George Carlin Betting on Stardust Gig

December 10, 2004 -- GEORGE Carlin blames a listless Las Vegas crowd for his anti-Sin City tirade the other night. As we re ported last week, Carlin dissed Vegas and ridiculed people who vacation in the gaudy gambling mecca as "moronic," drawing some jeers from the crowd. The laugh legend called PAGE SIX yesterday to further explain his comments: "In Vegas, you don't get the hardcore fans who follow what you do. It's like betting on a craps table. Am I gonna get a good audience or am I gonna get these dopes who wander in with a coupon, wearing short pants and scratching their nuts? I had two weeks of audiences just staring at me and I got frustrated." Carlin blew his stack on the last night of a four-year run at the MGM Grand, which he says fired him because his act, which includes a 35-minute riff on suicide, had gotten "too dark." He has since signed a deal to perform at the Stardust, which he says draws a younger crowd that he hopes will be more appreciative of his no-holds-barred humor.