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Message
20 greatest stand up comedians
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:14 am
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:14 am
I was going to try a top 20 list but I decided humor is way too subjective to do 20, so I'll try 5.
#1 Carlin(everyone else is fighting for a distant second, imo)
#2 Pryor(made it safe for others to follow)
#3 Hicks(self explanatory)
#4 Murphy(would be higher if he had a longer run). I'm really iffy about this one. He might have the greatest comedy album of all time though, so I put him here.
#5 This is where it gets crazy. Kinison, Stanhope and so many other greats.
I think stand up's are some of the hardest to rank, what I laugh at on Monday might not be funny on Friday. And everyone has a different sense of humor. That said, what is your ranking?
#1 Carlin(everyone else is fighting for a distant second, imo)
#2 Pryor(made it safe for others to follow)
#3 Hicks(self explanatory)
#4 Murphy(would be higher if he had a longer run). I'm really iffy about this one. He might have the greatest comedy album of all time though, so I put him here.
#5 This is where it gets crazy. Kinison, Stanhope and so many other greats.
I think stand up's are some of the hardest to rank, what I laugh at on Monday might not be funny on Friday. And everyone has a different sense of humor. That said, what is your ranking?
15
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:22 am to northshorebamaman
Can't argue with your top 4 except add Lenny Bruce for the top 5.
You say top 20? Would have to include
Louis CK
Brian Regan
Dave Atell
Woody Allen
Bill Cosby
Chris Rock
Mitch Hedberg
Jerry Seinfeld
You say top 20? Would have to include
Louis CK
Brian Regan
Dave Atell
Woody Allen
Bill Cosby
Chris Rock
Mitch Hedberg
Jerry Seinfeld
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:22 am to northshorebamaman
quote:
I was going to try a top 20 list but I decided humor is way too subjective to do 20, so I'll try 5.
But you'll just keep the thread title at 20
I'm the first to admit that I don't know a lot of old stand up. Outside of Eddie Murphy I never really gave many of them a shot.
Not all time greats but in high school, I was always quoting Lavell Crawford. Big huge fat black dude I saw on the BET comedy show. He was later on Last Comic Standing and got second.
Tsunami Relief
Probably my favorite - crack is wack
This post was edited on 7/28/11 at 7:28 am
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:25 am to iwyLSUiwy
quote:
But you'll just keep the thread title at 20
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:28 am to Murray
I've just never been into Bruce.
Not to say he's not top 5. That's what I mean by subjective.
Not to say he's not top 5. That's what I mean by subjective.
This post was edited on 7/28/11 at 7:30 am
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:33 am to northshorebamaman
quote:
I've just never been into Bruce.
Not to say he's not top 5. That's what I mean by subjective
He's in my top 10 of funniest but as far as trailblazers go he's pretty much number 1 for me so I say he averages out to a 5.
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:38 am to Murray
quote:
as far as trailblazers go he's pretty much number 1
I can agree with that.
Posted on 7/28/11 at 7:40 am to northshorebamaman
Pryor would be my number one.
This post was edited on 7/28/11 at 7:41 am
Posted on 7/28/11 at 8:02 am to Flair Chops
How can this be here and not have
Jay Hickman...
Boat ride
Rodney Carrington
Show them to me
Tim Wilson
I could be Wrong
Jay Hickman...
Boat ride
Rodney Carrington
Show them to me
Tim Wilson
I could be Wrong
Posted on 7/28/11 at 8:06 am to northshorebamaman
Dave Chapelle
baby selling weed
Louis CK
you have a SS#, you're on the grid
baby selling weed
Louis CK
you have a SS#, you're on the grid
This post was edited on 7/28/11 at 8:11 am
Posted on 7/28/11 at 8:08 am to geauxjudge
quote:
Robin Williams.
Jonathan winter
Good one's. I forgot all about Winter. That's a strange, strange, funny guy
Posted on 7/28/11 at 8:12 am to northshorebamaman
Posted on 7/28/11 at 8:57 am to the smoke monster
the OP has a good top 4 although i personally disagree with lenny bruce.
hicks was a better comic than bruce but hicks walked thru a door that bruce opened.
my take on bruce is that he changed comedy but wasn't really very funny
hicks was a better comic than bruce but hicks walked thru a door that bruce opened.
my take on bruce is that he changed comedy but wasn't really very funny
Posted on 7/28/11 at 8:58 am to northshorebamaman
Ummm... Bill Cosby?
I agree on Bruce. He's influential, but he's not all that funny, really. I have two of his albums and find them borderline unlistenable.
Cosby, Carlin, Hicks, Pryor is the Mount Rushmore of Comedy. you can put those four in any order and I'm fine with it, but I think they are the pinnacle of the profession.
