Stewart, Maher, Shandling, Tomlin, Rivers & More Join Kennedy Center's George Carlin Tribute

Variety reports that Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Garry Shandling, Lily Tomlin, Denis Leary, Joan Rivers, Lewis Black, Richard Belzer, Margaret Cho and more will appear on November 10, 2008 at the Kennedy Center as they pay tribute to George Carlin.

The Kennedy Center will posthumously award The Mark Twain Prize to the late George Carlin at the eleventh annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. The evening will recognize the life and achievements of the late comedian. Carlin passed away on June 22, 2008.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of this great American comedian," said Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman. "At this year's Mark Twain Prize, we will celebrate his many contributions to the world of comedy in a special tribute."

It's a great loss, not only to the world of humor but to America's conscience," said Bob Kaminsky, Peter Kaminsky, Mark Krantz, and Cappy McGarr, Executive Producers of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, in a collective statement." George kept us honest. Of this sad day he might have said that the only truly "dirty word" is death. George Carlin is as deserving as ever of our nation's highest award for humor."

Mark Twain, Buster Keaton, Dorothy Parker, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Jonathan Winters, Carl Reiner, Bob Newhart, Lily Tomlin, Lorne Michaels...

American history is filled with countless comedians and writers of piercing wit who have left their mark on our ideas, attitudes, and language. The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor was created to honor the brilliant minds that elbow American culture to see if it's still alive-and make us laugh about it. The award ceremony is a grand, star-studded tribute to the schtick, gags, wry anecdotes, and unflinching observations that remind us that we are human.

For a man who gleefully named characters Spinal Meningitis, Snodgrass, or Huckleberry, Mark Twain was always painfully aware of what he called "the baseness and hypocrisy and cruelties" of the human race. Twain's humor was always a thin veil, if any, of his social criticisms. His fearless observations outraged many while delighting many more. The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor thus recognizes an artist who has made a significant contribution to the world of American comedy.

For more information, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/specialevents/marktwain/

Photo by Sara De Boer/Retna Ltd.