re: Is Richard Pryor the greatest comic of all time?

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Dude was on fire.

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ISWYDT

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No, and I get the sense that comics who say he is, feel like they have to say that.

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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.

For me:
Bill Burr
Carlin
Louie CK
Chapelle
Richard Pryor
In no order

George Carlin
Mitch Hedberg
Dave Chappelle
Robin Williams
Greg Giraldo
David Cross

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For me:
Bill Burr
Carlin
Louie CK
Chapelle
Richard Pryor
In no order

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Great list. I'll add

Greg Geraldo
Patton Oswalt

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.

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Greg Giraldo

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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.

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.

He will always be my fAvorite

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!