hibbs
Old Hand
Reged: 08/22/03
Posts: 444
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Dec 28, 12:48 AM (ET)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian George Carlin, who became a counter-culture hero in the 1970s with routines about drugs and dirty words, said on Monday he was voluntarily entering a drug and alcohol treatment program.
"I'm going into rehab because I use too much wine and Vicodin," Carlin, 67, whose latest book "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" is a current national bestseller, said in a statement. "No one told me I needed this; I recognized the problem and took the step myself."
The announcement came weeks after the veteran stand-up comic caused a stir at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with a performance that questioned the intellect of people who visit the resort city.
According to media accounts of the incident, Carlin's bit about "moronic" Vegas tourists touched off a bitter, profane exchange with members of the audience, including one woman who shouted "Stop degrading us."
Carlin has acknowledged having battled cocaine addiction in the 1980s but said he quit on his own by tapering off the drug. He also has suffered three heart attacks.
Speaking of his current problem, he said: "My levels of use are nowhere near the worst you hear about these days; I could easily have continued functioning at a good level ... for awhile. But my use would have progressed, I would have been in deeper trouble, and I didn't want to tolerate that."
Carlin's spokesman, Jeff Abraham, said the comedian entered rehab on Monday but did not know how long he would remain in treatment. He said Carlin was currently scheduled to begin a new engagement at Stardust Hotel in Vegas in February.
http://reuters.excite.com/article/200412...-CARLIN-DC.html
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The blues is the soundtrack to reality...
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Opie_Yates
Old Hand
Reged: 08/11/03
Posts: 485
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This probably still doesn't account for his long term history of bitterness and hatefullness.
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I'm not a doctor, I just play one on a message forum!
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t_oshan2003
Board Addict
Reged: 10/17/03
Posts: 378
Loc: East
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I always thought he was kinda funny, didn't seem to bitter about life. Man, with all the cash he has he has no reason to be bitter.
He is a funny comic IMHO..
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Evilsuzy
Newbie
Reged: 11/06/04
Posts: 35
Loc: Rocky Mtn region
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He used to be really funny (back in the 70's). Over the years he's become way too cynical and hateful. I've always been a fan, and I hope he finds his real self again. Happy new year all.
Edited by Evilsuzy (12/30/04 02:22 PM)
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penzam1535
Member
Reged: 12/24/02
Posts: 190
Loc: between Syracuse and Buffalo
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George Carlin is one of my favorite comedians, his outlook on things makes alot of sense. Perhaps not the wine and vicodin though......
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gdevinney
Stranger
Reged: 10/12/02
Posts: 7
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I've loved George Carlin's material back to his HBO specials back in the 70's with stuff like "seven words you can't say on TV" , but my sister went to some live shows a few years back and said he rambled like he was high and went from sometimes funny to just stupid.
I guess that seems like no big suprise that he has a substance problem, but hell .. he can afford it with the money he makes ..... as long as it doesn't ruin or kill him.
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pecans
Journeyman
Reged: 12/18/04
Posts: 80
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Well.... I am VERY PROUD of the man for having the common sence to know that if he kept on going, and going, it would be harder, and harder. I am PROUD that he did it on his own and didn't end up like my favorites, Belushi, Phil Hartman,(because of his coked out wife), Chris Farley, and so many others...........YOU GO GEORGE......... 
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lela
Old Hand
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 431
Loc: Where it never snows
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I remember him as the hippy dippy weather man, tonight darkness, tomorrow daylight, and of course his best ever was the news report on the "Freak Accident", 3 freaks in a van ran into 3 freaks in a Voltswagon. I don't think he's anymore bitter than Dennis Miller, just honest and intelligent. And bitterness tends to increase with age for some. He's still one of the greats and has to be intelligent to have made it through 4 decades of drugs and lived to be 67.
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" The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes. We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction".
Aesop
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DigitFreedom
Enthusiast
Reged: 12/03/04
Posts: 258
Loc: U.S.A.
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There has also been a small thread posted about this on www.doctorandpharmacy.com...
Now, somebody over there claims they read that George's addiction was only 4-6 Vics a day.. Can anyone else confirm this? To me, thats not a serious enough problem to check into rehab. Heck, I have been legaly prescribed that amount before.
Many say that George was funniest in the 1970's.. But, for me I enjoyed his political non-correct humor of the 1980's the best. Yep.. I love all his stand up about what a waste of land golf corses were and how people seem to live their lives to collect more "stuff" etc... but, it was far from being politicaly correct and no doubt offended many of my friends to the political right.
I will say that his attacks on Christians offend me a little bit (but I also understand his views)... So, I guess ole George offends all of us to a certain degree.
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D.F.
Fighting for the right to affordable & uncensored internet access for all
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Eeyore27
Old Hand
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 401
Loc: Where Misery loves Company U...
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Carlin's always been my favorite comedian. He's just so out there in left field that you can't help but laugh at some of the things he says. As to his recent bitterness, he's become much more bitter in the years since his wife died of cancer, but as far as I'm concerned, he's one of the funniest in the business. Totally irreverent at times, completely NOT politically correct, and absolutely hilarious, IMO. Gotta love Carlin!
~Eeyore
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~ R.I.P. Darrell Abbott 12/08/04
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