...let me listen to these people.' They gave me full creative control over the imagery and the content, and they wanted to use me doing my stand-up. So I made what I consider a compromise, or an adjustment. That's my personal euphemism for it -- we all make adjustments to our value system according to our needs and what we can tolerate.
In the early '80s I discovered that I had made bad business decisions during the last half of the '70s and was deeply in debt to the IRS. It was still 70 percent tax time. I was behind. The penalties and interest were burying me, and I had no career to speak of. So a friend of mine, a promoter, became my manager, and we began to dig out of this, and it's taken me 20 years. When the people from 10-10-220 came to me, I said, 'Well, it's a phone service, it's not a poison gas, it's not gasoline...
This is what an advert ought to be; short and to the point, a familiar face telling you to buy something! Plain and simple! Not all this lame, cutsie, unfunny, singing and dancing, retarded, stupid shit they put on TV nowdays.
I don't think it was *that* hypocritical of George to advertise for video tapes. He's basically pushing for piracy, IE: something that goes against established laws.
How many entertainers were going "Hey video tape me, I don't care; hell I'll even tell you to do it!" instead of going "You're taking money out of my pocket, how dare you! You're not a fan! If you were, you'd pay money to see me!"
If you like old stuff like this commercial, check out my page, there is the largest supply of memories from the 80s and 90s anywhere. Just a fun place to live your childhood or maybe just a better couple of decades in your life!
He must have done a few of these, because I have one on my channel too.
I think these are genius ads, they realy show the sense of humor he was capable of. I also love his way of speaking - its very fast-paced and funny, because his voice variates between high and low. I love it!
@popjoeandco You couldn't be more wrong. So much of his material preached against this in the harshest, most brutal fashion. Vehemently lashing coorperate America for doing exactly what he's doing in this commercial. If he never would have pointed his finger and screamed bloody murder and just focused on being funny, noone would judge him for this.
What Bill said was a great generalization for the sake of comedy, not to be taken literally as an unrebukable truth. Think for yourselves people, it's a 15 second commercial not an advertising campaign for mcDonalds. It's universally known that Hicks and Carlin had great respect for eachother to the day they both died, and hicks would've never been the legend he was if carlin and pryor hadn't pushed the envelope and paved the way for him.
He actually had a lot of tax debt so I am willing to forgive him for that. Plus most of his fans know where he stands so I don't take it as a big deal.
The only time I approve of an artist doing a commercial is if they're letting people know of a product they love and approve of. Like a musician endorsing a brand of strings or something of that nature. The only explanation I could have for this is that they threw a shitload of money at him. He knows where he lies personally, so doing a commercial doesn't really change that.
I know George Carlin criticized telephone commercials, then did a telephone commercial, I still do not think he is a hypocrite. I think he did it to challenge his audience to think critically.
We're all hypocrites at some point in our lives.. Personally i agree with catgumart .. if you read watch or listen to his work, alot of it gets you to think critically use reason and basically think for yourself. Who cares if he did it for money, what does anyone do anything for in thier life
Hay, if you do a commercial you're off the artistic roll call, but at least he knows what it's like and got a deeper understanding of just how fucked it is. It's more sad than hypocritical.
bill hicks was talkin about peple who whore themselves and let corperations pimp them and suck satans cock not intellectuals who are in debt and using the ability they have to get out
Nah man, believe you me, I've looked. I would LOVE to find a video of the two of them in the same room talkin and shit. It would be too much awesome for one room.
i think its kind of ironic though that bill says if you do a commercial youre off the artistic roll call forever, and yet he loved carlin even after this
Bill knew that Carlin and he shared VERY similar beliefs and that Bill and George had spent decades relentlessly attacking the system. Bill knew this, and he also knew that George was very near broke when he did these. He also said he "might look the other way if you were a young actor or out of money altogether." Not ironic at all if you ask me.
well i knew bill said that in rant in e minor but carlin already had 5 specials out by this time he shouldnt ahve been broke but if he was then thats fine and i hope its true cause otherwise he's off the artistic role call and it sucks to have to say that about the second greatest comedian to ever live.
He was damn near broke, that's why he did it. Besides anyway, Bill Hicks may have said that, but if you take exactly what he said literally, that would be going against what Bill stood for. He would want you to think critically about it, not just accept what he said. Don't just think cause he was on a commercial that he was officially off the artistic merit for good just cause Bill said so. Use your mind, think about it. It was Bill's opinion. Open your 3rd eeye as Bill would have said.
i thought that long before i ever heard of bill hicks, i cant stand it when stars do commercials it really boils my blood, i disagree with carlin on stuff just as well as hicks, but those to me are the 2 best comedians to ever hit the stage.
