George Carlin was never a man to mince words. He loved them. He analyzed them. Mostly, he enjoyed using them to poke holes in the polite facade of American society. In 1972, he walked onto a stage at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and changed the legal landscape of American broadcasting forever. He didn't do it with a manifesto or a political speech. He did it with a seven-minute comedy routine called "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television."
People call them the 7 deadly words george carlin listed, though he usually referred to them as the "seven dirty words." Whatever you call them, they weren't just a list of profanities. They were a challenge.
What are the 7 deadly words george carlin famous for?
It’s the question that still leads to hushed tones in some circles. If you grew up in a certain era, these words were the nuclear bombs of language. Carlin’s original list, in the specific order he delivered them on his Class Clown album, was:
- Shit
- Piss
- Fuck
- Cunt
- Cocksucker
- Motherfucker
- Tits
That’s it. Seven words.
Honestly, by today's standards, some of these feel almost quaint. You can hear "shit" on basic cable at 2:00 PM on a Tuesday. "Tits" is practically a medical term in some contexts. But in 1972? This was high treason against "decency." Carlin wasn't just being vulgar for the sake of it. He was fascinated by the idea that certain sounds, when pushed through human lips, were considered so dangerous they had to be banned from the public airwaves.
The Arrest that Started it All
Carlin didn't just talk about these words on a record; he took the show on the road. In July 1972, he performed the routine at Summerfest in Milwaukee. The police weren't laughing.
They arrested him.
The charge was "disturbing the peace." Imagine that. A man stands on a stage, people pay to see him, he says some words they expect to hear, and the state decides the peace has been disturbed. A judge eventually threw the case out, famously noting that while the language was "expletive-filled," it didn't constitute a "clear and present danger."
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But the government wasn't done with George.
FCC v. Pacifica: The Supreme Court Weighs In
The real trouble started in 1973. A radio station in New York City called WBAI, owned by the Pacifica Foundation, played a recorded version of the monologue (specifically the "Filthy Words" version from the album Occupation: Foole).
It was 2:00 in the afternoon.
A man named John Douglas was driving with his young son. He heard the broadcast. He didn't just change the station; he complained to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This single complaint snowballed into one of the most significant First Amendment cases in history: FCC v. Pacifica Foundation.
In 1978, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 against the radio station. The court didn't say the words were "obscene"—which would mean they had no artistic value and could be banned entirely. Instead, they called them "indecent."
The logic was basically this: broadcast media is "uniquely pervasive." It enters your home without an invitation. Because children might be listening, the FCC had the right to "channel" this kind of speech to late-night hours when kids are presumably asleep.
This created the "Safe Harbor" period (10 PM to 6 AM) that we still have today.
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Why the List is Actually a Myth (Sort Of)
Here is a bit of a reality check: there is no actual law that lists these specific seven words.
Seriously.
The FCC doesn't have a laminated card in the lobby that says "No Piss, No Cunt." Carlin’s routine was so culturally powerful that people assumed he was reading from an official government list. He wasn't. He was just observing what was commonly censored.
In fact, Carlin himself kept updating the list. In later specials like George Carlin: Again! and Carlin at Carnegie, he added "fart," "turd," and "twat." He joked that the list was "open to amendment."
Broadcasters, terrified of being fined, essentially adopted Carlin's list as a de facto rulebook. If George said you couldn't say it, they weren't going to risk their license.
The Semantic Shift: Are They Still Deadly?
Words lose their teeth over time. That's just how linguistics works.
If you watch The People v. O.J. Simpson on FX, you'll hear most of these words. Streaming services like Netflix and HBO don't care at all. They aren't "broadcast" over public airwaves, so the FCC has zero jurisdiction.
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Even on broadcast TV, things are getting weirder. In 2012, the Supreme Court looked at "fleeting expletives"—when someone like Bono or Nicole Richie drops an F-bomb during a live awards show. The Court basically told the FCC their rules were too vague, though they didn't officially overturn the Pacifica ruling.
The "deadliness" of these words has shifted from the words themselves to the intent behind them. Carlin always argued that there are no bad words, only "bad thoughts, bad intentions, and words used to hurt."
Actionable Insights for the Modern Age
We live in a world where you can broadcast yourself to millions from a phone in your pocket. The 7 deadly words george carlin popularized are a reminder that language is always a tug-of-war between the speaker and the regulator.
If you’re a creator or just someone interested in the history of free speech, here is what you should actually take away from this saga:
- Context is King: The FCC still regulates based on context. Using a "dirty" word to describe a sexual act is treated differently than using it as an exclamation of pain.
- Platform Matters: If you’re worried about censorship, know your platform. Broadcast (ABC, CBS, NBC) is the only place where the "Safe Harbor" rules strictly apply.
- The Power of Satire: Carlin proved that humor is the best way to expose the absurdity of censorship. By making people laugh at the words, he made the words less "dangerous."
- Language Evolves: Don't get hung up on specific lists. The "taboo" words of 2026 aren't the same as the ones from 1972. Today, we are often more concerned with slurs and hate speech than we are with "tits" or "piss."
George Carlin once said, "I love words. I thank you for... hearing my words." He spent his life making sure those words could be heard, even if it meant a trip to the back of a police cruiser. The seven words might not be "deadly" anymore, but the conversation they started about who gets to control our language is far from over.
To really understand the impact, you should listen to the original Class Clown recording. Notice the rhythm. Notice how he treats the words like musical notes. Then, look at the terms of service for whatever social media app you use most. You’ll find that the "deadly words" haven't disappeared; they've just changed their names.