George Carlin's 'It's a Big Club & You Ain't In It!' – A Timeless Stand-Up Revelation

Noah Silverbrook

Updated Thursday, July 18, 2024 at 12:00 AM CDT

George Carlin's stand-up routine, 'It's a Big Club & You Ain't In It!' has been resonating with audiences for nearly two decades. The legendary comedian's sharp critique of politics and society remains as relevant today as when it first debuted. Carlin's incisive observations highlight the grim reality of political manipulation, where the true power lies with wealthy business interests, not the politicians who are merely figureheads.

In his act, Carlin eloquently argues that politicians hide behind symbols like the flag, the Bible, and children, using slogans like "No child left behind" to mask deeper systemic failures. He asserts that the education system is deliberately kept subpar to ensure a population of obedient workers, just smart enough to operate machinery but not savvy enough to challenge the status quo.

Carlin's biting humor lays bare the illusion of choice in the political sphere, noting that the real owners of the country – the big corporations – have long since bought off the Senate, Congress, and media, effectively controlling all critical information and decisions. His prediction that the elites' goal is to extract more from the general populace while giving less in return has proven disturbingly accurate.

Fans of Carlin, like the user who commented, "This guy is basically a Ted Talk and makes it funny. I'm 36 and seen all his stand-up specials. RIP George. We all miss ya, man," appreciate his ability to blend humor with profound insights. Another user remarked on Carlin's prophetic qualities, stating, "There's a reason why Carlin was often called a prophet posthumously, it's because he saw through the nonsense even before the internet and major discourse avenues blew up, and was right about every single bit of it, ESPECIALLY present day."

The routine has aged like fine wine, as another user put it, and has become a staple in discussions about the disparity between the haves and have-nots. One user aptly summarized the sentiment: "The sooner the general population realizes this, the sooner we'll actually start to fix what's wrong. The corporate elites want you to believe it's left vs right. In reality, it's the haves vs the have-nots…the same people sign the paychecks of the corporate Dems and Republicans!"

Carlin’s words continue to inspire reflection and debate, as highlighted by comments like, "Scary how true his words are still. Carlin was a very smart man and he knew exactly what was going on with this country and what was wrong with it long before more Americans got a whiff of it."

For those looking to delve deeper into the timeless wisdom of George Carlin, his stand-up special 'It's a Big Club & You Ain't In It!' is a must-watch. It serves as a humorous yet sobering reminder of the entrenched power structures that continue to shape our world.

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View source: Reddit

Top Comments from Reddit

April-Wine

stands the test of time..

MyBossIsShort

This guy is basically a Ted Talk and makes it funny. I'm 36 and seen all his stand up specials. RIP George. We all miss ya, man.

Bobdole3737

THIS is why ordinary people need to stop arguing with each other over the red bloods and the blue crips, because they don't own s***!! They're arguing over terf, but don't OWN the street. Politicians come & go, and they are all PRE-SELECTED "selections" to make you think you have a "choice" as to who will "run the country", but really, you have no choice as long as you're arguing over the trees and not looking deeper into the REAL forest of players that manage, operate, manipulate, and own & (REALLY) control EVERYTHING!! While we eat each other, they laugh at the useful idiots (\*their words) as they play us off against each other and deceive us with the "free press" into viciously attacking one another constantly. It's a magic trick ppl, it ain't real!! Politicians come & go, the CANCER that is really killing us stays, spreads, and never leaves

arvo_sydow

This stand up came out 19 years ago. There's a reason why Carlin was often called a prophet posthumously, it's because he saw through the b******* even before the internet and major discourse avenues blew up, and was right about every single bit of it, ESPECIALLY present day. And we as a people still let the same f***s who he was talking about near two decades ago run the show today. This standup was quoted a lot with my family when it came out. It was my grandpa who said in regards to this bit that "the ones who know well enough don't want to join the club. The ones who do the most damage are those who think they can vote their way into the club."

BigClubandUaintInIt

The sooner the general population realizes this, the sooner we’ll actually start to fix what’s wrong. The corporate elites want you to believe it’s left vs right. In reality, it’s the haves vs the have-nots…the same people sign the paychecks of the corporate Dems and Republicans!

br00dle

All too true

DaZozz

This aged like fine wine.

2kids2adults

Truer words were never so humorously spoke. George, you were way ahead of your time.

slapchop29

Literally quote this daily since 2015

PettyTodd

Still sad, and more true than ever!

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