Same here. I love both Bill Hicks and George Carlin and they are my favorites as well, even though I sometimes (very seldom) disagree with them. But this here was very justified. He had close to no money in his pockets and did so so much to attack and criticize the system. If anyone deserves a little leeway it was him.
In my opinion, money or no money, I wouldn't take George Carlin off the artistic roll call period. George had achieved so much as a comedic revolutionary that he could pretty much sell Apple products and Taco Bell for the rest of his life and I wouldn't care. People don't really have the right to attack others in advertisements unless they themselves have ever been an artist or a star.
yeah but to me its just a way of selling yourself and you doing that commercial and getting your name out that instead of getting it out by your art or talent where as im out there as often as i can praying to god that a seasoned person comes by and likes my stuff and people are cheating their way to the top without any true talent, you know?
He was in some 1-800-COLLECT commercials, too, I think. Either COLLECT or CALL-ATT, I can never remember. But it doesn't stop him from attacking advertising.
yeah, he actually has a part in "You Are All Diseased" where he jokes, saying "If you're sitting there thinking how I can be in commercials for 10-10-220 and still attack advertising...I guess you're just gonna have to figure that shit out on your own" or something similar.
@CarlPanzram7390 " well of course it was pre recorded when are you gonna do it? Afterwards?" lol classic George carlin
BasqueNYC 1 month ago
He was just coming up at the time. It's alright then.
NWFWMbudwieser 3 months ago
This program was pre recorded.
CarlPanzram7390 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
...let me listen to these people.' They gave me full creative control over the imagery and the content, and they wanted to use me doing my stand-up. So I made what I consider a compromise, or an adjustment. That's my personal euphemism for it -- we all make adjustments to our value system according to our needs and what we can tolerate.
annuity100 3 months ago
In the early '80s I discovered that I had made bad business decisions during the last half of the '70s and was deeply in debt to the IRS. It was still 70 percent tax time. I was behind. The penalties and interest were burying me, and I had no career to speak of. So a friend of mine, a promoter, became my manager, and we began to dig out of this, and it's taken me 20 years. When the people from 10-10-220 came to me, I said, 'Well, it's a phone service, it's not a poison gas, it's not gasoline...
annuity100 3 months ago
240p........ I guess this guy didn't use a fuji tape
bartmatton 4 months ago
This is what an advert ought to be; short and to the point, a familiar face telling you to buy something! Plain and simple! Not all this lame, cutsie, unfunny, singing and dancing, retarded, stupid shit they put on TV nowdays.
gartnavel89 4 months ago
Carlin admitted to doing commercials in the 'We are all deceased" HBO special.
Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep the lights on
kadafi84 9 months ago
This was partly due to financial authorities being on George due to tax-related issues. No errors made, and Fuji gave him complete artistic freedom.
demite 1 year ago
At least he didn't sell diet coke.
whoatemyhummus 1 year ago 2
@whoatemyhummus bill hicks RIP aswell!
chefhenk 11 months ago
@whoatemyhummus Good call.
The4thGuy 8 months ago
@whoatemyhummus No shit. "diet coke...were the new rock stars, we don't do drugs. let's all wear panties and drink diet coke!"-bill hicks
hehehe, yeah it doesn't matter weather or not carlin did a couple of commercials...he was still a funny, intelligent guy.
guthax30 7 months ago
Why is him being in a commercial such a problem?
joezetank 1 year ago
For those of you complaing that Carlin "sold out", he did these commericals because he was going through a lot of tax problems with the IRS.
CoolerKing37 1 year ago
@CoolerKing37
...All thanks to his cocaine problem.
hellofaname 1 year ago
NO GEORGE! What the fuck man?!
jabre12 1 year ago
I don't think it was *that* hypocritical of George to advertise for video tapes. He's basically pushing for piracy, IE: something that goes against established laws.
How many entertainers were going "Hey video tape me, I don't care; hell I'll even tell you to do it!" instead of going "You're taking money out of my pocket, how dare you! You're not a fan! If you were, you'd pay money to see me!"
rahn45 1 year ago
@rahn45 YEAH! TOTALLY! That's exactly what Fuji were thinking too.
Shite. Carlin is a sell out, and worse, he was in both Bill and Ted films. And wore a ponytail.
molly0000000s 1 year ago
why is everyone criticising George Carlin for not living up to Bill Hicks' ideals? they're different people!
he didn't sell out.
