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The List 100. Gallagher 99. Janeane Garofalo 98. Louis CK 97. Sandra Bernhard 96. Joey Bishop 95. Andrew 'Dice' Clay 94. David Alan Grier 93. George Wallace 92. Louie Anderson 91. Jim Breuer 90. Dana Carvey 89. Kevin James 88. Paula Poundstone 87. Brett Butler 86. Jay Mohr 85. David Cross 84. Drew Carey 83. Norm MacDonald 82. Howie Mandel 81. Dick Gregory 80. Bobby Slayton 79. Dom Irrera 78. Sinbad 77. Paul Reiser 76. Robert Schimmel 75. Eddie Izzard 74. Paul Rodriguez 73. Billy Connolly 72. Bernie Mac 71. Red Buttons 70. Wanda Sykes 69. Pat Cooper 68. Dave Attell 67. Kevin Pollak 66. Shelley Berman 65. Cedrick the Enter. 64. Richard Belzer 63. Jackie Mason 62. Eddie Griffin 61. Bobcat Goldthwait 60. Jeff Foxworthy 59. Gilbert Gottfried 58. Larry Miller 57. Richard Jeni 56. Colin Quinn 55. Alan King 54. DL Hughley 53. David Brenner 52. Damon Wayans 51. Lewis Black 50. Denis Leary 49. Freddie Prinze 48. Tim Allen 47. Henny Youngman 46. Adam Sandler 45. Richard Lewis 44. Joan Rivers 43. Dave Chappelle 42. Flip Wilson 41. Jon Stewart 40. Mort Sahl 39. Billy Crystal 38. Bill Maher 37. Martin Lawrence 36. Jim Carrey 35. Phyllis Diller 34. Buddy Hackett 33. Andy Kaufman 32. Albert Brooks 31. George Burns 30. Garry Shandling 29. Milton Berle 28. Jack Benny 27. Jay Leno 26. Ray Romano 25. Bob Hope 24. Redd Foxx 23. Steven Wright 22. Robert Klein 21. Dennis Miller 20. Sam Kinison 19. Bill Hicks 18. Jonathan Winters 17. Don Rickles 16. Ellen DeGeneres 15. David Letterman 14. Bob Newhart 13. Robin Williams 12. Jerry Seinfeld 11. Johnny Carson 10. Eddie Murphy 09. Roseanne Barr 08. Bill Cosby 07. Rodney Dangerfield 06. Steve Martin 05. Chris Rock 04. Woody Allen 03. Lenny Bruce 02. George Carlin 01. Richard Pryor
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MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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Just above Robin Williams, Jerry Seinfeld, Johnny Carson, and Eddie Murphy...
There's a lot of stuff on this list I disagree with. That's one of my biggest peeves.
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Yeah, a lot of the positions seemed off. Ray Romano's greater than Andy Kaufman?
And Billy Connolly's listed at 73 yet he wasn't profiled on the TV specials. Someone else took his place.
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i think the problem lies in that they often confused "stand up" with "comedian," or simply "funny person."
for example, adam sandler broke the top 50. but i can almost guarantee no one could name a single joke from his stand up routine.
that said, i think richard pryor is a damn good choice for #1 stand up.
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I agree. I can't argue with the top 2. Lenny Bruce as #3 is no problem for me either, though I know a couple of people who aren't thrilled by it.
But in no way is Sandler known for his stand-up. If I recall correctly, a lot of comedians, including Sandler himself, thought that his stand-up work wasn't that good. It's when he did characters on MTV and SNL that he found his niche.
Also, Roseanne isn't funnier than Eddie Murphy. Chris Rock, though I'd give him a spot in the top 20, has never been, will never be, and isn't as funny as Eddie was doing stand-up. Murphy should have been a lot higher on that list.
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet." Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."
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Hard to top Pryor, though my personal favorite is Carlin.
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Woody Allen is known for his stand up?
