I can't agree more. He was the opener for Conan show that I saw also. It is hard to describe how uncomfortable his act made me feel to watch. It was that bad. In the middle of it (Thank God it was only like 15 minutes, felt like 4 hours) the person I was with turned and said "what is this, is it supposed to be funny?". I honestly think you have to be mentally challenged to like him.
Focus: Dave Attell is definitely in my top five. I love his style and delivery. He says things that make his audience uncomfortable and find myself laughing at things I didn't really want to laugh at. I also really enjoy John Caparulo. I love his ranting angry style and think he's an all around good guy. He's not for everyone but I think he's hilarious. Alt. Focus: Mitch Hedburg. I fucking hate Mitch. I find him to be the most unfunny person I have ever seen. I hate his delivery, his voice, and stupid stoner persona. I know that many people are very fond of him but I simply cannot stand him.
Brian Reagan is one of my all time favorites. Especially his bit on airports, which I quote to myself every time I encounter those people who cannot understand the "stand right, walk left" rule. I also love Bo Burnham. I had never heard of him until he stopped at my college on his one tour and I laughed so hard my cheeks and sides hurt. He sings/raps his act, but he also interacts with the audience and there is a lot of improv, which I loved.
Being a stoner was far from a persona for him. He had a bad drug addiction for a good chunk of his life that eventually killed him. Focus: I dunno if it's just me but I've never found any comedian more than marginally funny. Sure there's some that have a few decent jokes but it's very rare I have more than a couple of chuckles and maybe 1 decent laugh while watching a whole stand-up routine. Lewis Black is really the only guy I'll actually take the time to watch. I just feel the way he makes any topic into some absurd [and usually true] thought its great.
One comedian I'm into who has finally been getting a bit of attention lately is Anthony Jeselnik. This guy is absolutely not for everyone; his jokes are dark and fucked up, but they're smart, and his delivery is golden. If you like him, his album is brilliant and absolutely worth the $10: <a class="postlink" href="http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Explicit/dp/B0042GIQL8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298347936&sr=8-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Expli ... 936&sr=8-1</a> And while I agree with some of the female comedian hate, Whitney Cummings is fantastic. You might recognize her from the Comedy Central Roasts. Also of Roast fame, Jeffrey Ross is an awesome insult comic. I saw him live, and he speed-roasted audience members after the show; the dude is very quick on his feet.
I'm a huge fan of Joe Rogan. His conspiracy theories are off the fucking wall sometimes, but regardless the guy is fucking smart. I listen to his podcast religiously, mainly because the caliber of discussion is something I really can't fulfill with my friends on a regular basis. His stand-up is pretty hilarious and he is a fucking wizard at destroying people.
Women don’t need to be funny to get laid or be attractive to men, the reverse is a lot less true. Being a funny guy is synonymous with confidence and intelligence, both things girls like. Being a funny woman is synonymous with neuroses and man hate, not so attractive. But I digress. Dylan Moran is pretty bloody good, his show Black Books is the awesome.
Awesome thread, I love stand-up comedy. Dave Attell is excellent. I love the character of a horrific degenerate who doesn't 'get' that his life is miserable, and Attell nails the act perfectly. Patton Oswalt is great for his wordplay and metaphors, as well as making obscure references, but setting it up in such a way that even if you've never heard of it, you can visualize it and don't miss out of the joke. His early CD 'Feeling Kinda Patton' is literally nothing but movie and TV references and despite rarely knowing firsthand what he was talking about, I died the whole way. While still young and pretty new, I can't speak highly enough of Bo Burnham. In a profession where everyone is pretty smart, Bo Burnham is light years ahead of his age. He's I think 19 now, and his wordplay is among the best in the business. Sometimes he does more high-brow observation that actual jokes, but provided he sticks with it and doesn't get into acting or get sick of show business, he is unreal and will be a big star. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/Eo9pU1q8sy8[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/1Y0hQFqYurQ[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/UhIsdykpML4[/youtube] Honorable Mentions: Brian Posehn Stephen Lynch Greg Giraldo (RIP) On a personal note, I used to do stand-up for a couple years and there was a local named Sean Grant who killed it at every open mic. He went on to win Jimmy Kimmel's College Comedian of the Year and is currently grinding to (hopefully) make it big time. This was my favorite of his bits: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/v/mh7c_1Q7uQU?fs=1&hl=en_US[/youtube] EDIT: I've tried three times to get these links to work. How the fuck do you embed on this board?
