One of comedian George Carlin’s most-popular standup routines is called “A Place For My Stuff.” It’s about how everyone’s house is just “a pile of stuff with a cover on it.”
Seven year’s after Carlin’s death, the controversial humorist’s “stuff” is on display at the Grammy Museum (he’s won Grammys) at a new exhibit aptly titled George Carlin: A Place For My Stuff.
Carlin’s daughter, Kelly, gave USA TODAY a video tour of her father’s display case and highlighted seven things you probably didn’t know about her father. (Yes, we assume you already knew about his controversial “7 dirty words” monologue.)
1. A camp drama award is one of Carlin’s most-prized possessions
Carlin won the award multiple times at Camp Notre Dame, and was even wearing a necklace he won at camp the day he died.
2. He started out as a DJ
Carlin’s initial goal was to DJ and do comedy, but he dropped the deejaying after a while.
3. Before 1970, Carlin was clean cut
He only swapped his suit and short hair for jeans and long tresses after he was already a successful standup.
4. Carlin was arrested at a Summerfest for indecent language
The police report from the incident contains plenty of expletives.
5. His ‘7 dirty words’ are in the Supreme Court archives
After Carlin’s monologue about the “7 words you can’t say on TV” was aired on the radio, and there was a complaint about the routine’s “indecent language,” the issue was taken all the way to the Supreme Court. So, the Supremes got to hear Carlin’s comedy album, which pleased the comedian.
6. He was the first ‘Saturday Night Live’ host
He just did monologues and didn’t appear in any sketches.
7. He has an FBI file… because he joked about J. Edgar Hoover
Someone complained about Carlin’s joke about the first director of the FBI, and so that complaint is in Carlin’s tiny FBI file. There’s nothing about his “dirty words” in the file.
The “A Place For My Stuff” exhibit is on display in Los Angeles through March 2016, and Kelly Carlin’s memoir, A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up With George, is on sale now.
