I'm not going to get into the argument over whether George Carlin's humor was offensive; if you're buying his book then you probably know what brand of humor you're going to get.

"When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops?" is clearly up Carlin's alley, but it definitely loses something in the print edition. This isn't the case for most of his other work (e.g. "Napalm and Silly Putty"), but this time around you get the feeling that he more or less dictated some of his stage routines into a tape recorder, which someone later transcribed.

I imagine that if you purchase the audio version of this one or, if you have a vivid enough imagination to "hear" the book in your mind's ear, you'll enjoy it much more.

The book was received well before it was scheduled to arrive. It was packaged nicely and in terrific condition. I am most satisfied with this purchase

Carlin, you will be missed. You were an absolute genius, and always under appreciated.

Rest in Peace.

This is a must-have for Carlin fans. If you don't have time to read, or don't know how to read, then buy the audio book. But don't miss this hilarious and insightful work from the master of intelligent comedy.

I highly recommend this book and audio book.

--Guy P. Harrison, author of 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God

I am not any huge George Carlin fan but I stumbled upon the book so decided to buy it and read it. The title "When will jesus Bring The Pork Chops?" caught my eye because it was a little different and sacreligious. Although the book has very little to do with this title it is very amusing. Its not a biography, you won't learn much from it and it has little continuety, it is just observational humor at its finest. Some of the things Carlin writes about you just have to stop and wonder how he came up with it and why he was even thinking about it. I didnt take offense to anything in this book (even those things targeted at my religion, profession etc.) This is not a book to be taken seriously, just sit back, relax and enjoy this quick read.

This is the 1st and last book by George Carlin that I'll ever read. What amazes me is that he found a publisher for this junk.

There is so much bloat, hypocrisy, obnoxiousness, stupidity, arrogance, deceit, and nonsense in American society that it is easy pickings for a comedian of George Carlin's inclinations and perceptiveness. Of course religion, a bizarre belief system retained from the Dark Ages, is in for a flood of verbal dousing from Carlin. While the devout may find that appalling, there are crucial aspects of society that are more difficult to capture in humor - like subtle and endemic class warfare.

It's doubtful that this book works as well as an actual performance. Comedic shifts that work on the stage look like disorganized snippets in a book. A lot of the material is funny, some seems merely factual, and some falls flat or even seems over-the-top or strained. The book could use a big dose of Carlin's cool and wise voice.

Reading, watching, or listening to someone poke holes in American society can be entertaining. Unfortunately, the fun doesn't last long - realities persist. Our culture has always been able to absorb and deflect alternative and dissenting voices. For the most part, those voices are actually carefully controlled. For example, anything said on stages in Las Vegas is not given serious attention. And those are the kind of places where Carlin can ply his trade.

A Christian fundamentalist reading this book is not believable. These one-star reviewers are merely using the title as an opportunity to vent against the Godless. For others, the book is mildly entertaining, though, as noted, it hardly alleviates conditions and perceptions that really are not all that funny.

Carlin's third book- not consistently funny as his first and second books. I like his randomness, but this one is too random. Some of the humour gets a bit disturbing, too. I think this should be Carlin's last book.

I love George Carlin. That is what made this so sad to me. He's taken what was a razor sharp wit and intense study of the human nature and turned it into a condemnation of most of nature and a lashing, embittered rant. I didn't find it funny. I didn't sit back and think "Well, the man has got a point." I simply kept thinking "He's seriously raging".
For political content, I much prefer Al Franken's books because he still holds a value for the humans around him.

A great cover, title and concept, but the details are disappointing.

What do you get when you buy a Carlin book? Mostly, material from his live performances put down on paper, as well as stories and bits not formatted to work well for performance, extra material that he doesn't perform (often it's "leftovers", frankly), and strings of observations and one-liners that stand on their own ("bits & pieces").

What is unique about this vs. previous Carlin books? The biggest problem with Carlin books, for fans of his live act, is the large portions that are familiar stuff culled from the live act. If you have it on CD already, inclusion in a book is redundant. The proportion of that is less here than in other books. That also means the proportion of unfinished, often unfunny material is higher. The new material is heavy on language analysis and observation, and less venomous then his recent stand-up material.

