• John B Whalen Jr Esq •
The very existence of flame-throwers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, “You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.
George Denis Patrick Carlin
Born May 12, 1937 – Died June 22, 2008
American Comedian, Social Critic, Actor, Author
The seven dirty words (or “Filthy Words”) are seven English-language words that American comedian George Carlin first listed in 1972 in his monologue “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television.”
Carlin was noted for his black comedy and thoughts on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. He and his “seven dirty words” comedy routine were central to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case F.C.C. v. Pacifica Foundation, in which a 5–4 decision affirmed the government’s power to regulate indecent material on the public airwaves.
At the time, the words were considered highly inappropriate and unsuitable for broadcast on the public airwaves in the United States, whether radio or television. As such, they were avoided in scripted material, and bleep-censored in the rare cases in which they were used; broadcast standards differ in different parts of the world, then and now, although most of the words on Carlin’s original list remain taboo on American broadcast television as of 2011.
The list was not an official enumeration of forbidden words, but rather was compiled by Carlin.
Nonetheless, a radio broadcast featuring these words led to a Supreme Court decision that helped establish the extent to which the federal government could regulate speech on broadcast television and radio in the United States.
In 1973, a father complained to the FCC that his son had heard the George Carlin routine “Filthy Words”broadcast one afternoon over WBAI, a Pacifica Foundation FM radio station in New York City. Pacifica received censure from the FCC, in the form of a letter of reprimand, for allegedly violating FCC regulations which prohibited broadcasting indecent material.
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the FCC action in 1978, by a vote of 5 to 4, ruling that the routine was “indecent but not obscene”. The Court accepted as compelling the government’s interests in:
The Court stated that the FCC had the authority to prohibit such broadcasts during hours when children were likely to be among the audience, and gave the FCC broad leeway to determine what constituted indecency in different contexts.
Graham Arthur Chapman
Born January 8, 1941 – Died October 4, 1989
English Comedian/Writer/Actor/One Of The 6 Members Of Monty Python
Chapman was openly homosexual and a strong supporter of gay rights, and was in a relationship with David Sherlock for most of his adult life.
Although Chapman graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge and St Bartholomew’s Medical College, he turned down a career as a doctor to be a comedian. Chapman established a writing partnership with John Cleese, which reached its critical peak with Monty Python during the 1970s.
Later, during his college tour, Chapman mentioned that a television audience member had written to the Pythons to complain about having a gay group member, adding that the Bible said any man who lies with a man should be taken out and stoned. With other Pythons already aware of his sexual orientation, Eric Idle jokingly replied that they had found the perpetrator and killed him.
Chapman took up pipe smoking aged 15, which continued for the remainder of his life. He began drinking heavily during his time at Cambridge and St Bartholomew’s, favouring gin.
By the time Monty Python went on tour in 1973, Chapman’s drinking had begun to affect his performance, missing cues to go on stage. Chapman stopped drinking in Christmas 1977, concerned at being able to act in Life of Brian successfully, and remained sober for the rest of his life.
Chapman died of tonsil and spinal cancer on 4 October 1989, on the eve of Monty Python’s 20th anniversary, and his life and legacy were commemorated at a private memorial service at St Bartholomew’s with the other Pythons.
Although Chapman graduated from Emmanuel College, Cambridge and St Bartholomew’s Medical College, he turned down a career as a doctor to be a comedian. Chapman established a writing partnership with John Cleese, which reached its critical peak with Monty Python during the 1970s.
Chapman was openly homosexual and a strong supporter of gay rights, and was in a relationship with David Sherlock for most of his adult life.
Later, during his college tour, Chapman mentioned that a television audience member had written to the Pythons to complain about having a gay group member, adding that the Bible said any man who lies with a man should be taken out and stoned.
With other Pythons already aware of his sexual orientation, Eric Idle jokingly replied that they had found the perpetrator and killed him.
Chapman took up pipe smoking aged 15, which continued for the remainder of his life.
He began drinking heavily during his time at Cambridge and St Bartholomew’s, favouring gin.
By the time Monty Python went on tour in 1973, Chapman’s drinking had begun to affect his performance, missing cues to go on stage.
Chapman stopped drinking in Christmas 1977, concerned at being able to act in Life of Brian successfully, and remained sober for the rest of his life.
Robin McLaurin Williams
July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014
American actor and comedian.
Robin Williams’ death was instant global news. The entertainment world, friends, and fans responded to his death through social and other media outlets.
His wife, Susan Schneider, said: “I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken.”
His daughter Zelda Williams responded to his death by stating that the “world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence”.
U.S. President Barack Obama said of Williams: “He was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien – but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit.”
What’s wrong with death sir?
What are we so mortally afraid of?
Why can’t we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and dignity and decency and, god forbid, maybe even humour.
Death is not the enemy gentlemen.
If we’re going to fight a disease, let’s fight one of the most terrible diseases of all.
Indifference.
and away we go
Jackie Gleason
Born February 26, 1916 – Died June 24, 1987
American Comedian, Actor, Musician
Jackie Gleason is buried in Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Miami, Florida.
Despite its size, Jackie Gleason’s tomb is surprisingly anonymous. His name is inscribed on his sarcophagus lid, but you have to walk up into the tomb to see it.
From the outside, the only inscription is the four words that were Gleason’s signature parting line, “And away we go.”
Jackie Gleason was born in Brooklyn, New York.
