FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: erika on June 23, 2008, 10:52:15 AM
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Which comedians are/were your favorites?
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My bold prediction for the top 3:
Patton
PFT
Zach G
Which are probably my 3 current favorites. And I like Chris Rock, although I haven't heard him in a long while and I'm not sure if it would still stand up for me.
I can't honestly claim to be some big comedy expert and I don't actively seek out the super unknowns. Basically it comes down to if I hear something I think is funny from a specific comedian, I'll check out more of their stuff. I generally find that when I listen to "classic" comedy, a lot of times I just don't find it that funny. I'm not sure if it's a case of not relating to the material or a failure to match the hype, but from my limited experience most standup just doesn't age well. Obviously there are exceptions.
So I also like Eugene Mirman, Todd Barry, Doug Benson, Jimmy Pardo, and a bunch others I'm sure I'm forgetting. Oh, and anyone recommended by Byron Allen.
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Erika, you didn't list yours...let's hear it!
my favorites (in no particular order):
David Cross
Zach Galifianakis
Maria Bamford
Brian Posehn
Patton Oswalt
Todd Barry
Dave Chapelle
Sarah Silverman
Eugene Mirman
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Erika, you didn't list yours...let's hear it!
my favorites (in no particular order):
David Cross
Zach Galifianakis
Maria Bamford
Brian Posehn
Patton Oswalt
Todd Barry
Dave Chapelle
Sarah Silverman
Eugene Mirman
How very safe.
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I'm sorry!
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What about when you were younger? When Carlin was popular? Are there any comedians you liked back then?
My current favorites are Patton and Louis CK. As far as stand-up goes... those two guys are really the kings. PFT and Zach are really good too. But Patton and Louie get me laughing to the point of tears consistently and are constantly coming up with new material.
Back "in the day" I liked Carlin the most I think.
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Fair enough.
Chris Rock
Early Bill Cosby was great. I saw him do a show a few years ago and I was amazed at what he pro he was.
Dimitri Martin is a clever lad.
Of course, PFT and Gen. Patton.
H Jon and Brendan Smalls aren't really 'stand-up,' but I've seen them on stage and it was great.
Paul Mooney is great, but not in a "ha ha" way.
Eddie Murphy's "Delarious" is one of the funniest things I'd ever seen, but I think it was the last thing he ever did that was funny.
Eugene Mirman is amazing.
Ron White is a goon, but he cracks me up.
Limited doses of Lewis Black.
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Oh yeah and Chris Rock always used to crack me up! I was really into him the same time I was into Carlin.
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From the people who are bringing their A-game and my current favorites
Chris Rock
Patton Oswalt
Todd Barry
Louis CK
Zach Galifianakis
Ricky Gervais
The Up-and-Comers: The people who are on to something good and will be up there with my favorites very soon
Mike Birbiglia
Eugene Mirman
Paul F. Tompkins
Tracy Morgan
Then the people who were my favorites but I haven't seen any new stuff from in quite some time
David Cross
Dave Chappelle
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What about when you were younger? When Carlin was popular? Are there any comedians you liked back then?
My current favorites are Patton and Louis CK. As far as stand-up goes... those two guys are really the kings. PFT and Zach are really good too. But Patton and Louie get me laughing to the point of tears consistently and are constantly coming up with new material.
Back "in the day" I liked Carlin the most I think.
Louis CK was the first comedian I've seen multiple times and I saw him last summer before his HBO special and saw him probably 6 months later and he already had 90 minutes plus of great new material. It was just unbelievable to hear no repeat jokes.
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And I like Chris Rock, although I haven't heard him in a long while and I'm not sure if it would still stand up for me.
I'm with you on that one. I have a problem with comedians who who get too angry. The genius stems from the anger, but when it goes too far, it just becomes rants. That's what I didn't like about Mr Carlin.
Chris Rock walks that line really well, but I thought "Never Scared" was starting to lean too far to the angry meter. I'm eager to hear his new work to see how he's evolving.
As if I'm going to be stroking a beard and filling out a report card or something...
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Maria Bamford
Andy Kindler
PFT
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Oh, and Rickles.
