Seven words you can never say on television

Another great comic has fallen.

George Carlin has passed away, after checking himself into hospital for a chest pain on Sunday. He died a few hours later, aged 71.

Carlin produced 23 albums and a number of books during his 50 years on stage.

He was a skilled dissector and observer of language. He made fun of society's outrage over drugs with biting social commentaries.

"It as joy to watch this culture and species destroy itself and it's habitat," he said recently. "When you're born in this world, you're given a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in this country [USA] you're given a front row seat."

Most infamous for his 1972 monologue of Seven words you can never say on television, which saw him arrested for disturbing the peace. The furore went all the way to the Supreme Court, after the recording made it to radio stations all over the country.

The government's Federal Communications Commission had to rule on what was appropriate language. The US Supreme Court upheld the FCC action by a vote of 5 to 4, ruling that the routine was "indecent but not obscene".

Of course some of the seven words, you now can say on television.

For the record, the seven words were" 'Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, Tits'
He later added Fart, Turd and Twat.

Here's George explaining the use of these words back in the early 70's...