After that, I'd have a group, in no particularly order of:
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Izzard
Patton Oswalt
Bob Newhart
Louis CK
Richard Belzer
Zack Galafanikas (terrible actor, great standup)
Red Skelton
Red Foxx
Henny Youngman (old school - not my style, but he's kind of the father of this whole thing)
Lenny Bruce
Joe Rogan (ignore everything he's done thats not standup)
Sam Kinnison
Steven Wright
Greg Giraldo
I'm sure I'm missing a lot, that's off the top of my head. I also love Brian Posehn but I doubt he's top 20. Jim Gaffigan also has a case.
ETA: Crap. Forgot Chris Rock.
I agree on Bruce. He's influential, but he's not all that funny, really. I have two of his albums and find them borderline unlistenable.
Cosby, Carlin, Hicks, Pryor is the Mount Rushmore of Comedy. you can put those four in any order and I'm fine with it, but I think they are the pinnacle of the profession.
After that, I'd have a group, in no particularly order of:
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Izzard
Patton Oswalt
Bob Newhart
Louis CK
Richard Belzer
Zack Galafanikas (terrible actor, great standup)
Red Skelton
Red Foxx
Henny Youngman (old school - not my style, but he's kind of the father of this whole thing)
Lenny Bruce
Joe Rogan (ignore everything he's done thats not standup)
Sam Kinnison
Steven Wright
Greg Giraldo
I'm sure I'm missing a lot, that's off the top of my head. I also love Brian Posehn but I doubt he's top 20. Jim Gaffigan also has a case.
ETA: Crap. Forgot Chris Rock.
This post was edited on 7/28/11 at 8:59 am
Posted on 7/28/11 at 9:05 am to the smoke monster
Saying the N word and cursing every 3 seconds doesn't make someone funny...GTFO of here with Katt Williams.
Martin Lawrence had some awesome standup specials back in the day. Not that he's top five or ten, just adding him to the conversation.
Martin Lawrence had some awesome standup specials back in the day. Not that he's top five or ten, just adding him to the conversation.
Posted on 7/28/11 at 9:08 am to Baloo
quote:
Ummm... Bill Cosby?
I agree on Bruce. He's influential, but he's not all that funny, really. I have two of his albums and find them borderline unlistenable.
Cosby, Carlin, Hicks, Pryor is the Mount Rushmore of Comedy. you can put those four in any order and I'm fine with it, but I think they are the pinnacle of the profession.
After that, I'd have a group, in no particularly order of:
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Izzard
Patton Oswalt
Bob Newhart
Louis CK
Richard Belzer
Zack Galafanikas (terrible actor, great standup)
Red Skelton
Red Foxx
Henny Youngman (old school - not my style, but he's kind of the father of this whole thing)
Lenny Bruce
Joe Rogan (ignore everything he's done thats not standup)
Sam Kinnison
Steven Wright
Greg Giraldo
I'm sure I'm missing a lot, that's off the top of my head. I also love Brian Posehn but I doubt he's top 20. Jim Gaffigan also has a case.
ETA: Crap. Forgot Chris Rock.
eff football and movies, next time i see you at a tailgate we're talking comedy.
great list. i would add brian regan, jay mohr, dave attel, buddy hackett, don rickles (although he's not really my thing), woody allen, rodney dangerfield, bob newhart (once again i have to be in a mood to enjoy him).
i will say that there are many female comics i don't enjoy but but if i'm gonna put guys like rickles and newhart, i have to include phyllis diller and joan rivers.
people are used to the later version of rivers now, but whenever i hear her standup from the late 70's and 80's on satellite radio she kills.
Posted on 7/28/11 at 9:11 am to Baloo
quote:
Patton Oswalt Zack Galafanikas
Two great current comics. I was a Zack fan years before he exploded in Hollywood. Remember his Comedy Central show from early 2000's. Great stuff
quote:
Red Skelton
Red Foxx
Two great classics
quote:
Steven Wright
He has to go above Hedberg on any list
Posted on 7/28/11 at 9:13 am to Murray
quote:
I was a Zack fan years before he exploded in Hollywood. Remember his Comedy Central show from early 2000's. Great stuff
Is that where he danced around in a leotard while the girls sang Eternal Flame? Hilariousness.
Posted on 7/28/11 at 9:13 am to CocomoLSU
quote:
Saying the N word and cursing every 3 seconds doesn't make someone funny...GTFO of here with Katt Williams
ok... because he's the only standup comedian that cusses a lot, i forgot.
sorry if me liking him upsets u, i bet plenty of people on TD think he's hilarious
Posted on 7/28/11 at 9:15 am to the smoke monster
quote:
ok... because he's the only standup comedian that cusses a lot, i forgot.
I'd argue that nobody cusses more than him. And you can think he's funny all you want, but he's nowhere near a "greatest comedians" list.
quote:
sorry if me liking him upsets u
Apology not accepted.
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