DATE=5/25/99
TYPE=ENGLISH PROGRAMS FEATURE
NUMBER=7-32084
TITLE=EUPHEMISTIC WASHINGTON, WITH GEORGE CARLIN
BYLINE=KEMING KUO
TELEPHONE=619-0936
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=NANCY SMART
INTRO: GEORGE CARLIN IS BEST KNOWN TO MANY AMERICANS AS THE
COMEDIAN WHOSE "SEVEN FILTHY WORDS" BROADCAST WAS
DECLARED "INDECENT" BY THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT.
BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED. A QUARTER OF A CENTURY LATER,
GEORGE CARLIN WAS INVITED TO SPEAK BEFORE THE AUGUST
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB -- LOCATED JUST A COUPLE OF
KILOMETERS FROM THE NATION'S HIGHEST COURT. AND MR.
CARLIN, WHO JUST TURNED 62, WASN'T ABOUT TO REGALE HIS
AUDIENCE WITH ANY FOUR-LETTER WORDS. INSTEAD, HE KEPT
HIS AUDIENCE LAUGHING ABOUT THE UNIQUE EUPHEMISMS
UTTERED BY OFFICIAL WASHINGTON. ____________ HAS MORE.
TEXT: GEORGE CARLIN WAS INTRODUCED TO HIS AUDIENCE OF
JOURNALISTS AS HAVING THE SKILLS OF A REPORTER -- SINCE
HIS COMEDY MONOLOGUES ARE FULL OF SKEPTICISM AND
PERCEPTIVE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE. TWO YEARS AGO, MR.
CARLIN'S SKILL AS A WORDSMITH WAS DEMONSTRATED IN HIS
BOOK "BRAIN DROPPINGS," WHICH WAS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES
BEST SELLER LIST FOR 38 WEEKS. AND YET, GEORGE CARLIN --
DRESSED IN ALL-BLACK AND WITH HIS HAIR TIED IN A
PONYTAIL -- STILL WAS REMINISCENT LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE
FROM THE BEATNIK ERA OR HIS POPULAR CHARACTER, THE HIPPY
DIPPY WEATHERMAN. SO MR. CARLIN REASSURED HIS AUDIENCE
THAT HE WAS AT THE PRESS CLUB JUST TO TALK ABOUT WORDS
-- AND NOT TO EXPOUND ON ANY CAUSE.
TAPE: CUT ONE -- CARLIN :29
"I'M NOT HERE TO ADVANCE ANY POLITICAL, SOCIAL OR
ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSE. I AM, IN FACT, BLESSEDLY
AGENDA-FREE. I DON'T WANT TO SAVE THE RIVER. I DON'T
WANT TO SAVE THE BAY. I DON'T WANT TO SAVE THE CANYON,
THE WHALE, THE WETLANDS, THE RAINFOREST, OR THE FLYING,
SPOTTED DWARF SOMETHING-OR-OTHER. I DON'T WANT TO SAVE
THE CHILDREN, ABOVE ALL. (LAUGHTER & APPLAUSE)
FRANKLY, I DON'T CARE ABOUT MANY OF THOSE THINGS.
BETWEEN YOU AND ME, THOSE BATTLES WERE LOST A LONG TIME
AGO."
TEXT: FOR THE RECORD, GEORGE CARLIN DOES SAYS HE'S IN FAVOR OF
FRIENDSHIP, FAMILY TIES AND ROMANTIC LOVE. HE THEN
TURNED HIS ATTENTION TO THE EUPHEMISMS AND OBLIQUE
LANGUAGE FAVORED BY POLITICIANS AND LAWYERS. MR. CARLIN
EXPLAINED TO HIS AUDIENCE THAT THESE OBSCURE TERMS AND
PHRASES ARE USED TO AVOID SAYING ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE.
TAPE: CUT TWO -- CARLIN :53
"THEY DON'T ACTUALLY SAY THINGS. THEY INDICATE THEM:
'AS I INDICATED YESTERDAY, AND AS THE PRESIDENT
INDICATED TO ME ... ' SOMETIMES THEY DON'T INDICATE;
THEY SUGGEST: 'LET ME SUGGEST, AS I INDICATED YESTERDAY
... I HAVEN'T DETERMINED THAT YET.' THEY DON'T DECIDE;
THEY DETERMINE. IF IT'S A REALLY SERIOUS MATTER, THEY
MAKE A JUDGMENT: 'I HAVEN'T MADE A JUDGMENT ON THAT.
WHEN THE HEARINGS HAVE CONCLUDED, I WILL MAKE A JUDGMENT
OR I MIGHT MAKE AN ASSESSMENT. I'M NOT SURE; I HAVEN'T
DETERMINED THAT YET. BUT WHEN I DO, I'LL ADVISE YOU.'
