The George Carlin Factor
Who needs audience research, just study George Carlin, watch South Park and the Simpsons.
Seriously, some old school media has often been disconnected in big picture, that future focused thinking that touches the nerves of the street.They can buy or integrate technology, but when it comes to public perception they can be lost. It’s ok, they can’t help it. Hire enough MBAs with limited street sense and that’s what happens. Broadcasters used to be broadcasters and you had some majorly brilliant TV and Radio. Then it became big consolidated business and The “business” was taken a bit TOO seriously at the expense of what MAKES the business, and they lost their soul to numbers. The music business is the same way. Yes, the numbers are bigger than ever but imagine if it had its soul back. MOST of the guys that ran the music business back then were music fans…passionate ones and regardless of their often questionable practices, they DID embrace music. You didn’t hear many of them talking about music as “product.”
Anyways, back to Carlin. His mind, his comedic DNA can be applied to just about anything. Watch his stuff. It’s a commentary on culture and he consistently nailed it. He told me about Trump 15 years ago. Not literally Donald, but how the (his actual quote) “shithead professional politicians are going to have their dicks handed to them by someone who pisses off Washington and delights the realguy. “. Forget love/hate for Trump, it was his OBSERVATION that was infinitely powerful. He also made fun of mindless Top 40 Radio with his routines in the late 60’s…a few years before the rest of us saw how culturally disconnected that style had become. And stupid advertising….and marketing bullshit…and the list goes on. And he was right on all counts.
Add South Park and the Simpsons among others and embrace their powerful commentary. Kent Brockman the jive TV anchor, or the “funny FM small market morning radio DJ’s”— perfect. Yet most everyone continues to believe in and air that crap as REALITY at a time when the New Mainstream is eye rolling or simply tuning out.
It’s all about STREET REALITY. So is Howard Stern…the Simpsons and the late great George Carlin. Street Reality is FAR more enlightening and entertaining than MEDIA REALITY which with some notable exceptions, is so far off the reality of the street, that it’s toxic.
If there’s parody going on—- what they are attacking probably deserves it. Beats market research as a street level culture barometer every time. Now Here’s a brilliant one-on-one with George we did at XM Definitely worth a watch: