatly affects the way people treat you. Celebrities die all the time–but I can’t recall anyone who died recently to receive a glowing testimonial as much as George Carlin has. Heath Ledger’s death was marred by drug suspicions and an Olsen twin. Anna Nicole’s death was a circus freak show. But George Carlin…everyone out there seems to love him. And because they loved him, no one has anything to bad to say…so when it comes to folks like me, we feel moved by the life that was George Carlin.
The Girlfriend wanted to get me tickets to see George Carlin because she knew how much I enjoyed his work. I turned her down because I already have a good chunk of his albums and figured there really was no need to go (especially since she wasn’t a fan). They say you don’t know what you have in life until it’s gone. I’m kicking myself because I never got to see George Carlin in concert. It’s stupid because I never got to see the Beatles either but I don’t go around crying about it. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I like hearing the positive press George Carlin has been getting since he died because everyone hates when someone they look up to ends up being a total jerk.