George Carlin is regarded as one of the most influential standup comedians of our times, known for his thoughts on politics and pushing the boundaries on various controversial issues. Fifteen years ago one of his routines, a special taped on September 10, 2001 titled “I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die,” was shelved by HBO after it was deemed too inappropriate following the death of thousands of people during 9/11.
According to the New York Times, the content seemed “in bad taste” since Carlin joked about an airplane exploding by passing gas, mass killings, natural disasters and “rooting for a high death toll.” Now, Sirius XM has the audio to the special and will be releasing it as a download, CD and vinyl on September 16 at Amazon and iTunes, among other outlets.
Per the NYT, this special is not bonus track material. “It’s a polished hour of new jokes with a virtuosic centerpiece, an intricate and elusive nearly 10-minute story that inspired its title, firmly in the tradition of Mr. Carlin’s comedy but also a fascinating departure.”
Carlin, who died in 2008, hadn’t released the special “I Kinda Like It” he did put out another routine two months after the terrorist attack called “Complaints and Grievances,” which addressed 9/11 and talked more about survival than freedom.
