George Carlin

Along with Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor, George Carlin was one of the most influential, respected and controversial stand-up comics of the late 20th century. His humor was built on the vagaries of human behavior - the truth behind words and phrases, the quandaries presented in everyday life, and the hypocrisies of authority - which was unleashed on audiences in a stream-of-consciousness delivery that was equal parts profanity and profundity. Carlin sowed his seeds of free thought through over 20 albums and a record 14 specials for HBO, as well as five best-selling books and countless live performances in Las Vegas and around the United States. And over the course of a 50-year career in comedy, he helped redefine the notion of the stand-up, as well as broaden and question the boundaries of free speech in entertainment.