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I'm just very glad a) Jerry Seinfeld was not # 1. His stand-up routine is fairly subpar, which was a regular joke on his show. And b) Bill Hicks made it into the top 20. Though I'd have ranked him higher.
I also, though not technically a comedian, would have ranked Henry Rollins.
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Quote:
Rob Kamphausen said:
for example, adam sandler broke the top 50. but i can almost guarantee no one could name a single joke from his stand up routine.
Just to prove you wrong.
Hey, Grandma, it's me. Buzz me in.
'Who's there?'
It's me. It's your grandson.
'Charles Manson?'
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet." Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."
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Quote:
Mr. Nobody said:
I also, though not technically a comedian, would have ranked Henry Rollins.
Yeah, it crossed my mind that he could be included, but I figured they would consider him more of a monologist than a stand-up (along the lines of Eric Bogosian and Spaulding Grey).
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I, too, would've ranked Hicks higher.
Thing is- I can’t spell or type. I spell so badly my spell check doesn’t even know what I was trying to spell. And I have five Eisners HAHAHAHHA!!
-Brian Michael Bendis
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Izzard should've ranked higher, in my opinion.
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You know what the sad thing is, you can't even see most of these guys' material anymore. I remember back when Comedy Central was still The Comedy Channel as well as right after the buy-out. They'd show clips of old stand-up acts and skits to fill time and even had shows like Short Attention Span Theater that would show them for a half hour or so. It'd be nice to have another show like that on the air to see a lot of these old acts and bits. Especially considering the fact that I find very few of the newer comics funny.
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet." Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."
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How is Dennis Leary all the way down at 50? Maybe it's not too far down, but still, I think he's better than that. I love to listen to his CD's every now and then. Great stuff.
<sub>Will Eisner's last work - The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of ZionRDCW Profile"Well, as it happens, I wrote the damned SOP," Illescue half snarled, "and as of now, you can bar those jackals from any part of this facility until Hell's a hockey rink! Is that perfectly clear?!" - Dr. Franz Illescue - Honor Harrington: At All Costs"I don't know what I'm do, or how I do, I just do." - Alexander Ovechkin</sub>
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Quote:
thedoctor said:
I agree. I can't argue with the top 2. Lenny Bruce as #3 is no problem for me either, though I know a couple of people who aren't thrilled by it.
But in no way is Sandler known for his stand-up. If I recall correctly, a lot of comedians, including Sandler himself, thought that his stand-up work wasn't that good. It's when he did characters on MTV and SNL that he found his niche.
Also, Roseanne isn't funnier than Eddie Murphy. Chris Rock, though I'd give him a spot in the top 20, has never been, will never be, and isn't as funny as Eddie was doing stand-up. Murphy should have been a lot higher on that list.
I agree with you 100%.
Pryor is someone that EVERYONE (minus a few forest-dwelling Aborigines) would put in their top three. A good choice, if you ask me.
Robin Williams, Eddy Murphy, and a few others should have been higher, while people like Roseanne and Chris Rock should have been lower. Jim Carrey shouldn't have even made that list. His standup sucked. Even he admits that.
Generally, I think the list was influenced too heavily by success in other venues. Get your own sitcom and you're a few notches up on their list, at least. Become a household name and you're almost guaranteed top 50.
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Quote:
thedoctor said:Become a household name and you're almost guaranteed top 50.
Which is pretty fucking hard if you're a stand-up comedian. These days you HAVE to have a TV show or movie to get recognized nationally. And even then, your basic TV viewer isn't going to watch Comedy Central just for the stand-up. A lot of the comedy on that channel just goes right over their heads.
For as many of my friends who worship Chapelle Show, Reno 911, and South Park, there are a hundred other "average American TV viewers" who just don't get it.
Anyway, I know he hasn't been around long enough to make it on a "Greatest" list, but Mitch Hedburg ("I bought a donut and they gave me a receipt") is currently my all-time favorite stand-up.
Non
I got soul but I'm not a soldier.
