If George Carlin were still alive, he might be cracking jokes about how no celebrity’s going to make it out of 2008 unscathed. What with the deaths of Heath Ledger, Sydney Pollack, Stan Winston, and handfuls of other Hollywood legends, the year seemed bad enough already. Then Amy Winehouse, whose soulful tunes are popular in both film and T.V., was diagnosed with emphysema at 24. It’s a bad year to be famous.

But George Carlin isn’t here to tell the tale. He, too, has fallen victim to this year of loss.

At 71, Carlin had a full career as one of America’s most famous comedians. His bit “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” made famous the list of seven obscenities that can never be used on T.V. He was the subject of endless controversy, since nearly all of his rants had the potential to offend. Because of his “seven dirty words,” the FCC came to a decision to allow “indecent” (but not “obscene”) material between 10 pm and 6 am. This time period became known as “safe harbor.”

Born in New York City, Carlin tried to make a career of the Air Force but was dishonorably discharged. He made his way onto the airwaves as a disc jockey, then gained success as a standup comedian at coffeehouses.

He first appeared on T.V. in the ’60s, and he began to refine some of his famous bits. His “seven dirty words” performance got him arrested in 1972, which was the beginning of many struggles against censorship for Carlin - on behalf of entertainers everywhere.

In recent years, Carlin was recognized by the industry as an outstanding talent with the kind of staying power that’s rare for his kind. After many awards and accolades, he finally succumbed to heart disease in L.A. yesterday.

I guess the best way to honor his memory is to just enjoy the decline of civilization as best we can. Because, after all:

“When you’re born, you get a ticket to the freak show. When you’re born in America, you get a front-row seat.”

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