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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 1983)
HAIRCUTTING TO PLEASE YOU • Donna Stewart • Sue Paris • Linda Vicenzi • Christy Reutin HAIR FAIRE 1410 Orchard • 342-2165 890 East 13th 342-FILM Across from U of O Bookstore The EMU Cultural Forum and Valley River Records present I Tickets on Sale Tues., Feb. 1 | Tickets at Valley River Records, EMU Main Desk (Rm 111 EMU), Everybody's Records in Eugene and Corvallis, and Meier and Frank. Produced by Silver Promotions Carlin’s ‘goofy shit’ comedy lacks spontaneity of past By Jonathan Siegle Ol the Emerald George Carlin is not a funny man. He is, in fact, almost grim. Which is not to say he's not a worthy comedian. His lengthy show at the Hult Center Thursday proved that. From less than 15 feet away, I watched him pull laughs from those elegant surroundings, cut them into paper dolls and gave each of us several to take home. I took home Carlin’s bit about his profession: come dian. That’s not a title that in spires respect. Imagine asking for a comedian at the scene of an accident. "Excuse me, excuse. Let me through. I'm a comedian.” Fill in ‘comedian’ in the blank under ‘occupation’ when applying for a bank loan. A cop stops you. “What are you, a comedian?" I'm laughing The audience is laughing. George Carlin doesn’t even smile. He's not having a good time out there. Carlin is working hard. It’s his job. His set’ is a desk and chair and a stool. "This is my office,” he says. But after 21 years of solo performing, the spark has gone, the joy is missing. Carlin is a skilled profes sional. He knows what's fun ny. But like any good profes sional performer who’s been doing it over and over, the spontaneity is missing. Like a player in a band who plays the same solo every night, Carlin makes the same jokes. The strain shows in his face and in his gestures. As a young comedian, Carlin attacked his audience. Concert Review “George Carlin” He forced them to see the ab surdity around them. As Carlin often points out, the comedian is the person who sees the same things everyone else sees but pulls them out of con text and holds them up for show. Out of context, hanging there in front of us, they're funny. “That's my job," he says, “thinking up goofy shit." He shocked us, back then. His seven dirty words sketch — which he’s still doing in an updated version — made him famous. The Supreme Court once ruled on a case where a radio station played a record ing of it. But today Carlin stands away from the audience. He wanders less and keeps his distance. And most sadly of all, instead of attacking, he retreats Brash George Carlin delivers a punch line and steps backwards. To go for ward again he moves in circles. The tension backstage is tangible. His road manager is an unhappy, harried man. Carlin is uptight, even after the show. He can’t relax. At 45, Carlin has had two heart attacks. He jokes about it. Says he leads Richard Pryor in heart attacks two to one, but Pryor leads him in burning himself up one to nothing. Two heart attacks is serious stuff. Carlin knows it. But he hasn’t learned to live with it yet. A heart attack says we’re mortal in three-part harmony with full orchestration. George Carlin, still fighting middle-age, can't face that music. It hurts. It shows. And that’s sad because inside he really is a funny, funny man. Series starts on two Darwins The university committee on the arts and humanities presents a mini-series of four faculty lectures on Darwin beginning today and continu ing through Feb. 3. The title of the series is “Rediscovering Darwin," and the lectures will be held on campus and at the Eugene Conference Center. All lec tures are free and open to the public. Today's lecture is titled ‘Darwin and the Fossil Record — Current Controversies and Perceptions" and will be held at noon. The second lecture in the series will be held Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. and is titled "The Two Darwins — Naturalist and Scientist.” Wednesday's lecture will be held at noon ana aeais wnn anti-Darwinism in America today. The final lecture in the series will be held Thursday at 8 p.m and is titled “Darwin and Carlyle." The final lecture will be held at the Eugene Con ference Center; all others will be in the Forum Room of the EMU Luncheon Specials Served Daily 1 1a.m. to 2p.m. All Specials $1.75 Monday Fried Chicken with cream gravy Baked Ham-noodle with cheese Buttered mashed potatoes Rice Pilaf Baby carrots Club spinach Dinner Rolls Mexican Food Bar Burrito Supreme/Fried Burrito Taco & Enchiladas Spanish Rice & Refried Beans Tuesday Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread Baked lish with lemon butter sauce Steamed Rice Italian mixed vegetables Green peas French bread Thursday Chili macaroni with cheese Breaded Veal cutlet with brown gravy Fried natural cut potatoes Cabbage with bacon Corn on the cob Wednesday Baked meat loaf with tomato sauce Roast turkey with bread dressing and cranberry sauce Snowflake potatoes Steamed Rice Seasoned green peas Stewed tomatoes Dinner Rolls Friday Fish platter w/scallops, oysters, fish Barbeque Beef French-fried potatoes French-cut green beans Hot spiced beets Dinner rolls Salad Bar By the ounce 15" Chef s Choice Soup Bar Soup Bar Two special soups and Chili served daily
