Top 10 Favorite Stand Up Comics

[VashTheStampede]

1. George Carlin
2. John Mulaney
3. Bill Hicks
4. Norm MacDonald
5. Mitch Hedburg
6. Patton Oswalt
7. Anthony Jeselnik
8. Steven Wright
9. Suzy Eddie Izzard
10. Garry Shandling

 

[Tubby23]

1. George Carlin
2. Dave Chappelle
3. Jimmy Carr
4. Anthony Jeselnik
5. Norm McDonald
6. Ricky Gervais
7. Frankie Boyle
8. Sarah Millican
9. Joe Lycett
10. Carl Barron

 

[Jon]

Terrible lack of Jeff Dunham on your lists

 

[VashTheStampede]

Terrible lack of Jeff Dunham on your lists

He would definitely make my Top 10 Least Favorite list

 

[Tubby23]

Terrible lack of Jeff Dunham on your lists

If he were funny he'd make the list

 

[Jon]

I knew you both had horrible taste in comedy!

Next you'll say Gabriel Iglesias isn't funny.

 

[Tubby23]

I knew you both had horrible taste in comedy!

Next you'll say Gabriel Iglesias isn't funny.

No Fluffy is funny. Just not top 10

ETA: that said some of his stuff has gotten fractionally repetitive

 

[VashTheStampede]

I don't think he's funny

 

[Jon]

No Fluffy is funny. Just not top 10

ETA: that said some of his stuff has gotten fractionally repetitive

That's fair, I'll let that slide.

 

[Tubby23]

What are thoughts on Sebastian Maniscalco?

 

[VashTheStampede]

What are thoughts on Sebastian Maniscalco?

He's pretty hacky but he amuses me on occasion

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I don't listen to many stand up comics. I'd basically be required to list Dane Cook and receive scorn because I like his super exaggerated takes on real life scenarios. I will never not find his description of people stepping outside their homes to see a car crash that occurred right outside their homes to be hilarious.

Fluffy is a top pick from me.

Jim Gaffigan is fantastic, too.

Nick Swardson is fine if you turn your brain off. He's a shit actor, though and he should never appear in a movie again.

Robin Williams is really good. But there wasn't many instances in which he wasn't entertaining.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I had a Dane Cook phase when he was big.

I still enjoy some of his bits.

Every time I hear a car alarm, for example.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Robin Williams was S Tier

 

[Tubby23]

Agree I enjoyed Cook and still do if I watch his stuff.

Robin Williams was incredible. RIP

 

[Mark]

In no particular order…

1. George Carlin
2. Dennis Leary
3. Richard Pryor
4. Mitch Hedburg
5. Robin Williams
6. Rodney Dangerfield
7. Dave Chappelle
8. Bill Burr
9. Bill Hicks
10. Jim Carrey (Fire Marshall Bill will ALWAYS beat Ace Ventura in my mind)

 

[VashTheStampede]

I need to watch more Bill Burr because everything I've seen of him is right up my alley.

 

[Mark]

I need to watch more Bill Burr because everything I've seen of him is right up my alley.

Aim for his earlier material when he still had hair. He’s gotten a little tame now that he’s married.

 

[Benzine]

I have a friend who does comedy for a living, including having just been on the NZ version of Taskmaster. This person even used to be on forums when we were younger... I don't think on GW though. I'll leave them out of my list though.

10 is a big number, I'll have to think further. Safe entries would be Sean Lock, Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, in no particular order.

 

[Jon]

Sean Lock, Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, in no particular order.

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I have a friend who does comedy for a living, including having just been on the NZ version of Taskmaster. This person even used to be on forums when we were younger... I don't think on GW though. I'll leave them out of my list though.

10 is a big number, I'll have to think further. Safe entries would be Sean Lock, Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, in no particular order.

I knew a guy who did stand up. It was the same jokes in every performance and none of them were funny.

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

1. Bill Burr
2. Louis CK
3. Dave Chapelle
4. Steven Wright
5. Mike Birbiglia
6. Gary Gulman
7. Jimmy Carr
8. John Mulaney
9. Norm MacDonald
10. Rodney Dangerfield

 

[VashTheStampede]

Used to absolutely love Louis C.K.

 

[shortkut]

This is hard… when I’m not listening to ESPN NY, my Sirius radio is often times on comedy greats

1. George Carlin
2. Richard pryor
3. Robin Williams
4. Steve Martin
5. Chris Rock
6. Bill Burr
7. Steven Wright
8. Bill Cosby (sorry, his standup is funny)
9. Joan Rivers
10. Mitch Hedburg

 

[VashTheStampede]

Bill Cosby: Himself is a masterpiece, one of the best acts ever recorded

Pisses me off

 

[shortkut]

Bill Cosby: Himself is a masterpiece, one of the best acts ever recorded

Pisses me off

Exactly

 

[Benzine]

I think that people should share their favourite set from one of their mentioned comedians. I don't really listen to many American comedians.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I think that people should share their favourite set from one of their mentioned comedians. I don't really listen to many American comedians.

