A Streaming Find: ‘George Carlin At USC’ And The Birth Of An Art Form
by Frank Martin
It’s very rare to see the birth of a new kind of art form. This usually comes about with changes in technology and services. Fortunately, with the ever shifting entertainment landscape, these opportunities are becoming more prevalent. And as it arrives, the providers of this content need to make adjustments and play along a new learning curve in order to figure out just how it all works. It’s very interesting to see in action, and George Carlin at USC is a great example that’s readily available.
The special was taped in the 1970s as Carlin puts on a stand-up show at the University of Southern California. In a brief interview before his set, Carlin states that he likes playing universities because it allows him to work with an audience that might be open to different kinds of content. Also, there’s a brief introduction that lays out for the audience exactly what is about to take place. A woman explains to the viewer that much of the content they are about to witness is a performance and that they will be exposed to language not often stated in everyday conversations. Before the final bit of the show, there is even a brief pause and warning sign to let the viewer know the language will get even more coarse and possibly offensive.
Carlin explains that he has played longer shows in theaters before, but never on television. Because this show was produced and aired by HBO, a brand new company at the time, Carlin was able to say and do things he wouldn’t normally be able to if it were broadcast on an over-the-air network. It’s a brand new type of stand-up comedy that’s considered commonplace today. But it wasn’t back then. A lot of this was experimental. So it’s very interesting to go back and look at the birth of this new art form, the cable comedy special, as both the performer and the provider are more or less figuring things out as they go.
George Carlin at USC is now streaming on Max.