Seems like this book is good for: A, Carlin completists, like myself; and B, people who haven't seen much of his stand-up act, in which case it will be fresher stuff. Other people may find it to be sparse.

After listening to his great show "You Are All Diseased" I had high expectations of this book. Unfortunately, it never reaches the same level of hilarious outrage. Much of the book consists of a random assortment of observations, very few of them brilliant or laugh out loud funny. The only exception being a much more coherent part about euphemistic language, which is an ongoing thread in the book.

Carlin prides himself on being a "current" comedian, one never to pull a punch over sacred cows. Yet what religion is in the news five times a day for barbaric attacks against humanity in every corner of the world, including Carlin's NY (Remember 9/11)? Well, it ain't Christianity. Seems like Islam would make great material for Carlin's "dangerous" type of comedy. Mohammed is even alergic to pork chops. Yet, Carlin decides not to name his new book "When Will Mohammed Bring the Pork Chops?" This probably has something to do with Carlin's motto, in the book, "Always try not to get killed." So much for "dangerous."
The material in this book is mildly funny in a retro kind of way, as in if you transport your mind back to the 70's, you feel like you are reading something hip. Too bad Carlin's attitude toward religion is still stuck in a time when Muslims in America were as "exotic" and unfunny as Jains and Daoists; he could have made a great book.

OK, that's not entirely true. Usually I find the word "fart" to be very funny and George uses it a few times. And he's got a few other words like that which are usually funny, but he's somehow managed to take them all and make them all boring. "7 Dirty Words" was one of the funniest and edgiest comedy in its time and is still funny. Likewise, I loved his differences between baseball and football (even though I'm a baseball fan).

But this book doesn't come close to reaching the level of either of those books. Maybe Carlin's comdedy just doesn't translate well from the stage to the written word. I haven't read his other books so I can't compare there but his standup routines have me laughing out loud all the time and I didn't laugh once reading this. Honestly, some of these gags were as long an bad as some of the worst SNL seasons, when the skits when on painfully too long, or some of the losers from "Last Comic Standing" who didn't even make the first cattle call cut.

A lot of the book seemed very unoriginal. (cell phones in restaraunts.) Or dated (wow, we needed another OJ joke.) The whole continuing theme on euphemisms was just boring, boring, boring. 1 or 2 good euphemism jokes - maybe funny. Dozens of them through the whole book - he must have a a contractual obligation to fill some pages.

Now, the last part of my review is going to get me automatically written off as a right wing Christian nut by some of the reviewers who liked this book. But I've got to say this: it's possible to do humor about religion and make even the people it's about laugh: Church Lady is a great example of that, one of many. Calling people "stupid" because they are religious (page 14) not funny. Saying it would make him "happy" to see a "flaming auto wreck" with "smoke curling up around one of those little fish symbols with Jesus" (page 243) - not funny. Here are some of the other things he has to say about Christians: "these diaper-sniffing Christian babymongers" (p. 48), "Christians must be sick in the head" (p. 109), or religion in general "drone who has devoted his life to the self-deception of religion" (p 21). Or how about calling victims of priests' sexual molestation "stupid?" He does it on page 254 in "Catholic kids are stupid."

Now it's possible that a joke about Jesus and pork chops would have been funny, but we don't know that because, guess what - there isn't one in the whole book.

I'll try to be objective here.

George Carlin seems a bit past his prime. Most of the material is recycled from previous bits that were funny, but he lacks the luster and edge of his glorious youth. He sounds like a dirty old grumpy man. Some of his euphemisms still make me laugh, but I basically just skimmed through it a bit bored. Unless you are a hardcore Carlin fan, chances are this book won't amuse you. I've read some of his other books and find them much more creative and edgy. While this one has a few gems, it's by far his least inspiring book. But hey, everyone needs to eat and pay bills.

As for the title, you religous people need to lighten up. It's a joke. Ha ha ha. It's narrow minded of you to give books negative reviews just based on the title. When you review something, you're supposed to read it first and then form opinions second.

As a Christian I do not like anyone who is critical of my belief system, my God or the Son of God Our Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly I don't like this book, it is very naughty and the Lord will surely judge Mr Carlin very harshly. He may even send Mr Carlin to a little place called Hell and I don't think he would be so smug then. Some people might say that I'm bigoted and judgmental but these same people are also going to Hell.
Jokes about pork chops have their place but not where Jesus is involved. For shame.