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Oh, and Rickles.
How could I forget Rickles!
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Midnight Pajama Jam
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And I like Chris Rock, although I haven't heard him in a long while and I'm not sure if it would still stand up for me.
I'm with you on that one. I have a problem with comedians who who get too angry. The genius stems from the anger, but when it goes too far, it just becomes rants. That's what I didn't like about Mr Carlin.
It's true. Carlin turned into a raving (but not crazy) old man. Watching his later stuff, one felt, "He's right about everything he's saying, and it's bumming me out instead of making me laugh."
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And I like Chris Rock, although I haven't heard him in a long while and I'm not sure if it would still stand up for me.
I'm with you on that one. I have a problem with comedians who who get too angry. The genius stems from the anger, but when it goes too far, it just becomes rants. That's what I didn't like about Mr Carlin.
Chris Rock walks that line really well, but I thought "Never Scared" was starting to lean too far to the angry meter. I'm eager to hear his new work to see how he's evolving.
As if I'm going to be stroking a beard and filling out a report card or something...
And this is the reason that, while I love David Cross, I can only listen to his standup in small doses.
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Tracy Morgan
I saw him last fall and while I absolutely love him, the first 5 minutes of his set was literally just him saying "Ima gonna get my dick sucked".
Wow, all this Carlin and comedy talk has turned me into a rapist.
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Paul Mooney is great, but not in a "ha ha" way.
Limited doses of Lewis Black.
It's hard for me to imagine that someone would like both of those guys (even with caveats) and trash Carlin the way you did.
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Paul Mooney is great, but not in a "ha ha" way.
Limited doses of Lewis Black.
It's hard for me to imagine that someone would like both of those guys (even with caveats) and trash Carlin the way you did.
What can I say... I'm a paradox.
Paul Mooney is great because I have alot to learn from him and he always makes me reevaluate myself. I don't agree with everything he says, but he's engaging. And no, I don't think that people who don't like Paul Mooney are racist.
The difference between Lewis Black and George Carlin is that one is a pissy little man shaking his fist at the sky, and the other was a smarty-pants who thinks everyone is an idiot but him, and he would love to prove you wrong.
I've been staring at a what I just typed for a few minutes, and I'm starting to think that my description of GC could apply to either of them, but Paul and Lewis were never as condescending.
I'm soul-searching over here!
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Meh. Carlin was right though... most people ARE idiots. I always agreed with him on that point.
This here is one of the truest things I've heard:
Have you ever noticed, when you're driving, that anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a *maniac*?
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I guess I was always kind of indifferent to stand-up comedy growing up. I was always much more into funny tv shows and films. Aside from a few people I liked like Richard Pryor it wasn't until the last ten years or so, starting w/ Chris Rock and the current crop of Patton/PFT/Zach, etc, that I became big fans of any stand up performers or connected with their material. My main exposure to stand up growing up was an endless series of mediocre clips on Comedy Central that could hardly compare to, say, The Simpsons for entertainment value. The Rudners and Pollacks of the world were still riding high at that time and stand up seemed like a mystifying, vaguely depressing profession. So I ended up never paying much attention to Carlin or forming a strong opinion about him either way (I do like the maligned "football vs. baseball" bit).
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well, come on...everyone is an idiot EXCEPT ME. but i cant believe i forgot PFT, Lewis Black, Mike Birbiglia, and Rickles. although, i dont know how much i like Rickles, but i love him as a reference point. and Mitch Hedburg.
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It's true. Carlin turned into a raving (but not crazy) old man. Watching his later stuff, one felt, "He's right about everything he's saying, and it's bumming me out instead of making me laugh."
I agree. I watched one of his last specials (Life is Worth Losing, I think) and it was a pretty uncomfortable experience. I don't think I laughed once, but that'd be true of when the man was in his prime as well. Just not my thing.
As far as comedians I do like, I'll second most other people's suggestions, but I'll also add Albert Brooks to the list.
EDIT: On some other board I go to, someone posted: "Now the four funniest comedians ever are dead - Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, ill-Bay icks-Hay* and Carlin." I thought that was worth repeating.