51yourtimeisup 1 year ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
If you like old stuff like this commercial, check out my page, there is the largest supply of memories from the 80s and 90s anywhere. Just a fun place to live your childhood or maybe just a better couple of decades in your life!
Mroldays 1 year ago
'Why the fuck is George doing this' you might ask yourself.
Answer: bankrate(dot)com/brm/news/investing/20010316a.asp
sfurner 1 year ago
What the fuck, George?
sfurner 1 year ago
Damn George. Not you... Anyone on the planet, but not you here in the commercial.
AzeriSoul 1 year ago
ur the grates old fuck ever!! RIP he is ireplacable!
autopsy2 1 year ago
The great finger-pointing, hypocrital, living contradiction himself. Over 40 years of material ruined for this paycheck. RIP George
RhinierZ 1 year ago
He must have done a few of these, because I have one on my channel too.
I think these are genius ads, they realy show the sense of humor he was capable of. I also love his way of speaking - its very fast-paced and funny, because his voice variates between high and low. I love it!
AllisonTheSNLGuru 1 year ago
George is a genius
but this sucks
saprissa30 2 years ago 2
If people look at Carlin any way differently after this they are idiots
Sometimes you've got to swallow your pride and principles to put food on your plate. That's a fact of life
popjoeandco 2 years ago 10
@popjoeandco You couldn't be more wrong. So much of his material preached against this in the harshest, most brutal fashion. Vehemently lashing coorperate America for doing exactly what he's doing in this commercial. If he never would have pointed his finger and screamed bloody murder and just focused on being funny, noone would judge him for this.
RhinierZ 1 year ago
Can anyone tell me what year this is from?
Kh0ldstare 2 years ago
1988
saprissa30 2 years ago
What Bill said was a great generalization for the sake of comedy, not to be taken literally as an unrebukable truth. Think for yourselves people, it's a 15 second commercial not an advertising campaign for mcDonalds. It's universally known that Hicks and Carlin had great respect for eachother to the day they both died, and hicks would've never been the legend he was if carlin and pryor hadn't pushed the envelope and paved the way for him.
mikexlong 2 years ago 4
If you never contradict yourself, your world view is too simple.
FeelOfFriction 2 years ago 3
Bill wouldve, i think, stayed true to his word. he's rather be living in the streets with dignity rather than taking that dirty money.
mancheromanchero 2 years ago 3
i gots to get it!!...
bloodlustsatan 2 years ago
go in there and take the goverments money, thats more rebelious than anything.
internash 2 years ago
omg... i cant believe that he did this
vdj0077 2 years ago 7
He actually had a lot of tax debt so I am willing to forgive him for that. Plus most of his fans know where he stands so I don't take it as a big deal.
germarican1111 2 years ago 8
I agree. -- me too
darksouth31 2 years ago
i think that was the period in his life when he was really into coke so he probably ran out of money
AbsoluteLibertine 2 years ago
RIP George,
we miss ya, old fuck.
Lumennon 2 years ago 34
Actually, he did it for the money. And no, I don't hold a grudge against him for doing it. Read this and you'll understand.
bankrate(dot)com/brm/news/investing/20010316a.asp
Films111 3 years ago 2
The only time I approve of an artist doing a commercial is if they're letting people know of a product they love and approve of. Like a musician endorsing a brand of strings or something of that nature. The only explanation I could have for this is that they threw a shitload of money at him. He knows where he lies personally, so doing a commercial doesn't really change that.
flyingV1043 3 years ago
RIP George Carlin
"See ya later"
Headbanger142 3 years ago 9
I know George Carlin criticized telephone commercials, then did a telephone commercial, I still do not think he is a hypocrite. I think he did it to challenge his audience to think critically.
catgumart 3 years ago
Or maybe he just wanted to make money.
jhwink 3 years ago 9
I dont care if George Carlin does a commercial I hope he made some extra dough.
catgumart 3 years ago 18
We're all hypocrites at some point in our lives.. Personally i agree with catgumart .. if you read watch or listen to his work, alot of it gets you to think critically use reason and basically think for yourself. Who cares if he did it for money, what does anyone do anything for in thier life
Kleimeyer 2 years ago
at least its only video tapes
zrogoszinski 3 years ago
Hay, if you do a commercial you're off the artistic roll call, but at least he knows what it's like and got a deeper understanding of just how fucked it is. It's more sad than hypocritical.
merrett 3 years ago 3
bill hicks was talkin about peple who whore themselves and let corperations pimp them and suck satans cock not intellectuals who are in debt and using the ability they have to get out
7Be 2 years ago
Bill Hicks was also a huge fan of George Carlin. Both of them had astounding respect and admiration for one another.