I'll have to pop back in the coming days and do just that

 

[Fool's Requiem]

I think that people should share their favourite set from one of their mentioned comedians. I don't really listen to many American comedians.

Here's Robin Williams ranting about golf:



Jim Gaffigan talking about Hot Pockets:



Dane Cook talks about experiencing car accidents both as a victim and as a witness:



Norm MacDonald talks about the disease called alcoholism:

 

[Benzine]

 

[Fool's Requiem]

How about some Bob Saget?

Disclaimer: Saget relied a lot on shock humor. People probably wouldn't get away with making these jokes today. Definitely NSFW.



Post Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos, his standup also featured a lot of swearing. The 'mocking' the crowd for laughing at his SUUUUUUPER inappropriate jokes was also a common thing.

 

[Crystal]

2. Dave Chappelle

7. Dave Chappelle

3. Dave Chapelle

Eww.

 

[Tubby23]

I have a friend who does comedy for a living, including having just been on the NZ version of Taskmaster. This person even used to be on forums when we were younger... I don't think on GW though. I'll leave them out of my list though.

10 is a big number, I'll have to think further. Safe entries would be Sean Lock, Frankie Boyle, Kevin Bridges, in no particular order.

I love NZ Taskmaster, nearly as good as the original.

 

[Benzine]

I love NZ Taskmaster, nearly as good as the original.

How much of it have you watched?

 

[Benzine]

I actually don't like NZ comics, I've only watched the 4th season cause of my mate haha.

 

[Tubby23]

How much of it have you watched?

Fully up to date on the UK, NZ and AU Taskmasters

 

[VashTheStampede]

Eww.

Yeah, he's another one that would have likely been on my list a decade ago. Killin' Them Softly was perfection.

His new stuff, even aside from the content that I find morally abhorrent, feels just sad to me.

Money and age changed him into someone that does not appeal to me at all.

 

[VashTheStampede]

George Carlin: the GOAT. Completely changed the game (along with Lenny Bruce) and went from an old school Bob Hope style comedian to IMO the best social commentator of all time (while still remaining FUNNY, unlike others).

I love Carlin most for his latter day social commentaries that, even 20-30 years removed, hit the mark today.

But the first thought that comes to mind when I think of him is his Baseball vs Football bit, an absolute classic which he recycled many times through the years.

 

[Tubby23]

Yeah, he's another one that would have likely been on my list a decade ago. Killin' Them Softly was perfection.

His new stuff, even aside from the content that I find morally abhorrent, feels just sad to me.

Money and age changed him into someone that does not appeal to me at all.

Yeah, honestly, Chapelle is on my list because of his early stuff. I haven't seen any of his return specials after the reports I'd heard about the content.

Killin' Them Softly might be one of the best specials ever released and his show was incredible. But yeah he's gone mental now

 

[The Eye in the Sky!]

To me Carlin is incredibly talented and super smart, but especially later on he was not funny to me. I am a fan of his beliefs and he is an entertaining orator but I don't want to be depressed after a stand up show. I have to be in a certain mood to enjoy his stuff.

 

[Mark]

Eww.

I think that whole thing with him was completely overblown. Comedy is one of those things that requires a degree of nuance, and he’s shown it in every other piece of commentary he’s wrapped in his bits about every other topic. I’m not gonna say that there aren’t comedians out there that’ll punch low for a laugh, a good chunk of the names on these lists have at one point or another. For Chappelle to get the hate that he got even after getting the backup he got from some folks in the trans community and allies of the community makes it seem like an organized hit because of other issues he was making commentary on at the time as well. Generally, when judging comedians in this kinda respect… I’ve always looked at how they made jokes about themselves, their gender, their ethnicity, etc. Chappelle hits all the marks for self-deprecating humor, and doesn’t hold any punches on himself. Think of it the same way South Park gets a pass on all the shit they talk… they do because they do it equally across the board.

Of course, that doesn’t make it “right” for everyone, and there’s always gonna be someone that a joke lands bad on, but I think a lot of Chappelle’s political commentary made him an easy target no different than a joke at the expense of the trans community was him aiming for an easy target. Do I agree with what he said? Nah, but I’m not gonna crucify the guy and strike him off of my list because he’s a comedian that talked shit about a group of people. It’s not like he’s out there actively shitting on people out of maliciousness, it’s not like he doesn’t have friends in that community, and it’s not like he’s out there faking beliefs to avoid controversy and offering halfhearted apologies for saying it.

I liken this situation to black comedians talking shit about white people. Should it offend me? Possibly, if I really wanted to be offended by something. However, I look at the intent behind it… a topic that makes people uncomfortable sparks a dialogue, even if it’s controversial. One of his oldest bits is talking about getting stoned with his white friend and asking for directions. There isn’t a single part of that bit that is factually inaccurate, despite how it plays. The room filled with laughter. Why? Because it’s safe to make fun of white men. If there’s gonna be true equality, then it’s gotta be safe to make fun of trans people as well… but… as we discussed before, that line of what’s acceptable and what’s not has to be established, and with the lack of dialogue about it since the topic is marked untouchable, that line hasn’t been found.

