Brain Droppings

Amazon.com
George Carlin's been working the crowd since "the counterculture" became "the over-the-counter culture" around 1967 or so; his new book, Brain Droppings, surfs on three decades of touring-in-support. It's the purest version of book-as-candy that one could imagine, serving up humor in convenient, bite-sized packages. Snack on chewy one-liners like "A meltdown sounds like fun. Like some kind of cheese sandwich." Or: "If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten." Brain Droppings also contains highlights from Carlin's concert repertoire, and that more than makes up for the occasional spray of pointless nihilism. Tell us, George, what exactly were you going for with "Kill your pet" and "Satan is cool"? Quick--hide the paper before Daddy sees it! Still, if you're a fan of this sarcastic semanticist who's given Bad Attitude not necessarily a good name, but at least a comfy bank account, by all means rush out and snag Brain Droppings. Carlin's book melts in your mind, not in your hand.


From Publishers Weekly
When a stand-up comedian writes a book, the audio version enjoys a clear advantage over the printed word. Timing, delivery and vocal expression are as important to humor as the actual joke itself. So it is with this very funny collection of essays, monologues, observations and jokes by 30-year comic veteran Carlin. A one-liner like "I put a dollar in a change machine. Nothing changed," moderately amusing in print, is hilarious in Carlin's bewildered tone. This audio contains "unabridged excerpts," which means that though it does not include everything from the book, the pieces that appear are performed in their entirety. The audio is paced nicely, alternating between long pieces (Carlin as a bureaucratic caveman calling a "staff meeting" to announce a new policy on human sacrifices), short observations and one-liners. Some of Carlin's older routines are included, such as his classic comparison of warlike football and friendly baseball. One note: this audio, like most of Carlin's humor, includes plenty of profanity, so parents may want to be cautious around the kiddies. Based on the 1997 Hyperion hardcover.(May) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Entertainment Weekly
... few funnymen are better suited for the page than Carlin.


From AudioFile
The title says it all: The renowned comedian has gathered random thoughts, musings, lists, beliefs and observations into a collage that is likely to entertain, as well as offend, everyone. Carlin's delivery is impeccable, though occasionally his signature timing and nuance, which work well in front of a live audience, do not translate well to a studio recording. BRAIN DROPPINGS will be a treat for Carlin fans and armchair philosophers but is perhaps not a good idea for family listening. S.E.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Carlin, the thinking man's comedian, is known for his fresh and weirdly funny take on life. This book's title accurately describes what's inside; these bits seem to have come tumbling out of Carlin's brain in random order. Some are laugh-out-loud funny and some are . . . well, just droppings. Among the funnier bits are Carlin's musings on names. He perceptively notes that one day nursing homes will be filled with Tiffanys, Ambers, and Ashleys--a scary thought. Then there's Carlin's ruminations on verbs. People used to take drugs, now they do drugs, although some people do lunch and take meetings. The book is also periodically interrupted with lists of Carlin's signature oxymorons and redundancies: new tradition, uninvited guest, and standard options are among the former, and close proximity and serious crisis among the latter. The book is rather annoyingly designed with bold headings that don't mean much ("F*** Al Jolson," for instance). Bad words, by the way, abound, but if you know Carlin's work, you'd expect that. A few of the bits are outright clunkers, but maybe we should cut Carlin a little slack. As one of his headings notes, "Most people are not particularly good at anything." Ilene Cooper


From Kirkus Reviews
Abounding yuks, chuckles, guffaws, rip-snorts--though few side-splitters--in this free-form compendium of Carlin's comedy stylings. A growing number of modern comics, from Bill Cosby to Tim Allen, have enjoyed a profitable sideline in adapting their shtick (with varying degrees of success) to the exigencies of the written word. Now veteran stand-up comic Carlin takes his own shot at authorship. Unlike many niche comics, who focus on a limited range of subjects built around an easily typecast persona, Carlin has a protean talent, and his book is a kind of mini-encyclopedia of humor, ranging from wretched puns (``The lazy composer still has several scores to settle''), to Steven Wrightstyle one-liners (``I put a dollar in one of those change machines. Nothing changed''), to classically structured jokes (``I got a chest x-ray last month, and they found a spot on my lung. Fortunately, it was barbecue sauce''). He also offers a number of longer comic meditations on subjects as diverse as sports and grief, while avoiding such stale stand-up staples as airline food and 7-11s. Carlin has an unusual concern with language, combining a grammarian's precision with a sharp eye for the absurd: ``Favorite oxymorons: nondairy creamer, death benefits, holy war.'' He is less successful when he examines things he deeply cares about, like politics and justice. His anger is too close to the surface, his otherwise latent didacticism too blatant. Many of the jokes, taken straight from Carlin's act, suffer from being reduced to the printed page. With the right timing, the right droll delivery, they would be hilarious, but here, without help, they fall flat. Carlin succeeds admirably, though not without qualification. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


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