Occupation: Foole

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1973 live album by George Carlin

Occupation: Foole

Live album by

George Carlin

Released| October 1973
Recorded| March 2–3, 1973, Circle Star Theater, San Carlos, California
Genre| Comedy
Length| 48:03
Label| Little David/Atlantic
George Carlin chronology
| Class Clown
(1972)  | Occupation: Foole
(1973)  | Toledo Window Box
(1974)

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Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
Allmusic| [1]

Occupation: Foole is the fifth album released by American comedian George Carlin. It was recorded on March 2 and 3, 1973 at the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos, California, and released in October of that year. The album was later included as part of the 1992 Classic Gold collection, and The Little David Years (1971-1977) box set in 1999.

Much of Occupation: Foole is devoted to Carlin's observations about growing up on the Upper West Side of New York City in the 1950s, covering everything from gang culture to school life. The final track, "Filthy Words", is a continuation and expansion of "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" from his previous album, Class Clown.

## Background and legacy

[edit]

When asked in the January 1982 issue of Playboy if any of his albums had been done during a heavy cocaine period, Carlin said, "The Class Clown album was done totally sober. I'd realized what a hell I'd made for myself and I cleaned up completely for three months. You can hear the clarity of my thinking and of my speech on that album. But by the next one, Occupation: Foole, I was right back into the trip again. I'm more frantic, more breathless. You can hear how sick I am. If you want to see a cokehead, just look at the pictures on the Occupation: Foole album. The angles of my body show you an awful lot. I started doing coke to feel open but by that time the hole had opened so wide that I'd fallen through. The body language in those photos tells you everything."[2]

During the performance of his "Filthy Words" routine Carlin was handed a piece of paper by a stage hand, and after reading the paper announced that he had just won the 1973 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording for his FM & AM release. The Grammy Awards were being broadcast at the same time he was on stage, and he had not attended because he was contracted to perform the concert which became Occupation Foole on the same night.

The "Filthy Words" routine also became the subject of a complaint made to the United States Federal Communications Commission after it was broadcast uncensored on New York City radio station WBAI on October 30, 1973. Following the lodging of a complaint, the FCC proceeded to ask Pacifica, the owners of WBAI, for a response, then issued a declaratory order upholding the complaint. No specific sanctions were included in the order but WBAI was put on notice that "in the event subsequent complaints are received, the Commission will then decide whether it should utilize any of the available sanctions it has been granted by Congress." Pacifica appealed this decision, which ultimately made its way to the Supreme Court of the United States. In Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation, the Court declared that the FCC has the authority to prohibit broadcasts containing indecent language during hours in which children could be listening.[3]

## Track listing

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### Side one

[edit]

1. "Welcome to My Job" - 3:02
2. "Occupation: Foole" - 3:41
3. "White Harlem" - 4:45
4. "The Hallway Groups" - 2:07
5. "Black Consciousness" - 2:38
6. "New York Voices" - 7:06

### Side two

[edit]

1. "Grass Swept the Neighborhood" - 1:25
2. "Childhood Cliches" - 4:04
3. "Cute Little Farts" - 5:10
4. "Raisin Rhetoric" - 2:06
5. "Filthy Words" - 11:30

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Occupation: Foole at AllMusic
2. ^ Merrill, Sam (January 1982). "Playboy Interview: George Carlin". Playboy. Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
3. ^ Sergi, Joe. "Obscenity Case Files: FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (George Carlin's Seven Dirty Words)". Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Retrieved November 20, 2024.

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* t
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George Carlin

Albums|

* Burns and Carlin at the Playboy Club Tonight
* Take-Offs and Put-Ons
* FM & AM
* Class Clown
* Occupation: Foole
* Toledo Window Box
* An Evening with Wally Londo Featuring Bill Slaszo
* On the Road
* A Place for My Stuff
* Carlin on Campus
* Playin' with Your Head
* What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
* Parental Advisory: Explicit Lyrics
* Jammin' in New York
* Back in Town
* You Are All Diseased
* Complaints and Grievances
* Life Is Worth Losing
* It's Bad for Ya
* I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die

Compilations|

* Indecent Exposure
* Classic Gold
* The Little David Years (1971–1977)

HBO specials|

* On Location
* Again!
* Carlin at Carnegie
* On Campus
* Playin' with Your Head
* What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
* Doin' It Again
* Jammin' in New York
* Back in Town
* 40 Years of Comedy
* You Are All Diseased
* Complaints and Grievances
* Life Is Worth Losing
* It's Bad for Ya

Books|

* Sometimes a Little Brain Damage Can Help
* Brain Droppings
* Napalm and Silly Putty
* More Napalm and Silly Putty
* When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?
* Three Times Carlin: An Orgy of George
* Last Words

Related articles|

* Seven dirty words
* "D'oh-in' in the Wind"
* Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation
* The George Carlin Show
* Kelly Carlin
* Thomas & Friends
* Shining Time Station

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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