George Carlin was the first comedian who inspired me as a writer – he made me realize that comedy wasn’t always slapstick, or something that “everyone” thought was funny, in order to have relevance. This was very profound for me.

For the first time, as a teenager, while he was doing the college circuit, I began to think of satire as a very important truth-telling device. I had no older siblings at the time, or many people who thought the way that I did, around. So for me, Carlin became a kind of a surrogate in that way.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Lewis Black a few days ago at his book signing in Pasadena, California. “I don’t know why you’re here,” Lewis greeted us. Probably of all of the comics I can think of today, Lewis Black most represents some of the things that Carlin always got so on target. Like Carlin, Lewis is not afraid to piss people off, by being truthful.

The back of Lewis’ book has a comment by George Carlin. When asked about him, Lewis said “George Carlin was always very nice to me. He called me once, before I’d met him. He told me “there is absolutely nothing that I can do for your career. But I think you’re really funny, you make me laugh. If you want, send me tapes and any stuff you got – because I have friends that like to laugh, too.”

This always meant a lot to Lewis; of course, any comedian who has the ear of George Carlin has got to be worth listening to.

I will miss Carlin. It’s hard to believe he’s gone. He’s one of those brilliant minds that you just sort of take for granted; like they will always be around.

The most impactful thing that I learned from George Carlin was not to accept bullshit; to stand up and tell the truth; and that material things really are meaningless. No one said it better than he did, in his bit about “stuff.” I think it was the single most profound thing that I’ve ever heard anyone say, about materialism: what it REALLY is, and how it motivates people to just perpetuate the vapid, empty infatuation with acquiring things, as if that could ever be more important than living well in other ways that are far more rewarding. Coming from him, a guy who became a man of means, made it even more profound.

It was like hearing Lewis Black talk about the tax system, and how he thinks it is ridiculous to keep giving cuts to wealthy people who don’t need them. I once heard that Al Pacino said to one of his friends “If you like steak, great. But you know, how many steaks do you really need, anyway?” As my Aunt Tula used to say, “How much money does someone NEED, anyway?” The way most act, you’d think it was more important than breathing.

But, as usual, a woman said it best. “If you want to know what God thinks about money, just look at the people he gave it to.” Dorothy Parker (one of the greatest writers and satirists of all time).

My hope is that George Carlin’s legacy will remain in vogue enough, so that his brilliance can be carried on for generations. And if we’re really lucky, maybe someone will realize one little morsel of it, enough to actually change something for the better. That would be the best way that we could ever honor this insightful, truly compassionate man (don’t let the angst fool you: it was a tool to get you to think. People who don’t care don’t bother – and Carlin certainly bothered). I hope they televise the Mark Twain award show coming up anyway, and use it as the tribute to him that he deserves.