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re: Is Richard Pryor the greatest comic of all time?
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:03 pm to tigerbait3488
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:03 pm to tigerbait3488
Carlin
Patrice o Neal
Colin Quinn
Dave a tell
Eddie Murphy
Patrice o Neal
Colin Quinn
Dave a tell
Eddie Murphy
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:14 pm to OldHickory
quote:
Dude was on fire.
ISWYDT
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:15 pm to djangochained
No love for Sam Kennison, Bill Cosby, Robin Williams, Steven Wright, and Steve Martin?
I may be showing my age...
I may be showing my age...
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:15 pm to Tactical1
quote:
No, and I get the sense that comics who say he is, feel like they have to say that.
You feel that way because you don't understand why they say that he's the best.
Pryor's not the best because he dropped the N-word and made white jokes here and there. He's the best because he was completely transparent as a comic. Early Richard Pryor was basically a clone of Bill Cosby. He was this black guy in a suit doing physical comedy on a Wonderbread white show. Eventually, between drugs and the racial tension of the time, he walked off of a stage and basically gave up fame because he was unhappy.
When he came back, he was something wholly different. Sets himself on fire freebasing? Let's do 10 minutes about it. He's a comedian's comedian. He's the guy who showed a lot of comics that they could talk about real shite and be "artists".
Is he the greatest comic of all time purely based on talent? That's impossible to determine. Comedy is subjective. The fact that Richard Pryor decided that he was going to do comedy and talk about things the way people he grew up around talked and acted is why people elevate him to one of the greatest of all time. Hell, 50% of comedians to come along since him are just disciples of Rich. They just didn't grow up in their grandmother's brothel or have crackhead parents or all of the other things Pryor went through. Even Eddie Murphy, one of the greats in his own right, was majorly influenced by Pryor. He even had bits about him starting out and just trying to sound like Richard Pryor. Everyone else was just doing their best Richard Pryor impression.
To say Pryor isn't one of the greatest comics of all time when he influenced multiple generations of comics who crushed it and is still influencing generations of comics is a little silly. You may not enjoy his style, but the talent is undeniable.
Now, that's not saying that there aren't several other guys who had that level of impact in comedy. I'm just saying that Richard Pryor is one of the greats and in a league that even most of the best comics won't ever reach along with guys like Lenny Bruce and Carlin.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:19 pm to tigerbait3488
quote:
Watching Here and Now from New Orleans in 1983. Guy was a comic genius.
That one's great, but That Ni***r's Crazy and Live on the Sunset Strip are legendary. My dad had them on disc, and when he'd go to sleep, I'd sneak them into my room and listen to them with headphones on. No idea what half of that shite meant at the time, but I loved it. Along with Raw and Delirious, I was convinced at age 10 that I was going to grow up to become a black comedian.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:20 pm to Dijkstra
For me:
Bill Burr
Carlin
Louie CK
Chapelle
Richard Pryor
In no order
Bill Burr
Carlin
Louie CK
Chapelle
Richard Pryor
In no order
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:24 pm to Dijkstra
I watched Delirious the other night for the first time in probably 13 years. It's just as funny as I remembered. I wonder how Eddie became so unfunny later in life.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:26 pm to tigerbait3488
George Carlin
Mitch Hedberg
Dave Chappelle
Robin Williams
Greg Giraldo
David Cross
Mitch Hedberg
Dave Chappelle
Robin Williams
Greg Giraldo
David Cross
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:31 pm to TigerNlc
Actually, it's not even that he's unfunny as much as he's made some bad decisions for the sake of a payday. He's terrified to do something new because he knows it won't hold up. He's afraid of becoming Chris Tucker where he's joking about being a millionaire and hanging out with Michael Jackson. Just go watch his little bit about Cosby at his Mark Twain award ceremony. He's still got it, but he'll never have 60 minutes good enough to be a worthy follow up to Delirious and Raw.
I named my cat Lillian because of his bits about his drunk father because I love them so much. "I know you want to leave me! But, I refuse to let you go, Lillian!" Also, she's not allowed to use the phone or go outside either.