Carlin's critics need to "get a life?" Carlin HIMSELF needs to! After all, I don't spend much time hoping that a comet will collide with the planet, putting humanity out of it's misery. If such a tragedy does occur, the lone voice that will be cheering is George Carlin.

In many ways, this review is like a eulogy. George has lost his universal appeal, and now just sounds like a radical homeless man ranting to himself as he shoves by you on fifth avenue.

People of faith BOTHER him? Oh well, that's near 90% of the world's population. No wonder the angry old geezer wants a comet to hit us and "end it all."

Carlin's hatred and vile are disguised by "it's only humor, after all." Much how a Klansman will hide behind a hooded mask.

What happened to the masterful comedian who delivered such routines as "a place for my stuff" and "fussy eater?" Alas, that more "mellow" Carlin was a drug addict. The Carlin we've been stuck with these past twenty years is a ranting, hateful, frustrated radical, nothing more.

Jeff Messenger, author of "The Shroud of Torrington."

First off, let me say that I'm certainly not one of these "right wing religious fanatics", my opinion on religion is pretty much the same as George Carlin's. Also, he happens to be my all time favorite comedian.

With that being said, I don't know what it is about this ... whatever it is ... spoken word album. As a whole, it falls flat. The vast majority of the material just isn't funny, or clever, but silly ... but not silly enough to be funny, just silly enough to be dumb.

I'm giving this 2 stars since this is from George Carlin. It *should* be much better than this. At the end of the day, this is all simply boring.

More great wit from the master of comedy. This is a great follow up to Brain Droppings. There is plenty to learn in this educational volume. For example

"Two plus two is not four. It is nine. Actually, everything is nine except seventeen. Seventeen is actually six."

Or that "A cheetah is actually slower than an armadillo. It only appears to be faster, because the armadillo moves so slowly."

You will also practice great skills like "Count the superfluous redundant pleonastic tautologies."

I bet Donald Rumsfeld would find the "Ninety-Nine Things to Know" bit very clearly stated. If you like Carlin's stand-up, or if you liked Brain Droppings you will love this book.

The outraged reviews of this book are almost as funny as the book itself. Look, if you consider yourself a member of the Christian sect, or more particularly a member of its more fundamentalist cults, then this book is obviously not for you. And make no mistake about it, Mr. Carlin IS making fun of you.

The Christian "right" is largely what is wrong with the US. As for "no understanding" of the Xian agenda, actually the contrary is true. We understand all too well the agenda of the American Taliban, led by Mullahs Robertson and Falwell, et al. Normally I would subtract points for selecting such easy targets for ridicule, but these are not normal times.

Perhaps satire will save the Republic from these people. Jesus certianily won't.

Ok now I am sure this is much better hearing Carlin read it then actually reading it yourself, but it still was torture. I mean he says some things that are funny, but most of his material is lame and just plain stupid. He also just says tons of random things, there seems to be no order. It is not really a book, but a standup routine that was badly put together. If he categorized his topics more it would have been better but not that much better. He was just all over the place and kept coming back to topics much much later. It is a shame too because I generally like Carlin and his work.

A very funny audio book that will have you laughing in no time. George Carlin does a great job in delivering the punch lines in this audio production of his latest book. There were parts I would listen at a public place and then just burst out laughing. He also divulges a bit of wisdom with his humour and one feels more enlightened. His one liners are the best and although a few parts are a bit boring or too long as a whole this book is quite funny. George Carlin is a man with a mission; his mission is to make you laugh and hopefully at times think a little out of the box. Highly recommended. This book contains five CDs and is narrated by the author. Piano snippets throughout enhance the listening experience and help to seperate parts.

I've been a fan of George Carlin for years. How's this: I actually wrote my college application essay on him way back in high school. (Sad, but true.) So I am pretty in tune with George's style. Plain and simple, this book is very funny, but certainly not his best material. Then again, considering what George has produced in the past, it would be hard for him to top it.

George is a dying breed. He carries the legacy of Lenny Bruce. At one point he was as straight laced as could be and then he turned a complete 180 degrees. I dont think there is a more observant or intelligent comedian out there today. If a politician said that he respected George Carlin's ideas, I'd vote for him on the spot.

