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Brick Wall Comedy

You Are All Diseased

George Carlin

HBO · 1999 · 65 min

An aggressive hour of complaints about advertising, germs, and religion.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

George Carlin spends the twilight of the twentieth century in a state of absolute, unyielding irritation. He delivers a harsh assessment of American consumerism and paranoia, anchored by his “Advertising Lullaby,” a rhythmic recitation of marketing language that proves his ear for corporate nonsense remains unmatched.

Filmed at the Beacon Theater in New York City in February 1999, the sixty-two minute broadcast captures a comedian leaning fully into his late-era persona as a hostile cultural critic.

He spends significant time mocking the fear of germs and the state of airport security. The show features a midpoint segment where he suggests cramming the country’s criminals and dimwits into four states to televise them killing each other. He then targets business culture before closing with a prolonged routine about atheism and organized religion. The broadcast earned two Emmy nominations.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Airport Security

    Rants about societal fear and excessive precautions, noting that danger is inevitable and mockingly calling the prospect of a terrorist attack 'exciting'.

  2. Fear of Germs

    Attacks society's obsession with hygiene and sterility, recalling building immunity by swimming in raw sewage as a child.

  3. American Bullshit and Businessmen

    Dissects sales pitches and corporate posturing before segueing into the claim that businessmen cannot hold a candle to clergymen in the bullshit department.

  4. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Religion / There Is No God closer

    Ridicules the concept of an all-powerful, all-knowing invisible man in the sky who creates a place of burning torture yet loves you and always needs money.

How it plays

Tone
Dark, satirical, scathing, provocative, and irreverent.
On stage
Dark, incisive, and irreverent social critic driven by 'major psychotic fucking hatreds', combining venomous anger with an underlying gleeful silliness and anarchic joy.
Pace
Fast and furious diatribes, high-intensity delivery, and a sustained, relentless onslaught of anger.
About
Airport security and fear of terrorism, Fear of germs and immune systems, Religion and atheism, Advertising, consumerism, and sales pitches, Parenting and children, Masculinity ('Man Stuff')

What the critics said

Hailed as one of Carlin's finest late-period specials, demonstrating sharp, unforgiving anger and original sociopolitical commentary that kept him relevant while contemporaries faded, though retrospective critique notes dated tropes and slurs.

In the room: Challenged by the aggressive, rapid-fire onslaught of anger and polarizing material, but responding with laughter.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, gptkb.org, georgecarlin.net, letterboxd.com, allmusic.com, thecriticaleye.me, vice.com.

Backstory

Recorded in early 1999 during the Bill Clinton era and late-'90s cigar boom, two years prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, amidst growing societal obsessions with germ avoidance and airport security.

Details

Released
Taped
Beacon Theater, New York City
Runtime
65 min
Where
HBO
Director
Rocco Urbisci
Honors
Nominated for 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SpecialNominated for 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance In A Variety Or Music ProgramNominated for 2000 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
Topics
Before
40 Years of Comedy (1997)
After
Napalm and Silly Putty (2001)

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