While revamping my Daily Carlinisms, I stumbled on this at George Carlin.Com:
“…Floating around the Internet these days, posted and e-mailed back and forth, are a number of writings attributed to me, and I want people to know they’re not mine. Don’t blame me.“
Right now, he’s doing what we in marketing call “protecting his brand”. A “brand” is an abstract concept that invokes trust and reputation. This is why someone will buy Tylenol instead of the big-ass bottle of acetaminophen next to it, at half the price.
When you think of the name “George Carlin”, a certain level of quality in comedy comes to mind (Another good example is “Microsoft”).
After reading A Bad American, I can understand why he’s pissed. If this were attributed to ME at a time of such division and ugliness like we have in this country right now… I’D BE PISSED.
It should go without saying, that I have nothing but respect for George Carlin, and I am a major MAJOR fan. He’s a hero to me, and he goes far beyond mere comedy… he makes me think.
Now I’m not sucking up to get out of any trouble, because I’m not in trouble… yet. Daily Carlinisms has been on my site for four years now, and surely someone would have contacted me by now if he had a problem with it.
I also have a SoApBoX post attributed to him that it was pretty obvious to everyone commenting that it wasn’t by him. (The gag that weekend was I was supposedly deathly ill and had guest posters filling in for me in which I mimicked their style, right down to sentence structure and mis-spellings. The next post was attributed to someone, who at the time, was the most hated person on the internet.)
Just to play it safe, I put a disclaimer up on that post for anyone late to the party (or is permanently brain damaged FROM eating paint chips as a kid)… I’ll also remove quotes on Daily Carlinism that aren’t by him. I certainly don’t want to add to the confusion or mess up Mr. Carlin’s brand.
As much of a linkwhore that I am… this is one page I don’t want to see my site linked.
I have a brand to protect too, you know…
Brand -e-, leading the way in “Problem Adultism?” Gotta love it! 😛