Do you have a cynical streak in you? A disdain for authority? Skeptical of religion? Worried about America's social structure? Equally suspicious of liberals and democrats? Think with your own mind? Refuse to be told how to think? Enjoy sarcasm? If you answered yes to any of these questions then go buy the book.

Are you timid? Closed minded? Religious nut? American zealot? Interested in imposing your will on those around you? Believe that everything is either black or white? Then you should DEFINITELY buy this book!

Those new to George would do better with buying some of his earlier material. Occupation Foole as a recording or even one of Napalm and Silly Putty or Braindroppings books.

George Carlin apparently ran out of money about a year or so ago. So he went around to publishers and proposed a book that would be an exasperating hodgepodge of boring comedy snippets, misanthropic social observations, condescending non-sequiturs, and incomprehensible anecdotes, all with hardly a laugh to be had by the reader. George Carlin has long been my favorite stand-up comic, as his hard-hitting and subversive explorations of social behavior and belief systems offered both laughs and disconcerting deep thoughts. But after a few uproarious books previously, this one scrapes the bottom of Carlin's barrel. And no, I am not offended by Carlin's unforgiving assault on organized religion; in fact I agree with most of it, or at least I agree with Carlin's thought processes on finding the inconsistencies and errors in faith-based belief systems. This book also has a relatively healthy selection of observations in Carlin's real area of expertise – linguistics and the popular use of language. But these good points only make up a small portion of the book, and the rest is merely cranky, tiresome, and directionless. For example, large sections of the book consist of lists of so-called comedic thoughts like "everything except nine is seventeen. Seventeen is actually six." Huh? Add to this Carlin's inexorable slide into shocking offensiveness rather than enlightening discomfort, which used to be his mark of genius. This book shows a brilliant subversive transforming into a curmudgeonly misanthrope. Hope he makes a little money off it. [~doomsdayer520~]

George Carlin has been offending audiences since the 1960s, and it's worked for him for over 30 years. So why should he change now? If anything, the world has provided more material for Carlin; more stupid things people do, more political dog and pony shows, more lapses of common sense. In his latest book of humor, WHEN WILL JESUS BRING THE PORK CHOPS?, Carlin provides the laugh-out-loud moments that make people wonder why you are laughing hysterically in a room by yourself.

Ok, so Carlin isn't a comedian for the faint of heart, the easily offended, or the politically extreme. But everyone already knows that, and it's doubtful that these folks would even consider contributing to Carlin's wealth. However, for those who enjoy Carlin's observations, rantings, and satire, this book will provide a healthy dose of Carlinism.

In some cases I stared blankly at the pages, wondering where he was going with certain passages, but that's the beauty of Carlin. You never know what's going to come out of his mouth, or in this case, his pen, and I think he likes it that way. I think his aim is to befuddle you every now and then. Nonetheless, while reading most of the passages, nuggets of wisdom, and scenes, I produced either a muted snicker, a head nod, or a gut-wrenching fit of laughter. Fans of Carlin will appreciate this book, and those who question the motives of America and the rest of the world will likely enjoy this journey to Carlin-dom.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ? Reviewers

Carlin is too funny. I love it when he turns his wit toward laying waste to the right wing nutcases, prudes and homophobes. The man oughta be president, pope, and whatever else irks me to no end.

The title for me alone was enough to buy this great book. Simply because it mocks the 3 major religions on this planet.

George Carlin is the greatest comedian/social commentator alive!!

Geroge Carlin is an extremely gifted writer and observer of the daily situation in our country. He would be right up there with Mark Twain and others, if he could just avoid the generally considered filthy language.
Reading his book is similar to eating a gourmet meal sitting next to an overflowing lavatory.
George, please save your risky language for your comedy acts and bring us books of wisdom that we can all enjoy.

If your a right wing christian this book isnt for you carlin doesnt like your god or any other god for that matter why?Because all gods are imaginary bullsh*t and making fun of them is fun! Besides the bathroom humor was funny also his best book yet get this now and enjoy!

George Carlin is the guy who brought you four-letter words to
Television, and aren't we a better society for it! Wow. I am not
sure why I thought maybe this book would be different, but it isn't.
During the first few chapters, I just kept thinking, this
old guy really needs to grow up one of these days. His mentality
is stuck back in junior high, which is really pathetic. And I am
still waiting for that first laugh in this book. It just isn't
funny. Why do people keep calling him a comedian? I repeat, he
isn't funny.

