| Napalm & Silly Putty |
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| Part 2: The Book and Carlin Quotes |
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Yippee!
"Napalm & Silly Putty," published by Hyperion, follows and is much the delirious same, although attentive fans might recognize favorite monologue bits scattered about. Best of all and with a big "Yippee," there is no plot, comedy's evil foe which too often mucks up the fun and depletes valuable gag real estate. This book goes for belly-roars by scaling mountains of jokes, sure and pimpled, flinging the reader over the precipice into an exhilarating freefall of laughter.
Damn, that was good. That should get me quoted in the advertisements!
The Carlin staples are all here thriving in
text form and, surprisingly, minus his wacky puss takes and vocal embellishments, the
printed remarks linger and reinforce. They help us savor his deep fascination with
language, plus the abundance of societal insights, conceptual conundrums, minutiae
musings, political rants and a menagerie of schmucks.
Yes, his trademark profanity, once notorious, is also unleashed. But, George is a professional and a wordsmith. Regardless of how the usage might appear, the expletives flow for a reason and they are shrewd choices employed to sharpen his saber or concoct a nonsensical pudding. He doesn't spout obscenities frivolously or for unearned shock. There's genuine wit nearby, always wit. With Carlin, jokes are art, revered, considered and nurtured, precisely. It's why he excels and hordes of lesser comics remain empty vulgarians.
By George: "Napalm & Silly Putty" Droppings
- Now, a few basic points about driving.
One of the first things they teach you in Driver's Ed is where to put your hands on the
steering wheel. They tell you put 'em at ten o'clock and two o'clock. Never mind that. I
put mine at 9:45 and 2:17. Gives me an extra half hour to get where I'm goin'.
- Fun at the ballpark: Y'ever notice a
lot of guys bring a glove to the game to catch a foul ball? Never mind that, bring a bat!
When a foul ball comes flying toward you, BAM! Hit it back to the players. Everyone will
sense you're a fun fan. They'll be glad they came to the ballpark on straitjacket night.
- I think I am, therefore, I am. I think.
- In some hotels they give you a little
sewing kit. You know what I do? I sew the towels together. One time I sewed a button on a
lampshade. I like to leave a mark.
- I always refer to any individual member
of the Red Sox as a Red Sock. Is this correct?
- I think they ought to have black
confetti. It would be great for funerals. Especially if the dead person wasn't too
popular.
- You say to a guy, "How are ya?" He says, "Fine and dandy." Not me. I never say that. You know why? because I'm never both those things at the same time. Sometimes I'm fine. But I'm not dandy. I might be close to dandy. I might be approaching dandy. I might even be in the general vicinity of dandyhood. But not quite fully dandy. Other times, I might indeed be highly dandy. However, not fine. One time, 1978. August. For about an hour. I was both fine and dandy at the same time. But nobody asked me how I was. I coulda told 'em, "Fine and dandy!" I consider it a lost opportunity.
"Napalm & Silly Putty" is densely comic, offering more joy and original thought than a month of television. Mr. Carlin has produced a surefire, romping read, recommended in short sessions to preserve its riches.
Damn, that was good, too. I'm available for voice-overs.
"BLAT!"
Previous page > Introduction > Page 1, 2
Photograph of book jacket copyright 2001 by Hyperion Books. Used by permission.
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