* Because I couldn't type Bill Hicks.
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Jim Gaffigan
Mitch Hedberg
Bill Hicks
Todd Barry
Michael Ian Black
Steven Wright
Jen Kirkman
Scott Thompson
Brian Pohsen
Paul F. Tompkins
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On some other board I go to, someone posted: "Now the four funniest comedians ever are dead - Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, ill-Bay icks-Hay* and Carlin." I thought that was worth repeating.
* Because I couldn't type Benny Hill.
I don't know anyone under 60 who thinks Lenny Bruce is funny.
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And anything called "humor" can never be funny. humorists satirists. - ugh People "taking things on."
The most entertaining thing to me in the past years that has specifically had political references has been 30 rock. It's funny first and clever second. Arrested Development was the same.
JP
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In no particular order:
Maria Bamford
Wanda Sykes
Margaret Cho
Sarah Silverman (admittedly, with major reservations)
Zach Galifianakis
Patton Oswalt
I'd probably add Dave Chappelle and Larry David, though somehow I don't think of them as favorite comedians, just people whose "material" I like.
Incidentally, I don't despise George Carlin, just never found him particularly funny.
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I find it so hard to believe that people who dislike or seemingly have little respect for George Carlin prefer people like Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho and Tracy Morgan.
So weird.
I was just trying to figure out what was so offensive/unappealing about Carlin's comedy vs what people liked about other comedy. Now I'm totally lost. No comprendo.
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I was revising my message above just as you posted a response Erika. I think I would have liked George Carlin a long time ago, maybe in the 60s/70s, if I had been of a certain age by then. His material might have resonated with me if I were older (meaning, if I had been an adult during that era rather than a little kid.) I don't dislike the man's comedy, just feel pretty neutral about it.
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Rickles, Stephen Wright, Mort Sahl (don't judge!)
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This is probably opening myself for some sort of attack, but I think Sam Kinison was really funny.
Also, Pryor and Hicks. They're my two all-time favorites. Rodney Dangerfield belongs on my list as well.
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On some other board I go to, someone posted: "Now the four funniest comedians ever are dead - Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, ill-Bay icks-Hay* and Carlin." I thought that was worth repeating.
* Because I couldn't type Benny Hill.
I don't know anyone under 60 who thinks Lenny Bruce is funny.
Lenny Bruce is to comedy as Robert Johnson is to rock and blues. I appreciate the fact that they were innovative and big influences on future artists but I'd never want to listen to them ever again.
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Steve Martin - admittedly, I was 7 at the time but the tv special where he drove the steamroller drunk and sang in the cowboy bar full of chimps was my first memory of laughing so hard that I was in pain.
Cosby - although my firsthand experience meeting him turned me away from him (hear the story in the archives!), I cannot deny his influence on me.
Eddie Murphy - Delirious - me and my brother listening to this LP in secret in the garage and trying not to laugh too hard for fear of getting busted listening to r-rated material. It made it that much sweeter.
Those were the big three, but there were many others that I can say that I did, or do still enjoy: Richard Jeni, Drake Sather, Norm McDonald, Rodney Dangerfield, Steven Wright, Dennis Miller. Some 'newer' folk: Patton Oswalt, PFT, Birbiglia, Cross, Dave Attell, Greg Giraldo...
I will always hold a special place in my heart for the guy who played the flamingo-shaped electric guitar.
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Steve Martin - admittedly, I was 7 at the time but the tv special where he drove the steamroller drunk and sang in the cowboy bar full of chimps was my first memory of laughing so hard that I was in pain.
Cosby - although my firsthand experience meeting him turned me away from him (hear the story in the archives!), I cannot deny his influence on me.
Eddie Murphy - Delirious - me and my brother listening to this LP in secret in the garage and trying not to laugh too hard for fear of getting busted listening to r-rated material. It made it that much sweeter.
Those were the big three, but there were many others that I can say that I did, or do still enjoy: Richard Jeni, Drake Sather, Norm McDonald, Rodney Dangerfield, Steven Wright, Dennis Miller. Some 'newer' folk: Patton Oswalt, PFT, Birbiglia, Cross, Dave Attell, Greg Giraldo...