This book was not that great although certain parts of it were very funny. If you like euphemisms then Carlin has some excellent observations that will make you laugh out loud. Some of the book was very strange and not funny at all - in particular the parts where he talks about certain uncles and the traits they have. It's like Carlin had a random musing that he found funny and decided to use it as filler space. I did not care for his commentary on domestic violence - something that is never funny no matter how you look at it. I wasn't a big fan of Carlin's America bashing either mainly because he makes his living primarily here in the States. If it's so awful he should go elsewhere and reject the profits of us idiots. As far as the religious commentary is concerned, it wasn't that bad really. I could see how individuals who are very devout would be offended, but then again the title and the book cover should clue those folks in that maybe the book isn't for them. Overall, the book isn't worth buying although I'd be interested in hearing the audio version if there is one.

darth wedgie wrote and i quote

"I read this waste of trees in a friend's bathroom (there was nothing else to read but shampoo bottles). Not a single laugh from beginning to end."

so let me get this straight, you read an entire book....in one bathroom sitting?

they're called prunes, give 'em a try.

or maybe next time you're going for broke, shoot me out a diamond, tight cheeks.

I love Carlin's humor, but it does not translate well in print. Some of the passages in this book are hilarious, but then there are just as many bizarre bits that seem to exist just to fill space. One bit is about an uncle telling his nephew to go to sleep while reminding the boy about previous acts of violence the uncle has committed in the boy's presence. This isn't satire, nor is it humor in any way. It's just foolish. Carlin is a comedic genius, one of the few truly great minds that expose the underbelly of every aspect of America, but parts of this book read like the man has taken a serious blow to the head. I gave this book three stars because Carlin's usual hilarious barbs about American life are always worth the price of admission. However, I couldn't finish reading the book, due to the alarming amount of pabulum the reader is forced to wade through to get to the good parts.

The reaction to this book on the part of many reviewers only proves George Carlin's point: That we as a society have become too sensitive, intolerant, and politically correct. Yes, much of this book is stinging, biting--even morbid--but Carlin's wit and wonderful writing ability thoroughly entertain through the pages of WHEN WILL JESUS BRING THE PORK CHOPS?

Here we have Carlin at his absolute curmudgeonly, disrespectful best. Nothing--and I mean nothing--is sacred in this book, as Carlin launches attacks, observations, and rants over everything from the government, to religion, to politics and politicians, to entertainment, to our diet, our lifestyles, our collective insecurity as a culture--you name it. And most of it is funny, some of it distasteful. . .and then some of it so off-the-wall I was wondering if the author had lapsed into another state of consciousness (and not from this world).

By far my most enjoyable portions of the book had to do with Carlin's discussion of all the endless euphemisms invented to take the bluntness out of life and make us all feel better about ourselves. For instance, we no longer have "poor people," we have the "economically disadvantaged." How nice. A nursing home is now an "assisted living center." Even funeral homes have become "death-care centers." Over and over, Carlin points out the countless euphemisms we have adopted to sanitize and plunder our language--and it's funny and sad at the same time.

But relax, my friends. This is all satire. Carlin doesn't mean this stuff. Or does he?
--D. Mikels

Carlin is like a xxx version of Seinfeld. The observations are just as astute yet tend to have more swears and references to body parts. He couldn't be any funnier. This book is similar to his previous "Brain Droppings" in that he goes on rant after rant about what's wrong with the world. And be damned if he isn't on the mark 99/100 times. This book is primarily with the politically correct euphemisms that our culture is plagued with. They are not old they are elderly. They are not stewardesses, they are flight attendants. It is not a fart it is a spontaneous expulsion of unnecessary methane surplus... And so forth. Basically showing that political correctness always involves saying more words than are necessary to convey the point - Perhaps that is why politicians are so Politically correct? If you hate the new "softer" more caring world we live in this book is for you. There are Jabs at the Right and the Left (More at the Right) but Carlin is equally poignant when it comes to addressing how ridiculous America has become.
Buy this book and enjoy Carlin's take on "a rose by any other name..."