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Mitch Hedburg is fucking HILARIOUS. I love that guy.
MisterJLA is RACKing awesome.
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sandler is known more for his acting but i dont think that should change the fact that his stand-up albums are some of the top selling of all time, which in the world of stand ups is a good measure of his success, every winter his hannaka(sp?) song from his stand up is palyed relentlessly, sure he focuses on movies now but so does murphy, williams and alot of the others.....
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Quote:
britneyspearsatemyshorts said:
sandler is known more for his acting but i dont think that should change the fact that his stand-up albums are some of the top selling of all time, which in the world of stand ups is a good measure of his success, every winter his hannaka(sp?) song from his stand up is palyed relentlessly, sure he focuses on movies now but so does murphy, williams and alot of the others.....
Were those CDs so much live stand-up or more Sandler doing character sketches, skits and songs inside of a studio? When I think of a "stand-up" comedy album, I think of the old Steve Martin and Richard Pryor tapes, where it's them being recorded in front of a live audience doing their routines. Not them doing skits in a studio, with sound effects and other voice actors and what have you. Tenacious D, Cheech & Chong, The Jerky Boys, those are all "comedy" albums, but not necessarily "stand-up" albums (although didn't Cheech & Chong record some skits in front of a live audience?)
Non
*BLAM* *BLAM* "I'm black Gallaghar, bitch!"
"I got warrants!"
I got soul but I'm not a soldier.
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yeah they were stand up, he did several tours and hbo specials, the songs were him sitting there with his guitar singing, his standup routine is similar to robin williams where he tells stories only his are bizarre characters like the old man with the goat , and he has also did sketch type pieces on his albums too im not saying he's the funniest standup comedian but he made sold a significant amount of stand up albums
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Quote:
Animalman said:
Mitch Hedburg is fucking HILARIOUS. I love that guy.
Agreed.
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Quote:
britneyspearsatemyshorts said:
yeah they were stand up, he did several tours and hbo specials, the songs were him sitting there with his guitar singing, his standup routine is similar to robin williams where he tells stories only his are bizarre characters like the old man with the goat , and he has also did sketch type pieces on his albums too im not saying he's the funniest standup comedian but he made sold a significant amount of stand up albums
Ok, I just wasn't sure. I only seem to remember his skits, not his stand-up. But then I only seem to remember little things, not lots of things.
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I remember Sandler's albums being more studio music works than live stand-up. Maybe BSAMS is referring to stuff I haven't heard, but that's all I can remember as of right now.
Mitch Hedburg's Standing of the Edge of Comedy album has the most appropriate title I can think of for that album. It's like he's standing on the edge of comedy looking at it, but unable to understand what it really is. He and Horatio Sanz have to be the two unfunniest comedians on the face of the planet. If that's what people are considering comedy now-a-days, then it further accentuates my point that we need more exposure to the classic comedians who knew what funny was.
whomod said: I generally don't like it when people decide to play by the rules against people who don't play by the rules. It tends to put you immediately at a disadvantage and IMO is a sign of true weakness. This is true both in politics and on the internet." Our Friendly Neighborhood Ray-man said: "no, the doctor's right. besides, he has seniority."
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Quote:
Disco Steve said:
Quote:
Animalman said:
Mitch Hedburg is fucking HILARIOUS. I love that guy.
Agreed.
I also agree.
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Quote:
thedoctor said:
I remember Sandler's albums being more studio music works than live stand-up. Maybe BSAMS is referring to stuff I haven't heard, but that's all I can remember as of right now.
Mitch Hedburg's Standing of the Edge of Comedy album has the most appropriate title I can think of for that album. It's like he's standing on the edge of comedy looking at it, but unable to understand what it really is. He and Horatio Sanz have to be the two unfunniest comedians on the face of the planet. If that's what people are considering comedy now-a-days, then it further accentuates my point that we need more exposure to the classic comedians who knew what funny was.
