George Carlin

George Carlin's 1972 arrest and the subsequent Supreme Court case FCC v. Pacifica Foundation (1978) over his Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television routine established a landmark First Amendment ruling that still governs broadcast media. Carlin released 23 stand-up specials over a 50-year career, won 5 Grammy Awards, performed at the first-ever HBO comedy special in 1977, and was posthumously awarded the Mark Twain Prize in 2008.