Sad news – George Carlin, the man known to various generations as either a groundbreaking taboo-shattering comedian or Rufus from Bill And Ted – has died.

According to reports, George Carlin died of heart failure after being admitted to St. John’s Health Centre in Los Angeles yesterday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. He was 71.

George Carlin’s career is littered with landmarks – he hosted the first-ever Saturday Night Live, for example, while blasted on cocaine – but none were quite as great as this. It’s the stand-up routine that got him arrested and then rewrote the obscenity laws. Sad news indeed…