GrungeRock1991 2 years ago
i know. but the only thing i can find on here is one clip about them talkin about eachother. u seen any others?
7Be 2 years ago
Nah man, believe you me, I've looked. I would LOVE to find a video of the two of them in the same room talkin and shit. It would be too much awesome for one room.
GrungeRock1991 2 years ago
i think its kind of ironic though that bill says if you do a commercial youre off the artistic roll call forever, and yet he loved carlin even after this
hbknutjack 2 years ago
Bill knew that Carlin and he shared VERY similar beliefs and that Bill and George had spent decades relentlessly attacking the system. Bill knew this, and he also knew that George was very near broke when he did these. He also said he "might look the other way if you were a young actor or out of money altogether." Not ironic at all if you ask me.
GrungeRock1991 2 years ago
well i knew bill said that in rant in e minor but carlin already had 5 specials out by this time he shouldnt ahve been broke but if he was then thats fine and i hope its true cause otherwise he's off the artistic role call and it sucks to have to say that about the second greatest comedian to ever live.
hbknutjack 2 years ago
He was damn near broke, that's why he did it. Besides anyway, Bill Hicks may have said that, but if you take exactly what he said literally, that would be going against what Bill stood for. He would want you to think critically about it, not just accept what he said. Don't just think cause he was on a commercial that he was officially off the artistic merit for good just cause Bill said so. Use your mind, think about it. It was Bill's opinion. Open your 3rd eeye as Bill would have said.
GrungeRock1991 2 years ago 2
i thought that long before i ever heard of bill hicks, i cant stand it when stars do commercials it really boils my blood, i disagree with carlin on stuff just as well as hicks, but those to me are the 2 best comedians to ever hit the stage.
hbknutjack 2 years ago
Same here. I love both Bill Hicks and George Carlin and they are my favorites as well, even though I sometimes (very seldom) disagree with them. But this here was very justified. He had close to no money in his pockets and did so so much to attack and criticize the system. If anyone deserves a little leeway it was him.
GrungeRock1991 2 years ago
yeah i did however when i first saw this couldnt do it but i had to take him off the artistic roll call but given the circumstances hes back on
hbknutjack 2 years ago
In my opinion, money or no money, I wouldn't take George Carlin off the artistic roll call period. George had achieved so much as a comedic revolutionary that he could pretty much sell Apple products and Taco Bell for the rest of his life and I wouldn't care. People don't really have the right to attack others in advertisements unless they themselves have ever been an artist or a star.
GrungeRock1991 2 years ago 4
yeah but to me its just a way of selling yourself and you doing that commercial and getting your name out that instead of getting it out by your art or talent where as im out there as often as i can praying to god that a seasoned person comes by and likes my stuff and people are cheating their way to the top without any true talent, you know?
hbknutjack 2 years ago
EXACTLY
Raappe 2 years ago
C'mon people. George wasn't perfect but that doesn't mean he was wrong about a lot of the evils he spoke about.
racl101 3 years ago 7
Slightly hypocritical. Lol.
christophermaplewood 3 years ago
wow - this is awesome
this was at a low point in his career, when he was in a lot of debt - before he really started "attacking" advertising
amazing - thanks for this. Please PM me if there's any chance of getting the original tape from you so I can transfer it to DVD for my collection.
meesterm0le 3 years ago 3
yup!carlin in a commercial.thank god bill hicks didnt live up to be in one,that would break my heart:)
shqfy 3 years ago
He was in some 1-800-COLLECT commercials, too, I think. Either COLLECT or CALL-ATT, I can never remember. But it doesn't stop him from attacking advertising.
Tricksterlnsanity 3 years ago 3
I think it was 10-10-220.
jamianm 3 years ago
There were just too many 800 collect numbers.
Tricksterlnsanity 3 years ago
yeah, he actually has a part in "You Are All Diseased" where he jokes, saying "If you're sitting there thinking how I can be in commercials for 10-10-220 and still attack advertising...I guess you're just gonna have to figure that shit out on your own" or something similar.
notbrianbradley 3 years ago 3
Yeah, that's part of where I got that from. Though I did see those commercials before I saw You Are All Diseased.
Tricksterlnsanity 3 years ago
classic, thanks
downcard11 4 years ago