George Carlin: Jammin' in New York
George Carlin: Jammin' in New York
| 25 April 1992 (USA)
George Carlin: Jammin' in New York Trailers

When George Carlin is asked which HBO concert is his favorite, his answer is always, "Jammin’ In New York." The show, taped at the Paramount Theater in Madison Square Garden and winner of the 1992 CableACE Award, is a perfect blend of biting social commentary and more gently-observed observational pieces.

Reviews
BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment
Infamousta brilliant actors, brilliant editing
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
nycritic If George Carlin has been known to use outrage and combine it with a razor-sharp wit to express his comedy, and if in his previous outing: DOING IT AGAIN, he was his usual manic, curmudgeonly self, JAMMIN' IN NEW YORK finds him just this shy of pure rage.It comes to no surprise to anyone who has seen Carlin on stage that he isn't one to shy away from telling it like it is for better or for worse. He begins his routine by immediately going political: about the Persian Gulf War, he says, "It's first war we've had that was on every news channel, plus cable. We like war because we're a war-like people (...) We're good at it. And it's a good thing we are, we're not very good at anything else anymore!" With this he begins his attack on how we as a nation can bomb other countries, especially "brown people" (except Germans, and only because they were trying to 'cut in on our action.'). He talks about being his own person, someone who thinks for himself, and about how war is about "prick-waving" and nothing else. And seeing it today as yesterday it makes sense: all he's pointing the finger at is on the general situation and where we're headed, and no one is better than he in making war as a concept a sexual thing and an issue of manhood.But he soon gets the political stuff out of the way, and goes into dissertations on embarrassing situations -- the trivial things we go through -- which are flat-out funny. No one better than Carlin to talk about how when there are times when you're coming up the stairs and think there is one extra step, or when you've woken up and not known which day it was. And of course, his forte: language, and our misuse or over use of it for things that don't need such technicality. Who better than he to talk about the minutiae of airplane instructions? Carlin, with his wonderful language and powerful wit, makes it happen. Often, it's funny, sometimes, a little cringe-inducing, but give me someone who does not like his humor and his incursions into the darker side of humanity and I will give you a liar. What is comedy, than a reflection of people's foibles and human tragedy?
Son_of_Mansfield George Carlin has only become more angry and bitter, making his comedy all the more funny. It also makes his comments on humanity, such as the state of the earth, all the more insightful and cutting. You can hear a pin drop during some of this show, people are not sure if it is safe to laugh. The best comedians can do this. The heavy war and earth stuff is counterweighted with lighter fare such as the stupidity of airline safety speeches. The golf course jokes are somewhere in between. Take this and Robin Williams joke about drunk Scotts creating golf to truly revel in the inanity of the most frustratingly boring sport ever imagined. George Carlin isn't for everyone, the old structure loving will be unpleased, but he is an intelligent man who is one of the most consistently amusing and relevant comics in the mainstream.
departed07 George Carlin has been talking about the way Americans act, talk, what should be taken out, and why are we sensitive. In Jammin in New York, he goes all out in a way I had never seen him. I had seen his special on HBO in January of 2002, which I got to say made me laugh more than anybody on the planet. Some of the lines like: somebody got f*ck in the ass! BLTPT! BLTPT! made me laugh my ass off. I only wish Sam Kinison were alive to see itFrom the specials i have seen George Carlin in, Jammin in New York is the best one
MisterWhiplash Carlin comes back to New York in this 1992 comedy special and I actually liked it. This time, anger comes into him like never before and it fuels his comedy as he rants about the Persian Gulf War/Penises, Universal moments we share, The planet and environment, flying on the airplanes and the best part, Golf Courses for the homeless. Terrific entertainment with a added incentive: comes to Madison Square Garden to perform and makes the crowd rolling. Excellent, for Carlin fans. Best line: "What about those passengers traveling with large children? Suppose you have a 2 year old with a pertuitary disorder, you know a 6ft infant with an oversized head?" A++