Relic113

Carlin is like a xxx version of Seinfeld. The observations are just as astute yet tend to have more swears and references to body parts. He couldn't be any funnier. This book is similar to his previous "Brain Droppings" in that he goes on rant after rant about what's wrong with the world. And be damned if he isn't on the mark 99/100 times. This book is primarily with the politically correct euphemisms that our culture is plagued with. They are not old they are elderly. They are not stewardesses, they are flight attendants. It is not a fart it is a spontaneous expulsion of unnecessary methane surplus... And so forth. Basically showing that political correctness always involves saying more words than are necessary to convey the point - Perhaps that is why politicians are so Politically correct? If you hate the new "softer" more caring world we live in this book is for you. There are Jabs at the Right and the Left (More at the Right) but Carlin is equally poignant when it comes to addressing how ridiculous America has become.
Buy this book and enjoy Carlin's take on "a rose by any other name..."

If you are a fan of George Carlin, you will not be dissapointed with his latest effort. While it contains material that you might have heard in various stand-up specials, much of it I had yet to come across. Even the recycled stuff was amusing to see in print. While many are offended by his frank approach to everyday situations, it is exactly what makes him so damn funny. He says all the things that humans may think, but would never have the guts to say. Half the book will make you giggle, half will make you think, but all of it is entertaining and is highly recommended to those of you who get his brand of black/cynical humor. I had two problems with the book: 1. it's huge leading (space between lines) stretches the text over many more pages than was necessary. And 2. it left me wondering: When WILL Jesus bring the pork chops?

Much of this book was witty, true, and included things that you wish someone had said but no one ever did. My problem was with the bathroom humor. When Carlin went off in this direction he was not funny, he was not even witty, he was generally just plain disgusting. I imagine that bathroom humor can be made to have some wit, but he missed it here. He is much more enjoyable to watch than he came across, on balance, in this book . . and he should stick to that . . George, don't quit your day job!

Ouch! I HATE writing a bad review for George. I LOVE him. Have for many, many year. So it was with great optimism I picked up his latest book. I have to admit I didn't finish it. I couldn't. It just wasn't funny. And it wasn't enlightening. It was just confusing and boring. Sorry, George.

No one has a better grasp than Carlin for the mutating of our english language. George hits it righton the head with how rediculous the way people talk has gotten. George has given an excellent "reality check" for the readers on many levels of formal conversation.

Ofcourse, in between his mastery of finding the absurdity in our language, he mentions scenarios that seem to be nothing more than poorly thought or partially thought out out space-fillers in his book.

If you can burn through the poorly written situations, you will find some good stuff in his book.

Well done!

Luckily in brick and mortar bookstores the customer has the opportunity to browse through the books he contemplates buying. So I looked at Pork Chops the other day. Now my background is that I consider George Carlin to be one of the greatest comic geniuses in the English speaking world. Seven words you can't say. An hour of free floating hatred. Etc etc etc. I was even one of those rare persons who loved _George_, his short-lived sitcom. I even continue to laugh about the episode that turned on the toxic effects of insufficient hair-washing.

Unfortunately, this book was not funny. In vain, I searched through the pages to find something to make me laugh out loud, to guffaw, or maybe chuckle. Nothing. Not even a wry smirk. I hope his much-publicized time in detox brings him back to form. As for me, I satisfied my need for comic ranting with a Dennis Miller book.

I've read all three of Carlin's books, and this is by far the worst. It really feels like Carlin was scraping the bottom of the barrel for material. It's very observational, but not very funny. Most of the book (I stopped at about page 95) is his word-play, which can be clever at times when it's interspersed with other funny material. But page after page of word-play and rants about euphimisms gets old. If you want funny Carlin material, read Brain Droppings, which had me laughing so hard I cried several times. Sorry, George, but this book is not funny.

I read this waste of trees in a friend's bathroom (there was nothing else to read but shampoo bottles). Not a single laugh from beginning to end. What you get is crudeness and unfunny observations unbecoming of a man Carlin's age (which is what, 103)? Carlin may pretend to be a rebel and outside the mainstream, but he's really a "bleeding ponytail," a millionaire who denounces the rich as if he were poor and trashes Whites and Christians, as do all of the politically-brainless liberal Hollywood-types who don't have the ba**s to tackle who the REAL screwups are. ZERO STARS.