A-WAA?! Clumping Mitch Hedburg into the same group as Horatio Sanz is a nearly-unforgivable transgression, but I'll let you slide this time, doctor.  Yes, I'll agree with you there, I have absolutely NO idea how Horatio Sanz got onto SNL, but I don't think he should be compared to Hedburg.
Comedy is like everything else, it's got all sorts of different styles and subgenres (for lack of a better word). Did everyone like Bobcat Goldwaith (sp?) when he first came out? I seem to remember his character-voice turning people off. "Is he retarded or something?" My point is, there's a comedian for every type of comedy-lover out there. There's just something about Mitch Hedburg that I just find incredibly hilarious. His speech patterns and his voice have something to do with it, I think.
The Amazing Jonathan is hilarious, too, but some people may not think his coke-inspired humor is that funny (especially when it's YOUR Rolex watch he just smashed to pieces inside his red velvet bag).
Personally, I can't stand the yuck-yuck-schmuck stand-up of Rodney Dangerfield-types, the self-deprecating humor that appeals to the leisure-suit and rhinestone-wearing 50-60+ crowd.
non
I got soul but I'm not a soldier.
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i think Rodney Dangerfield is a genius, one of the funniest stand ups ever, i find tho that my taste in stand up changes over the years, i used to find Steven Wright the funniest stand up ever, but i recently dug out some old cassettes and whle funny it doesnt seem as good as it used to......
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I just got a great e-mail of Steven Wright material: Quote:
> Subject: COMEDIAN/ACTOR STEVEN WRIGHT
>
> I planted some birdseed. A bird came up. Now I don't
> know what to feed it.
>
> I had amnesia once -- or twice, I forget.
>
> I went to San Francisco. I found someone's heart.
>
> Protons have mass? I didn't even know they were
> Catholic.
>
> All I ask is a chance to prove that money can't make
> me happy.
>
> I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
>
> A beggar asked me for 50¢ for a sandwich. I said,
> "First let me see the
> sandwich."
>
> What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?
>
> They told me I was gullible... and I believed them.
>
> Teach a child to be polite and courteous in the home
> and, when he grows up,
> he'll never be able to edge his car onto a freeway.
>
> Experience is the thing you have left when
> everything else is gone.
>
> What if there were no hypothetical questions?
>
> One nice thing about egotists: They don't talk about
> other people.
>
> When the only tool you own is a hammer, every
> problem begins to look like a
> nail.
>
> A flashlight is a case for holding dead batteries.
>
> What was the greatest thing before sliced bread?
>
> My weight is perfect for my height - which varies.
>
> I used to be indecisive. Now, I'm not sure.
>
> The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.
>
> How can there be self-help "groups"?
>
> Is there another word for synonym?
>
> Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it
> all"?
>
> The speed of time is one-second per second.
>
> Is it possible to be totally partial?
>
> What's another word for thesaurus?
>
> Is Marx's tomb a communist plot?
>
> If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you
> explain whales?
>
> Show me a man with both feet firmly on the ground,
> and I'll show you a man
> who can't get his pants off.
>
> It's not an optical illusion. It just looks like
> one.
>
> Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like
> chicken?
And that's terrible.
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All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my hand.
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Personally, I think Ellen Degeneres is a bit overrated. I remember when she hosted the Grammy's in '96 and '97 and the audience was dead silent.
She was great when she hosted the Emmy's in 2001, but of course she had great material to back her up (that was the show that was pre-empted because of 9/11).
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Steven Wright, he's hilarious, too. I think Mitch Hedburg derives a lot of his comedic style from Steven Wright.
And both sounded like they were stoned out when they talked.
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I think Ellen, Roseanne and Joan Rivers were all overrated because they needed some women on the list.
And that's terrible.
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Quote:
I'm Not Mister Mxypltk said:
Fuck Mags Cho.
Nah!
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There was a Lewis Black special on comedy central tonight. That guy is great. He's like the drunken angry uncle that rants about shoes at every family gathering....
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If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college.
And that's terrible.
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