George Carlin, Summerfest 1972, and "The Milwaukee Seven"

Just three days before the 41st Summerfest is about to begin its run, we learn of the death of one of the standouts in Summerfest's storied history, George Carlin.

From the New York Times:

George Carlin the Grammy-Award winning standup comedian and actor who was hailed for his irreverent social commentary, poignant observations of the absurdities of everyday life and language, and groundbreaking routines like “Seven Words You Can Never Use on Television,” died in Santa Monica, Calif., on Sunday, according to his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He was 71.

The cause of death was heart failure, according to Mr. Abraham.

Mr. Carlin began his standup comedy act in the late 1950s and made his first television solo guest appearance on “The Merv Griffin Show” in 1965. At that time, he was primarily known for his clever wordplay and reminiscences of his Irish working-class upbringing in New York.

But from the outset their were indications of an anti-establishment edge to his comedy. Initially, it surfaced in the witty patter of a host of offbeat characters like the wacky sportscaster Biff Barf and the hippy-dippy weatherman Al Sleet. “The weather was dominated by a large Canadian low, which is not to be confused with a Mexican high. Tonight’s forecast . . . dark, continued mostly dark tonight turning to widely scattered light in the morning.”

...In 1970, Mr. Carlin discarded his suit, tie, and clean-cut image as well as the relatively conventional material that had catapulted him to the top. Mr. Carlin reinvented himself, emerging with a beard, long hair, jeans and a routine that, according to one critic, was steeped in “drugs and bawdy language.” There was an immediate backlash. The Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas terminated his three-year contract, and, months later, he was advised to leave town when an angry mob threatened him at the Lake Geneva Playboy Club. Afterward, he temporarily abandoned the nightclub circuit and began appearing at coffee houses, folk clubs and colleges where he found a younger, hipper audience that was more attuned to both his new image and his material.

By 1972, when he released his second album, ”FM & AM,” his star was again on the rise. The album, which won a Grammy Award as best comedy recording, combined older material on the “AM” side with bolder, more acerbic routines on the “FM” side. Among the more controversial cuts was a routine euphemistically entitled “Shoot,” in which Mr. Carlin explored the etymology and common usage of the popular idiom for excrement. The bit was part of the comic’s longer routine “Seven Words That Can Never Be Said on Television,” which appeared on his third album “Class Clown,” also released in 1972.

“There are some words you can say part of the time. Most of the time ‘ass’ is all right on television,” Mr. Carlin noted in his introduction to the then controversial monologue. “You can say, well, ‘You’ve made a perfect ass of yourself tonight.’ You can use ass in a religious sense, if you happen to be the redeemer riding into town on one — perfectly all right.”

George Carlin reflected his times. As the country changed, so did he.

When he shed his suit and tie, it was as if he shed an uncomfortable skin. He freed himself to perform new material to a younger crowd that embraced his irreverence.

Not everyone embraced the new George Carlin. Sometimes, his performances came to a screeching halt. At Summerfest 1972, Carlin would learn that the "Seven Words That Can Never Be Said on Television" also couldn't be said on a Summerfest stage in Milwaukee, at least not without consequences.

Early in Summerfest's history, George Carlin brought the national spotlight to Milwaukee's festival when he was arrested for launching into his profanity-laced routine.

From JS Online, a blast from the past, Carlin's Summerfest appearance, July 21, 1972:

"Comedian George Carlin discovered Friday night that the 'seven words' performers are prohibited from uttering on television are also taboo on the Summerfest Amphitheater Stage.

"The comedian, who has made frequent appearances on the Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin television shows, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and profanity immediately upon leaving the stage Friday night. . . .

"(Summerfest Executive Director Henry) Jordan said that Carlin's routine on the Summerfest (stage) was 'definitely in bad taste.

" 'I had no idea he was like that,' Jordan said. 'I have seen him many times on the Johnny Carson show and I had no idea he would use that kind of vulgarity. Summerfest is supposed to be a family show.' "

- Milwaukee Sentinel, - July 22, 1972

Read more about the "seven words" incident here.



It's been nearly 36 years since Carlin was arrested for violating obscenity laws on stage at Summerfest.

Things have certainly evolved since then.

Some of the very same language that prompted Carlin's arrest now is applauded at Summerfest and brings in overflow crowds.

For example, back on July 3, 2006, Lewis Black did two shows that included some of the 1972 arrest-worthy words.

Dave Tianen's review of Black's performance doesn't even mention that his material was laced with profanity. In addition to using some of the other "seven words," Black repeatedly dropped the f-bomb, and I do mean repeatedly.

What does Tianen have to say about it?

Nothing.

An hour before Lewis Black came on for his early show at Potawatomi Casino Stage, the seating area was already packed. By the time his show actually started (20 minutes early because of the fireworks) there were crowds jammed outside the side entrances who couldn't even see the stage.

As Black noted, he's the last comic standing at Summerfest. Fortunately his sputtering brand of comic indignation never seems to go out of favor. But it doesn't hurt, as he point out, that America and its leaders give him a constant flow of fresh material to work from.

I don't know if the earlier show reviewed by Tianen, when there were likely to be some children present, was a little less intense than Black's second show.

However, I do know that the latter performance would have been cut short by police if Black had done it in 1972.

Without question, societal standards of decency have changed dramatically since George Carlin ended his 1972 Summerfest gig with mug shots.

It's interesting to look back and note that Carlin got arrested for uttering what he later called "The Milwaukee Seven," the sort of stuff that now brings Black rave reviews.

The change in standards is truly striking when you think about it. Depending on how you look at, the change can be considered to be negative, proof of the coarsening of the culture; or it can be seen as progress, a victory for free speech. It all depends on your perspective.

George Carlin was an interesting performer in that he appeared so often on very mainstream TV shows, yet he was solidly a counterculture figure in the 70s and beyond. His television appearances were edgy but not to the point that he drove TV giants like Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson and Merv Griffin to shun him.

So many years have passed, yet only one of the seven words that Carlin cited as unmentionable can be regularly heard on network TV.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.
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Watch video:

Seven Words That Can Never Be Said on Television

Seven Words (1978)

George Carlin and Abortion

Religion is B***S***

"It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it."

George Carlin on Countdown with Keith Olbermann

George Carlin's 70th birthday, HBO Special -- "It's Bad for Ya"