I named my cat Lillian because of his bits about his drunk father because I love them so much. "I know you want to leave me! But, I refuse to let you go, Lillian!" Also, she's not allowed to use the phone or go outside either.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:32 pm to TigerNlc
quote:
For me:
Bill Burr
Carlin
Louie CK
Chapelle
Richard Pryor
In no order
Great list. I'll add
Greg Geraldo
Patton Oswalt
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:33 pm to CaptainPanic
Dave Chappelle's about to have a huge comeback. I heard 50 minutes he did in a club where absolutely killed it. Dude hasn't lost a step at all. He did bits on the Ray Rice situation that had me losing my shite.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:33 pm to Dijkstra
quote:
You feel that way because you don't understand why they say that he's the best.
No, I feel that way because it's kind of true. Any countdown or taped television special reflecting on the greatest, Pryor normally appears number 1 as the panel goes on to gush as to why they think that.
Catch any one of these panel members on a podcast or candid interview and they will have a completely different answer.
This post was edited on 11/4/15 at 11:36 pm
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:37 pm to Deactived
quote:
Greg Giraldo
He's one of those guys that I was always iffy on. He's a funny guy, but he stammered a lot for timing. Maybe it was drugs or addiction, but his work suffered later on in his life compared to his earlier work where a lot of those bad habits didn't show up as much.
I also used to dislike Louis CK because I was constantly told by everyone that since I loved comedy, I had to be a fan. I can't deny it, though. The guy's a machine. I just had to grow into his style of comedy.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:44 pm to Deactived
quote:
Great list. I'll add Greg Geraldo Patton Oswalt
Forgot Greg Geraldo. He and Jeff could make me laugh hysterically on those roasts.
Posted on 11/4/15 at 11:44 pm to Tactical1
Some of them may, but that doesn't mean that they all would. You underestimate how many of those comics still idolize Pryor. I have a theory that there are a group of comedians from that era, give or take 15 years in either direction, that are almost like the Tribes of Israel. Every modern comic comes from one of those tribes, for better or worse.
Like I said, there are other titans, and it's hard to crown him at #1 without taking into account a few guys here and there who came up a little earlier than him, such as Lenny Bruce, who were the pioneers of the more raw, honest, broken comedy that he did so well. I just don't think there's this giant group of comics waiting for their moment of relief where they can admit that they don't like Richard Pryor. Comedy's a competitive, cutthroat industry. Dane Cook was the biggest comic on Earth until he stepped on too many toes and the community basically just decided that his time was over. Now, he's banned from his own "home" club. If Pryor was secretly loathed, you'd know about it.
Like I said, there are other titans, and it's hard to crown him at #1 without taking into account a few guys here and there who came up a little earlier than him, such as Lenny Bruce, who were the pioneers of the more raw, honest, broken comedy that he did so well. I just don't think there's this giant group of comics waiting for their moment of relief where they can admit that they don't like Richard Pryor. Comedy's a competitive, cutthroat industry. Dane Cook was the biggest comic on Earth until he stepped on too many toes and the community basically just decided that his time was over. Now, he's banned from his own "home" club. If Pryor was secretly loathed, you'd know about it.
Posted on 11/5/15 at 12:12 am to Deactived
No one mentions Dangerfield
Posted on 11/5/15 at 12:17 am to tigerbait3488
He will always be my fAvorite
This post was edited on 11/5/15 at 12:18 am
Posted on 11/5/15 at 12:18 am to Dijkstra
I just think he was good at intelligent humor. Never took the easy way out with racial type jokes. Dude was super smart.
Same with Oswalt. It shows in their routines
Same with Oswalt. It shows in their routines
Posted on 11/5/15 at 12:26 am to 2poop
Burr Handles Philly Hecklers
Modern day - If Burr could handle these animals on the spot, he's got to be ranked way up there.
Also, got to give a consolation prize to my favorite king of nasty "The Diceman"-did a great show when we saw him at Paragon a couple of months ago..
As far as the the" King", I'll give it to Carlin over Pryor due to him being more prolific despite his drug issues - same as Pryor's issues - Pryor comes in a close second!
Modern day - If Burr could handle these animals on the spot, he's got to be ranked way up there.
Also, got to give a consolation prize to my favorite king of nasty "The Diceman"-did a great show when we saw him at Paragon a couple of months ago..
As far as the the" King", I'll give it to Carlin over Pryor due to him being more prolific despite his drug issues - same as Pryor's issues - Pryor comes in a close second!
This post was edited on 11/5/15 at 1:00 am
Posted on 11/5/15 at 12:26 am to HVAU
Richard Pryor, live in concert. Watch before you judge.
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