I know they've been said already, but I think Eddie Izzard and Ron White are awesome. Unlike the rest of the Blue Collar Crapfest, he doesn't tell redneck jokes. He's just a redneck who's funny. He's has trouble with new material though. At least he repeats his own original jokes instead of saying the same things as everyone else. Similar thing with Izzard. About two minutes in, you're not longer paying attention to the fact that he's dressed up as a woman. His jokes are just that good. On the other hand, I hate Kat Williams. There's not a moment of his acts that act that I'm not aware I'm watching an ugly ass rat running around acting a damn fool. It takes him 10 minutes of b-rate slapstick to get out a single tired punch line. Robin Williams is the same way. Mrs. Doubtfire made use of his 'talent,' but he's otherwise a hack. Back to people I like, anyone who can do a good impression cracks me up.
When I saw this thread, these two were the first to immediately pop into my head. You, sir, have excellent taste. Jeselnik's delivery and crafting are definitely original, not to mention funny as all hell. I'd like to nominate The Comedians of Comedy as a whole. Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford and (sometimes) Eugene Mirman. They even put out some little EPs that have great recordings of them all riffing on stage and tearing apart hecklers. Back in the 90s, I got the chance to see a random one-off performance by Colin Quinn that was pretty damn amazing. He was basically 'meh' on SNL, but his comedy was smart, dry and well-delivered. On the flip side, I don't understand how Bill Hicks and Robin Williams are supposed to be funny as stand-ups. I dig that Hicks was about pushing social issues and trying to make people think, but when you listen to the guy at length, you can tell he really didn't possess the brain power to get the job done while still being super funny. Lewis Black, on the other hand, is a great mix of both. As for Williams, he's obviously a talented performer, but for the love of god, I'd pay good money to have him muzzled for the rest of his life.
I would have to go with Lewis Black as my current favorite. Cosby's "Himself" is also incredible. I also love Chris Rock and Eddie Izzard. Can't stand Mencia, Lamponelli, Barr, or Handler. I don't have the same level of hatred for Dane Cook, but he's never made me laugh.
I don't watch all that much stand up. But, as far as classics go, I'm going to have to agree with Bill Cosby. His special Himself has already been mentioned and I agree. It's a classic. However, some of his older stuff, like his bit on Noah puts me in stitches every time I listen to it. I will also occasionally use the question "OK, who put the bullet in the furnace?" as a personal check on whether or not the people I'm with have a sense of humor.
Some of my favorites have been mentioned several times, like Lewis Black, Louis C.K., etc., so I won't go into those. I will say that I love the self deprecating humor that Louis C.K. does, it's so much more funny than the standard "difference between men/women, white/black, etc". I definitely have to second this. Titus has this way of turning his fucked up, dysfunctional family into some of the funniest shit I've ever heard. There are points in his act where he talks about some really fucked up thing that happened in his family, and its like it seems that he is about to cry, and then he cracks a smile and laughs at himself. Something about that just cracks me up. I also want to say that while I like Demetri Martin, a lot of his stuff that you see on Comedy Central is getting old. However, he did a special for the BBC called "If I" that was just genius. It is weird in that it's funny, but it isn't really a stand up comedy special in the way that we usually think of them. More of him talking about getting to where he is now and having a fascination with language, anagrams, mind puzzles, etc. It's in 5 parts on Youtube and is a must watch, this is the first part: Another one of my favorites is a guy that gets the "fat comedian" thing down perfectly. John Pinette. Most of his comedy is about him being fat and loving food, but his delivery is hilarious. His bit about eating Italian food in Itally is great: (my attempt to type out an Italian accent) "We a gonna take your order in a moment, but first we're a gonna bring a you some food". The way his face lights up when he talks about it is great. Last, there is a comedian that a guy I work with turned me onto that is pretty damn funny, Mitch Fatel. He talks weird, which I'm pretty sure is an act because it makes him sound retarded, but the guy is hilarious. I'll post a video later if I can find a good one.
This thread excited me more than it should have. Suffice it to say, I'm a huge stand-up guy. I'll second John Mulaney, Jim Gaffigan, Tosh, CK, Cummings, and add a couple more popular ones like Mike Birbiglia and Chappelle. Here are a few you might not have seen, but very well good in the near future. Kumail Nanjiani: His observations are pitch perfect, his delivery is crisp, and he does it without resorting to tropes. It's observational humor, but done with a unique perspective on interesting topics. Mitch Fatel: This is how I know a comedian is good: when I begin watching a set not expecting to laugh at all, and they make me rewind it several times just to study their delivery, they've done something right. What I like about Mitch is that he takes a gimmick and then DOES something with it. Hannibel Burress: Dry. Saltine dry. Ann Coulter dry, but he when he pulls it off, it's great. Donald Glover: He's raw at comedy and does a bunch of other stuff (writing/acting/rapping), but he has good instincts and knows comedy. Somebody to watch out for. And because this board seems to hate on female comedians so much, some funny bits from people who have lady parts.
