Life is a near-death experience.
George CarlinRead
Keep in mind, the news media are not independent; they are a sort of bulletin board and public relations firm for the ruling class-the people who run things. Those who decide what news you will or will not hear are paid by, and tolerated purely at the whim of, those who hold economic power. If the parent corporation doesn't want you to know something, it won't be on the news. Period. Or, at the very least, it will be slanted to suit them, and then rarely followed up.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the media's dependence on economic power and the influence of the ruling class in shaping public perception.
In this quote, George Carlin highlights the lack of true independence in news media, suggesting that they serve the interests of powerful corporations rather than the public. By drawing attention to the gatekeeping function of the media, he emphasizes that what is reported, and how it is presented, is often dictated by those who possess economic power, ultimately leading to a manipulated understanding of current events by the public.
Themes
MediaPowerNewsCorporationManipulation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a speech about media literacy to illustrate the importance of questioning information sources.
More from George Carlin
All quotes →Here’s a bumper sticker I’d like to see: “We are the proud parents of a child who’s self-esteem is sufficient that he doesn’t need us promoting his minor scholastic achievements on the back of our car."
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If you've got a cat and a leg, you've got a happy cat. If you've got a cat and two legs, you've got a party.
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This is a lttle prayer dedicated to the separation of church and state. I guess if they are going to force those kids to pray in schools they might as well have a nice prayer like this: Our Father who art in heaven, and to the republic for which it stands, thy kingdom come, one nation indivisible as in heaven, give us this day as we forgive those who so proudly we hail. Crown thy good into temptation but deliver us from the twilight's last gleaming. Amen and Awomen.
George CarlinRead
Some people try to get out of jury duty by lying. You don't have to lie. Tell the judge the truth. Tell him you'd make a terrific juror because you can spot guilty people.
George CarlinRead
Intelligence tests are biased toward the literate.
George CarlinRead
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A touchstone to determine the actual worth of an "intellectual" - find out how he feels about astrology.
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