Squeal of Fortune Answer
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 2:44PM 
Zioum Zioum is the winner of yesterday's Squeal of Fortune! She had the correct answer which was, the two comedians were George Carlin and Lenny Bruce and they were both arrested for public obscenity charges. Congratulations, Zioum Zioum and thanks to biff, Gene1, JHwang and Professor Dungpie for chiming in as well!
Zioum Zioum
Any comedian who works “blue” today should thank Lenny Bruce. His career started out as a fairly straight comedian, but soon he started testing the waters with dirty words and topics such as sex and racism that no comedians were joking about back then. He also wrote brilliantly funny essays for Playboy magazine.
Lenny Bruce was first arrestted in San Francisco in 1961 for using the word, “cocksucker” in his act. He went to trial and was found not guilty, but cops and undercover police started monitoring his shows and Lenny Bruce was arrested and found guilty of obscenity in 1964 and was sentenced to four months at a labor camp. For cussing on a stage! Bruce and his attorney appealed the verdict and Lenny Bruce was allowed to be free during this time.
He pretty much became obsessed with his trial after this and his performances were him reading court transcripts to a tepid reception. He had always indulged in drugs, but now with this looming over him he really started hitting it and on August 3, 1966 Lenny Bruce died of a morphine overdose.
In 1970, they overturned his conviction, clearing his name for his family, friends and fans.
Lenny Bruce has a been a huge influence on many comedians, musicians and writers (myself included.) But none more so than George Carlin.
Carlin’s career pretty much mimicked Lenny Bruce’s. He started out a straight comic appearing on the Jack Paar Show and Ed Sullivan among others. In the mid sixties however, he traded his suit and tie for jeans and tye-dye t-shirts and grew his hair and beard long.
One of his most famous bits was written during this time, “The Seven Words You Can’t Say On Television.” It was on an album called “Class Clown,” and I remember howling at it when I was in high school.
Carlin got arrested after performing the bit at a Milwaukee Summefest (hello Professor Dungpie!) on July 21, 1972. The charge was later dismissed because no disturbance had been created.
Here’s George Carlin riffing on “dirty” words (Thanks to Zioum Zioum for finding this!):
Here’s a great scene from a pseudo documentary on Lenny Bruce with Dustin Hoffman doing a great job as Lenny.
Congratulations to Zioum Zioum and thanks to everyone for playing along! We'll see you next week on...SQUEAL OF FORTUNE!
Reader Comments (11)
Congratulations Zioum Zioum and nice Lenny and George article and videos within the answer!
Is that Jesus on George Carlin shirt ?
I think it is!
what?! i didn't win? aw...shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, and tits.
Shit, piss, Fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker tits! I WON !!!!!! lol :)~
I don't know much Lenny Bruce, but I'm a fan of Georges Carlin and he has been an influence on my writings, for sure! In fact, I'm in love with Georges but each time I want to marry a man, he's already dead !!!!
I must sue my dad, because he didn't fuck my mom at the right time, and I'm born too late!!!
merde, pisse, enculé, chatte, suceur de bite, enculer de ta mere, nichon !!!! LOL :D
TO JESUS SHI
RTTO JESUS SHIRT
TO merde, pisse, enculé, chatte, suceur de bite, enculer de ta mere, nichon !!
Nigger !
Yes Marty! I was there that night in Miwaukee! I was so stoned out of my mind that night! I was 19 years old! Fuck!
Hey Zioum! Were you the singer with Cheap Trick?
You're the second person who tell me that! Indeed it seems I look like him !