 

[VashTheStampede]

I'm at a point in my life and self-care that I try to not spend a lot of time on insignificant things that bring me down, so the last I'll say on the Chappelle matter is just something about my own comedy philosophy: Punching up vs Punching down

Punching down is rarely funny. It can be, but it has to be done with the same feel of self-deprecation...it's gotta feel like you're joking with a friend, not taking shots.

 

[Mark]

Punching down is rarely funny. It can be, but it has to be done with the same feel of self-deprecation...it's gotta feel like you're joking with a friend, not taking shots.

Exactly, and I don’t think he worked that bit enough with his friends in the trans community. He may have ran it by one or two and got a laugh because they know him and his style, but he definitely didn’t run it by people already on edge with the hostile environment they often find themselves in.

Edit - There’s a huge difference between bouncing a trans joke off of a trans comedian or someone in a social circle with comedians and bouncing a trans joke off of trans John/Jane Doe from the Bible Belt who has lived their life in fear.

 

[Tubby23]

The Bill Burr Philly Rant is incredible

 

[Mark]

The Bill Burr Philly Rant is incredible

He ALWAYS reminded me of prime Denis Leary.

 

[Crystal]

I think that whole thing with him was completely overblown. Comedy is one of those things that requires a degree of nuance, and he’s shown it in every other piece of commentary he’s wrapped in his bits about every other topic. I’m not gonna say that there aren’t comedians out there that’ll punch low for a laugh, a good chunk of the names on these lists have at one point or another. For Chappelle to get the hate that he got even after getting the backup he got from some folks in the trans community and allies of the community makes it seem like an organized hit because of other issues he was making commentary on at the time as well. Generally, when judging comedians in this kinda respect… I’ve always looked at how they made jokes about themselves, their gender, their ethnicity, etc. Chappelle hits all the marks for self-deprecating humor, and doesn’t hold any punches on himself. Think of it the same way South Park gets a pass on all the shit they talk… they do because they do it equally across the board.

Of course, that doesn’t make it “right” for everyone, and there’s always gonna be someone that a joke lands bad on, but I think a lot of Chappelle’s political commentary made him an easy target no different than a joke at the expense of the trans community was him aiming for an easy target. Do I agree with what he said? Nah, but I’m not gonna crucify the guy and strike him off of my list because he’s a comedian that talked shit about a group of people. It’s not like he’s out there actively shitting on people out of maliciousness, it’s not like he doesn’t have friends in that community, and it’s not like he’s out there faking beliefs to avoid controversy and offering halfhearted apologies for saying it.

I liken this situation to black comedians talking shit about white people. Should it offend me? Possibly, if I really wanted to be offended by something. However, I look at the intent behind it… a topic that makes people uncomfortable sparks a dialogue, even if it’s controversial. One of his oldest bits is talking about getting stoned with his white friend and asking for directions. There isn’t a single part of that bit that is factually inaccurate, despite how it plays. The room filled with laughter. Why? Because it’s safe to make fun of white men. If there’s gonna be true equality, then it’s gotta be safe to make fun of trans people as well… but… as we discussed before, that line of what’s acceptable and what’s not has to be established, and with the lack of dialogue about it since the topic is marked untouchable, that line hasn’t been found.

Welp...I didn't mean to start a whole social commentary on his trans crap, I just write that off as him being desperate and searching for the cheap laughs. I more mean I just plain don't like his material. Some of his early stuff was good, he was fun in Robin Hood Men in Tights, but the rest...meh.

 

[Mark]

Welp...I didn't mean to start a whole social commentary on his trans crap, I just write that off as him being desperate and searching for the cheap laughs. I more mean I just plain don't like his material. Some of his early stuff was good, he was fun in Robin Hood Men in Tights, but the rest...meh.

He’s definitely a niche comedian, that’s for sure. I mean, he got most of his audience in stoner comedies.

 

[VashTheStampede]

Dennis Leary has some bits I really like but I think he's much more interesting and has more to offer as an actor.

But a lot of that is because I've always been annoyed that he plagiarized Bill Hicks.

I don't remember who made the joke that "Dennis Leary only has a career because there's No Cure For Cancer", but that is some super clever wordplay.

 

[Crystal]

He’s definitely a niche comedian, that’s for sure. I mean, he got most of his audience in stoner comedies.

I don't mind his comedies, I get people being into those, it's his solo work. Shock comedy for the sake of drawing cheap laughs or made up outrage. The trans thing's a perfect example. I don't take him as an authority on anything trans, because he isn't, but he said it to get those headlines, and what do you know? He got them. People flocked to Netflix to watch his insanely overrated specials. I guess it works for him, but it's that sort of crap that I don't take to.

 

[VashTheStampede]

He’s definitely a niche comedian, that’s for sure. I mean, he got most of his audience in stoner comedies.

I still quote Half Baked on a regular basis.