Tony Hendra Reminisces About George Carlin's Psyche, Detailed In Their Book "Last Words"

Tony Hendra wrote one of Imus's favorite books, Father Joe. He also co-wrote George Carlin's autobiography Last Words, which will debut next weekend at number seven on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

"That's the fastest he's ever been on the Best-Seller List," said Hendra, who met Carlin in the 1960s. "And the only major show we did last week was Imus in the Morning."

Imus then instructed his guest to "Feel the power!" Hendra begrudgingly obliged.

One of Hendra's fondest memories of Carlin was when the two used to appear on the "ghastly, hideous, terrible" Ed Sullivan Show. "For comedians, it was like playing a mausoleum," said Hendra, who described the audience as comprised of stuffy car dealers from Long Island and people from mental institutions.

"They wouldn't laugh at all," he said. "And then Ed, this strange little crab-like creature, would stand over stage right and just gaze into the distance. He never laughed at anything."

Imus observed that Carlin's humor evolved over the years into what was, at the end, a dark form of comic genius.

"He did comedy about things you're not supposed to do comedy about, which Lenny Bruce defined as, 'the best laughs you can get,'" said Hendra. "George's own slogan was, he wanted to find the line across which the audience would not go, and then cross it."

To do that, Carlin dealt with serious subjects like death, abortion, and war, which made him unique among comedians. Hendra noted one of his favorite lines by Carlin as, "I've got this real moron thing I do. It's called, 'thinking.'"

Imus recalled Carlin's tendency to root for the numbers of dead to escalate in the wake of a natural disaster like a mudslide or an earthquake. Hendra expounded on Carlin's statement, "I really like it when a lot of people die."

"The more violent and aggressive society gets, the more violent and aggressive you have to be in order to reflect it," Hendra said, citing Carlin's approach to comedy. "The character he played on stage, which was not at all like he was off stage, was essentially a satirical character."

Carlin memorized his acts, which Hendra attributed to rampant touring. "That will sharpen you up, and give you an edge and a presence that you just can't get any other way," he said.

Hendra denied allegations that Carlin had a darker side, calling it instead, "A very profound sense of life, and comedy, and where he stood in the universe." He recalled one particular instance in the book that reveals the basis for much of Carlin's humor.

"He said, 'The most exciting moment in my life was when I discovered entropy,'" said Hendra. "Because the idea that the entire universe is decaying and dying is just hilarious."

And so is Last Words.

-Julie Kanfer