Bypass any feelings you may have about the title. This isn't an attack on Christianity, folks, but one guy's take on life, touching on such topics as how words evolved over time, the language of football compared to baseball and other intriguing aspects of our culture.
Carlin knows we're all a little nuts (or would it be better to say we're "quirky" or "eccentric")? His genius is exposing our peculiarities, forcing us to think about the oddities in the world, especially when it comes to human reasoning and logic.
So why all the controversy over this book? Is it just the title? Looking at the world from Carlin's perspective, even if it is just for an afternoon or two, doesn't have to be threatening...and you don't have to stick around for the ride if you get too uncomfortable.

I think George Carlin is a great comedian. He's very funny. However, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? does not compare favorably with Brain Droppings or Napalm and Silly Putty. It's not quite as funny, and more of it is sick/disgusting than in the previous two books. Obviously, I was expecting something of the sort, so the problem isn't that I found it offensive. It just wasn't as funny as I was expecting. However, some of it is hysterical, and once again Carlin has a keen eye for for the stupidity and naivete of Americans. If you're a Carlin fan, go for it, but don't expect it to be quite as good as he used to be.

This book reads like rough notes for stand-up routines, unfinished, a few rare good bits. A lot of it is ghoulish and piggish. You have to see Carlin perform to appreciate him. He does not come over at all in print.

I used to love George Carlin. I thought he was the funniest thing this side of hell and damnation. But in recent years (I trace it back to the first heart attack, myself) his humor muse seems to have deserted him. Most of this stuff does not even remotely compare to the early Carlin stand-up albums. And I am not a right-wing wacko who is offended by the anti-Christian stance that Carlin seems to make a staple of his comedy these days. I just don't think very much of it is very funny. Some of the pieces here, to be sure, sent me into spasms of hysterics, but these were few and far between. My reccommendation? Get Carlin's Little David Years box set which has the classic "Occupation: Foole" (as referenced in my title) as well as six others including the Grammy Award winning "FM & AM".

I am a huge George Carlin fan. I sometimes pull his first book, "Braindroppings" off the shelf for a quick cheer-me-up. Its a FUNNY book. The problem with 'When will Jesus..." is its really not that funny. I felt like I was reading the rantings of a crotchety , bitter old man, without the usual Carlin finesse. "THE FANATICS WILL WIN...anyone who supports the US will be killed.Save your money for the black market folks, you're going to need it". Not funny. If I want to hear a crotchety old man, I'll call my father in Pittsburgh. I don't even care if Carlin messes with Jesus. I just wish he'd be funny while doing it.

I really enjoyed Carlin's previous books. They were for the most part sharp and profound. "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?" is a real disappointment. George seems to have literally run out of ideas. His commentary seems forced and for what he lacks in humor he tries to make up with crudeness. I was bored. I'd save my money on this one. But if you haven't read his others...give them a try.

Pure trash. Not one redeaming quality about this DVD. An insult to anyone that is Christian.

George Carlin, a gifted satirist and social observer, was a hero of my youth. Now he just seems to hate people. Twisted with malice, relishing experiences that should cause him remorse, he has become the poster child for "When Atheists Go Bad." He has truly run out of material if the best he can offer is this batch of pointless profanity, vulgarity, blasphemy and sacrilege. Other than the mildly interesting sections on euphemisms (the basis of my 2-star rating), this book is just trash.

Carlin hates Christianity, reserving his most bitter venom for his own Catholic Church. He "jokes" that he has paid for at least one abortion. As a Roman Catholic, I am truly sorry for whatever turned him into such a self-absorbed misanthrope. It's sad that he can't see past his childhood hurts and get over his self-lacerating hatred of Christians.

I'm not going to bother defending my view from reviewers who assume that I am a Christian without a sense of humor, as though those two characteristics necessarily go together. I pray that they learn to distinguish humor (even crude humor) from mere vulgarity.

This book is little more than the desperate plea by a has-been for a little more public attention. Some pages have over a dozen profanities and/or extremely crude sexual references. Carlin targets almost every vulnerable group -- from blind girls (who are worth nothing but for their skills in bed - ha! ha!) to the handicapped. Like a naughty 8th-grader, he invents a sex scene between St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary (ho! ho!). Take away the profanity and hatefulness, and there's not much left to this tiny volume.