THEY DON'T TELL, THEY ADVISE: 'I ADVISED HIM THAT I HAD
MADE A JUDGMENT. THUS FAR, HE HASN'T RESPONDED.' THEY
DON'T ANSWER; THEY RESPOND: 'HE HASN'T RESPONDED TO MY
INTIATIVE ...' AN INITIATIVE IS AN IDEA THAT ISN'T
GOING ANYWHERE." [LAUGHTER]
TEXT: [OPT] GEORGE CARLIN ADDED THAT WHEN LEGISLATION IS
DELAYED OR A PROJECT IS TAKING TOO LONG, SOME MORE TERMS
COME INTO USE:
TAPE: CUT THREE -- CARLIN :43 [IN FULL TO :40,
FADE LAUGHTER UNDER TEXT:]
"THAT'S A BIG ACTIVITY IN WASHINGTON: PROCEEDING.
THEY'RE ALWAYS PROCEEDING OR MOVING FORWARD. A LOT OF
THAT GOES ON: 'SENATOR, HAVE YOU SOLVED THAT PROBLEM?
WELL, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.' AND WHEN THEY'RE
NOT MOVING FORWARD, THEY'RE MOVING SOMETHING ELSE
FORWARD ... SUCH AS THE PROCESS: 'WE HAVE TO MOVE THE
PROCESS FORWARD SO WE CAN IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF
THE INITIATIVE IN ORDER TO MEET THESE CHALLENGES.' NO
ONE HAS PROBLEMS ANYMORE. CHALLENGES. THAT'S WHY WE
NEED PEOPLE WHO CAN MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS. TOUGH
DECISIONS LIKE: 'HOW MUCH SOFT MONEY CAN I EXPECT TO
COLLECT IN EXCHANGE FOR MY CORE VALUES?'" [:03
LAUGHTER] [END OPT]
TEXT: MR. CARLINE SAYS THE ADVENT OF A POLITICAL SCANDAL OR
WRONGDOING CALLS FOR YET ANOTHER SET OF EUPHEMISMS.
TAPE: CUT FOUR -- CARLIN :43
"WHEN THEY'RE IN TROUBLE, THEIR EXPLANATIONS USUALLY
BEGIN SIMPLY WITH WORDS LIKE MISCOMMUNICATION: 'WHAT DID
YOU DO WRONG, SENATOR? WELL, IT WAS A
MISCOMMUNICATION.' OR: 'I WAS QUOTED OUT OF CONTEXT.'
BETTER YET, AND MORE IRONIC, 'THEY TWISTED MY WORDS.'
SUCH A NICE TOUCH. A PERSON WHO ROUTINELY SPENDS HIS
DAYS TORTURING THE LANGUAGE COMPLAINS; 'THEY TWISTED MY
WORDS.' [LAUGHTER] THEN, AS THE CONTROVERSY CONTINUES
TO HEAT UP, HE MOVES TO HIS NEXT LEVEL OF COMPLAINT:
'THE WHOLE THING HAS BEEN BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION.'
IT'S ALWAYS THE WHOLE THING. APPARENTLY NO ONE HAS EVER
CLAIMED THAT A SMALL PORTION OF SOMETHING WAS BLOWN OUT
OF PROPORTION. IT HAS TO BE THE WHOLE THING."
TEXT: [OPT] GEORGE CARLIN CONTINUED ENTERTAINING THE NATIONAL
PRESS CLUB AUDIENCE WITH MANY OTHER EXAMPLES OF TORTURED
USE OF EUPHEMISMS -- CONCLUDING THAT THEIR USE CONTINUES
UNTIL THE VERY END ...
TAPE: CUT FIVE -- CARLIN :37
"AND WE CAN'T REALLY DISCUSS EUPHEMISMS IF WE DON'T
MENTION THAT FINAL TABOO, DEATH. IT USED TO BE WHEN AN
OLD PERSON DIED, THE UNDERTAKER PUT HIM IN A COFFIN AND
SENT FLOWERS TO THE FUNERAL HOME, WHERE THEY HELD A
WAKE. THEN, AFTER THE FUNERAL, THEY DROVE THE DEAD
PERSON IN A HEARSE TO THE CEMETERY, AND HIS BODY WAS
BURIED IN A GRAVE. NOW, WHEN A SENIOR CITIZEN PASSES
AWAY, THE MORTICIAN PLACES HIM IN A BURIAL CONTAINER AND
WE SEND FLORAL TRIBUTES TO THE SLUMBER ROOM, WHERE THE
GRIEF COORDINATOR SUPERVISES THE VIEWING. AFTER THE
MEMORIAL SERVICE, THE FUNERAL COACH TRANSPORTS THE
DEPARTED TO THE GARDEN OF REMEMBERANCE WHERE HIS REMAINS
ARE INTERRED IN HIS FINAL RESTING PLACE." [END OPT]
TEXT: COMEDIAN GEORGE CARLIN, DISCUSSING THE USE OF
EUPHEMISTIC LANGUAGE -- ESPECIALLY IN WASHINGTON
POLITICAL CIRCLES. MR. CARLIN'S POPULAR COLLECTION OF
HUMOROUS EUPHEMISMS, "BRAIN DROPPINGS," IS NOW IN
PAPERBACK. (SIGNED)
NEB/KK/NES
25-May-99 11:22 AM EDT (1522 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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