Favourite Comedian

[Wolfie]

Louis CK
Mitch Hedburg
Kevin Hart

 

[MXZCCT]

George Carlin
Ron White

 

[Ism]

George Carlin
Louis CK
Dave Chappelle
Margaret Cho

 

[Siren]

George Carlin
Ron White
Jeff Dunham
Sam Kinison
Eddie Izzard

 

[Owlesque]

George Carlin and Seinfeld.

 

[ZPowers]

Kyle Kinane

I really loved Kinane's first album. He's a newer voice on the scene, but one I'm very excited about. He came to my town in January, and I got the chance to see some of his newer stuff. In particular, he has a bit about a man eating pancakes on a plane that was awesome. He even went to the bar next door after and hung out for a long time, so I got the chance to talk to him for a little while. Nice guy.

Besides Kinane, another less well-known comedian I enjoy is John Mulaney. Pete Holmes is also a lot of fun. Andy Daly has been around a while, and you've probably seen him on TV but don't know him by name: fix that, he's hilarious. Eugene Mirman has also been around a while, though I don't think he's extremely well known. TJ Miller's also pretty funny, and another comedian I had the privilege of briefly meeting just two days ago (he did a sort of surprise performance at a local comedy debate thing here in Denver, which is his hometown).

Obvious ones: Carlin was the first comedian I ever really got into. Louis CK might be the best comedian working. Bill Hicks is a legend for a reason as well. Dave Chapelle's great when he gets on a good bit. Mitch Hedberg's tendency toward short quips and one-liners over longer bits isn't usually my cup of tea, but he makes it work.

A few others I've enjoyed for years: Patton Oswalt, Paul F. Tompkins, David Cross, Patrice O'Neal. Zach Galifiankis really had some very funny stuff, shame he doesn't seem to do much stand-up anymore.

 

[Omission1234]

kids in the hall my all time favorite show !!!
'codco cast
shaun majumder
rick mercer
this hour has 22 min is always good
russell brand (he is funny)
simon amstell is hilarious
stephen fry and hugh laurie
i like the mighty boosh show
billy connolly
chris rock
wayne brady
jim carey

im missing more but thats a solid list

 

[Mole]

Ricky Gervais

My favourite comedian was Ricky Gervais, before he was corrupted by American money and American celebrity.

Ricky was a genuine comedic talent before he sold out to American money, American bad taste, and American celebrity.

Looking at America, I feel like a Greek looking at Rome.

 

[ZPowers]

My favourite comedian was Ricky Gervais, before he was corrupted by American money and American celebrity.

Ricky was a genuine comedic talent before he sold out to American money, American bad taste, and American celebrity.

Looking at America, I feel like a Greek looking at Rome.

In honesty, I don't know to what degree he was a comedian (in the sense of being a stand-up) prior to that. He certainly wasn't a stand-up when the Office was on the air in the UK. He's more of a TV writer and actor to me than a stand-up comedian.

Though I suppose the definition of comedian is variable in that way, I had semi-assumed this thread was primarily about stand-up comedy.

 

[Tallulah]

In honesty, I don't know to what degree he was a comedian (in the sense of being a stand-up) prior to that. He certainly wasn't a stand-up when the Office was on the air in the UK. He's more of a TV writer and actor to me than a stand-up comedian.

Though I suppose the definition of comedian is variable in that way, I had semi-assumed this thread was primarily about stand-up comedy.

He is definitely seen as more of a writer/actor, but he does have a couple of hilarious standup specials--check out "Out of England." It was available through netflix dvds--I assume it still is, but I just have Instant now.

 

[Mole]

In honesty, I don't know to what degree he was a comedian (in the sense of being a stand-up) prior to that. He certainly wasn't a stand-up when the Office was on the air in the UK. He's more of a TV writer and actor to me than a stand-up comedian.

Though I suppose the definition of comedian is variable in that way, I had semi-assumed this thread was primarily about stand-up comedy.

Stand-up comedy seems rather fraught to me, I prefer comedy based on character and narrative.

 

[ZPowers]

Stand-up comedy seems rather fraught to me, I prefer comedy based on character and narrative.

If you don't believe the comedy in stand-up can come from character and narrative, I think you've dismissed it a bit prematurely.

 

[WALMART]

George Carlin, some twenty years later, is still culturally relevant. Not only culturally relevant, avant garde even.

 

[Mole]

If you don't believe the comedy in stand-up can come from character and narrative, I think you've dismissed it a bit prematurely.

Stand up comedy is about one liners. And the purpose of one liners, that is, one line jokes, is to make the audience gag. That is why one liners are called gags.

And there is no room in one liners to develop character or narrative.

So stand up comedians are essentially comic book characters without depth or development.

And why should we be surprised that the USA is the home of stand up comedy because the USA is based on ideology and ideology is best illustrated with cartoon characters.

 

[ZPowers]

Stand up comedy is about one liners. And the purpose of one liners, that is, one line jokes, is to make the audience gag. That is why one liners are called gags.

And there is no room in one liners to develop character or narrative.

So stand up comedians are essentially comic book characters without depth or development.

And why should we be surprised that the USA is the home of stand up comedy because the USA is based on ideology and ideology is best illustrated with cartoon characters.

I fundamentally disagree. Stand-up, like all forms of comedy, is what the performer/writer makes it. Sometimes that's one liners. Sometimes it's longer anecdotes or the procedure of getting to know the performer or someone the performer describes as a person, and drawing comedy from that. The line of thought you laid out could be applied to literally any form of comedy if you set out to disparage it.

The idea that stand-up is somehow prohibited from being anything but a series of glorified knock-knock jokes is absurd. There is nothing about stand-up as a medium that forces that to be true.

 

[Mole]

Stand-up, like all forms of comedy, is what the performer/writer makes it.

We make stand-up comedy, then stand-up comedy makes us.

Just as we make our tools, and our tools make us.

But what do they make us?

Print makes us literate individuals, while the phone, TV and the internet make us an etribe in the global village.

So stand-up comedy is the fast food of comedy - it distracts us for a moment but fails to nourish us.

 

[ZPowers]

So stand-up comedy is the fast food of comedy - it distracts us for a moment but fails to nourish us.

Incorrect. It is the purest form of comedy. It requires no pretenses, as a movie or TV show do. They must make a universe around their jokes, create falsities and non-real situations in which they make sense. Stand-up has no such compunctions and isn't afforded time to build some alternate reality. Stand-up (well, good stand-up) is the non-fiction of comedy. It's more honest than any movie or TV show or novel ever could be. It's the world as it literally exists filtered into a comedic lens. No props. No one to play off of. For most comedians, no relying on someone falling over or farting.

I don't know what comedians/specials you've actually watched/listened to, but I have to imagine they're shitty ones.

 

[Cellmold]

I like quite a few, for some reason one of the ones who comes to mind is Eddie Izzard:

But I also enjoy George Carlin, Ricky Gervais etc....

 

[Totenkindly]

My favourite comedian was Ricky Gervais, before he was corrupted by American money and American celebrity.

Ricky was a genuine comedic talent before he sold out to American money, American bad taste, and American celebrity.

Wow. What a loser.
America has such power to ruin men's souls.

 

[Lady_X]

I love Edie Izard!

Also ck Luis or Luis ck I always mix it up.