In one of the many tributes that the world has extolled upon him is a sign that welcomes you to Brooklyn.
… how sweet he was …
Christopher Crosby Farley
February 15, 1964 – Died December 18, 1997
American actor and comedian
… Saturday Night Live premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975 …
… Adam Sandler joined the show in 1990 …
… Chris Farley, Chris Rock, and David Spade also joined in 1990 …
… He left the show in 1995 … Together with Chris Farley …
… On December 18, 1997, Chris Farley was found dead by his younger brother, John, in his apartment in the John Hancock Center in Chicago; he was 33 years old …
… an autopsy revealed that Farley had died of an overdose of cocaine and morphine, a combination called a speedball …
… Farley’s death has been compared to that of his SNL idol John Belushi, who died at the same age of a similar combination of drugs …
… advanced atherosclerosis was cited as a “significant contributing factor ….
… Adam Sandler returned to host the show – 24 years later – on May, 4, 2019 –
… Season 44, Episode 869 overall …
… Adam ended the show with this song …
… Funny how the show began to make us laugh …
… But is now – more and more – making us cry …
… Sigh …
… All right guys, gonna do this one …
… This a very special song, I hope you like it …
… It means a lot to us …
… Here we go …
first time I saw him
he was sweeter than shit
plaid jacket and belt too tight
he wasn’t even doing a bit
then he cartwheeled ’round the room
and slow danced with a cleaning lady
he was a one-man party
you know I’m talkin’ about
I’m talking’ about my friend Chris Farley
on Saturday night my man would always deliver
whether he was the Bumblebee Girl or
or LIVIN’ IN A VAN DOWN BY THE … RIVER
he loved the Bears and did the dance at Chippendales with Swayze
when they replaced his coffee with Folgers he went fuckin’ crazy
the sexiest Gap girl and Meatloaf in the band
without him there’d be no Lunch Lady in LunchLady Land
You know who I’m thinking about
I’m thinking about my boy Chris Farley
after a show he’d drink a quart of Jack Daniels
and stick the bottle right up his ass
but hungover as hell that Catholic boy
always showed up to morning mass
we’d tell him ‘Slow down, you’ll end up like Belushi and Candy’
he said, ‘Those guys are my heroes, that’s all fine and dandy’
I ain’t makin’ that shit up that’s the truth about my boy Chris Farley
I saw him in the office
crying with his headphones on
listening to a KC and the Sunshine Band song
I said,’Buddy, how the hell is that making you so sad?”
then he laughed and said
‘just thinking about my dad.’
the last big hang we had
was at Timmy Meadows’ wedding party
we laughed our balls off all night long
all because of Farley
but a few months later
the party came to an end
we flew out to Madison
to bury our friend
nothing was harder than saying goodbye
except watching Chris’ father have his turn to cry
hey buddy, life’s moved on
but you still bring us so much joy
make my kids laugh with your YouTube clips
or “Tommy Boy”
and when they ask me
who’s the funniest guy I ever knew
I tell them, hands down
without a doubt, it’s you
yeah I miss hanging out
watching you try to get laid
but most of all
I miss watching you fuck with Spade
well, it ended how you wanted
but I still wish you were here with me
and we were gettin’ on a plane to go shoot “Grown Ups 3”
yeah life ain’t the same without you, boy
and that’s why I’m singing’ about
I’m singing about my friend Chris Farley
and if we make enough noise
maybe he’ll hear us
give it up for the great Chris Farley
… And it did end like he wanted …
… Sigh …
Christopher Crosby Farley
February 15, 1964 – Died December 18, 1997
American actor and comedian
Chris was always bored and I was trying to scribble away and write some crummy sketches
And he’d go, ‘David, turn around,’
“And I go, ‘If this is Fat Guy in a Little Coat, it’s not funny anymore. I don’t like it.’
And then he goes, ‘No, it’s not, I’m working on new stuff,’
And I would turn around and he would have my little Levi Jacket on
And he goes “Fat GUY IN A LITTLE COAT – DON’T YOU QUIT ON IT!
Cake or death?” That’s a pretty easy question. Anyone could answer that
Edward John Izzard
Born February 7, 1962
English stand-up comedian, actor, writer and political activist
On 18 March 2007, Izzard was listed as number 3 of the 100 Greatest British National Comedians (behind Peter Kay at number 2 and Billy Connolly at number 1) as part of British television station Channel 4’s ongoing 100 Greatest…, series. In the 2010 updated version of the list he was ranked 5th.
In 2012, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Sunderland. On 20 February 2013, Izzard received the 6th Annual Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism — an award presented at Harvard University each year by the Humanist Community at Harvard, the American Humanist Association, and the Harvard Community of Humanists, Atheists, and Agnostics.
In 2015, Izzard was chosen, by readers of The Guardian, as their 2014 public language champion.
The award was announced in central London, at the Guardian and British Academy 2014 Schools Language Awards, as part of the annual Language Festival.
One of Izzard’s most well-known routines was performed during Dress To Kill: a satirical depiction of Church of England fundamentalism, wherein Izzard explains how Church of England fundamentalism would be impossible because people would be shouting out “You must have tea and cake with the vicar or you DIE!” and “CAKE OR DEATH?!”
The latter phrase has become so well known that it is now the name of an Eddie Izzard fansite and has inspired a Christian website called Anglican Memes for those who “like gentle fun being poked at the church but are not interested in church-bashing or posting anything offensive.”
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