While I'm in my car, about 70% of what I listen to on satellite are the comedy channels. Instead of repeating a bunch of names, here are a few that haven't been mentioned (or haven't been mentioned much). John Caparulo Kind of a down home, earthy comedian. Great material based on pretty basic concepts. You can put him on with pretty much any group of people and he'll make all of them laugh during his set. Carl LaBove One of the more veteran guys I listen to--used to perform with Kinison. Similar to Caparulo in that his humor isn't necessarily focused on lofty subjects, but rather relies on great observation. Paul Tomkins Great material, great delivery, funny voice. I had him confused with Doug Benson for a little while because their voices and, to some extent, material, are very similar. Benson has more stoner jokes, though. Todd Barry Has the delivery of a hypnotherapist, but absolutely kills. His dry sense of humor always gets me and his take on even basic, everyday things is insightful and funny. Maria Bamford One of the very few female comedians I actually enjoy listening to. Her material is a bit out there, but it's always strong. Also, her normal voice is funny, and her impersonations of "normal" people are always good. Kathleen Madigan I'll toss another lady into the mix. I like Kathleen. Her material tends to be a little more blue collar, but never in a stereotypical, shitty way. I actually listen to her pretty often. Plus, I'm pretty sure she could outdrink me. Gotta respect that. John Hefron A lot of his material that I've heard is family-focused, which can be hit or miss. But it works for him because his stories and character protrayals of his family are pretty funny. Marc Ryan Kind of a good 'ole boy comedian, but uses his experiences in trailer parks and various other redneck/white trash scenarios to come up with some strong material. Not for everybody, but I like him. Marc Maron Recently on Conan (about 3 weeks ago, I think). Also has the WTF podcast. Marc is another semi-veteran and a really funny, quick-witted guy. I had listened to him on satellite for a while, but I was really impressed with his face-to-face work on Conan. He seemed really comfortable and it came through in his interview. Just a genuinely funny guy. Alt. Focus Jeff Dunham I just hope he dies in a fire, surrounded by all of his puppet kindling. The fact that he's as popular as he is astounds me. I can't listen to him. It makes me sad that he's making so much money for being so shitty. George Lopez Jesus Christ. I don't know his older stuff, or if he was ever any good, but I have no idea why he's famous. If any white comedian said that many shitty jokes about being white, they would've been mercy killed by now. But Lopez talks about chicanos for 15 fucking years, and he's a genius. I don't get it. His wife should've kept her kidney.
I'm the first to mention Stanhope? Really? He's definetly on my like list, along with Stephen Lynch, Dave Atell, Lewis Black, Hedberg, Ron White, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock and old school Eddie Murphy. I remember first seeing Delirious, when it was over I had cramps in my face and cheeks from laughing and smiling so much. So good. I like Lynch because it's a different format. I like Lewis Black purely based on his delivery. Hedberg, say what you want but his brand of humor and delivery were one of a kind. He was all about letting the one liner resonate a bit, there was a reason for that. Some get it, some don't. Ron White, again delivery. If you really listen to him, his humor is brilliant. Pryor was absolutely groundbreaking and way before his time. And Chris Rock, reminds me of the old school Eddie. I don't really have any I absolutely hate. I will say Mencia annoys me as does Dane Cook, who comes off as an arrogant prick. All humor is an acquired taste and very individual, like music. Hell, I think Howard Stern is a mastermind. There is no one out there that can conduct a radio interview like he can.
Sam Kinnison I spent alot of time at the LA Comedy Clubs in the 1980's during the height of the stand-up boom. They had a "continuous comedy" thing at the Comedy Store where someone new would perform every half hour or so -- many of whom became major sitcom stars (Seinfeld, Barr, etc.). Sam would come on at 2:00 am. Half the crowd was mortified (including my wife). The rest of us understood we were seeing the greatest stand-up that ever lived. Here's a little taste.
All time? toss up between Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock. Just great energy, versatile subject matter, and funny to any sensibility. Other faves include Maria Bamford who is a genius and for those of you who don't think women can be stand ups, you just haven't seen the right ones. Doug Stanhope is great. Love his relaxed, drunken delivery. Doesn't seem like a shtick, whereas with others it seems so. Patton Oswalt is also amazing in that without any real jokes, he is so interesting and his observational stuff is just so much more incisive than a hack like Jerry Seinfeld.