I will always hold a special place in my heart for the guy who played the flamingo-shaped electric guitar.
Wow. I can't believe I forgot Norm and Greg Giraldo. Norm is sort of a deadbeat now and up to nothing but I'll always love Dirty Work.
I'm not sure how I feel about Eddie Murphy now. I used to love him but I rewatched Delirious for the first time in ages a few weeks ago and I forgot about how some of his routines like the Faggots one is just offensive and unfunny. I don't want to hear mean jokes about how "all the faggots are staring at my ass and they wanna give me AIDS" from a man in a red leather suit who gives rides home to trannies.
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I never really got into stand up comedy so it seems like a strange world. There was a guy in Philadelphia that I knew who sort of made a routine out of "being a stand up comedian" that I thought was funny. That's also what I thought was funny about Neil Hamburger when I saw him and the old Bill Cosby records I bought at a thrift store when I was in college. When I have seen a legitimately funny, not ironic stand up act like Patton Oswalt I thought he was funny but I felt strange just being in the room and didn't enjoy the experience much.
I like funny TV, good live music, why don't I get it?
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Olde Time Richard Pryor
Norm McDonald on Weekend Update (and as a guest on Conan O'Brien)
Chris Rock's first two HBO specials
Paul F. Tompkins
I liked Carlin when I was younger, but I don't know. His pontificating in The Aristocrats was pretty awful.
I cannot STAND the David Cross standup album, for the same too-angry reason. Although for some reason the DVD quasi-documentary of him touring with some C-list indie band (Let America Laugh?) was hilarious.
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Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
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I'm not a hater. I'm a fan of the artform of stand-up, therefore I respect and value the contribution George has made to it.
"Benny Hill" (aka Mr. Hicks.) Louis CK.
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I cannot STAND the David Cross standup album, for the same too-angry reason. Although for some reason the DVD quasi-documentary of him touring with some C-list indie band (Let America Laugh?) was hilarious.
Let America Laugh is significant in that it contains the single most accurate, chilling portrayal of central Arkansas ever committed to film. It's even better than Gang War: Bangin' in Little Rock.
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Nah, MOS, I'll back you up on Sam Kinison. I liked him back in the day, however obnoxious he might have been. If I remember right I think he veered into the realm of misogyny but I enjoyed his stuff anyway.
I still miss Hicks. And Rodney Dangerfield.
Going back in time, I liked Steve Martin a lot when I was a kid, and think Richard Pryor was pretty good as well.
Comedy is just so subjective that I have to respect people's likes and dislikes in most cases. A lot of us FOTs tend to be "critics" who believe that there are just good and bad comedians, but I don't think it's really that clear cut. While I'd still deride somebody for being a fan of Dane Cook or Bob Saget (or Benny Hill!), there are plenty of comedians who I'd have to say are good at making people laugh (and that's the whole point of it, right?) and yet they're just not my personal cup of tea.
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I used to love David Cross but I got kind of sick of the whole liberal snob movement and he definitely falls in that category. Actually, Let America Laugh along with Air America were the two biggest turn-offs to me.
Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
It's also really weird how many stand-up comedians there are and that 99 percent of them are awful. It's impossible to be a casual fan stand-up comedy because if you just go out and pick up an album or go see a show on a whim it's most likely going to be bad. Being a fan of stand-up is hard work!
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I think I liked Let America Laugh because, even though it's told from his point of view, the overarching joke of the thing is that he's constantly put-upon by jerks and idiots. It even makes his relationship with Bob Odenkirk seem like "I can't believe I'm forced to hang out with THIS guy just cause we made a show together!" but the amount of compromising situations, arguments, and weird run-ins he endures make his surliness a bit more endearing. His actual material itself (at least at the time) was just too blow-hard and angry, but him dealing with weird drunk groupies (who barely know who he is) at a crappy club is for some reason hilarious.
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Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
wasn't there a rumor that John Mayer did stand-up for a brief moment?
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Near the end, Carlin stopped being a fun-loving misanthrope and became a depressing, condescending misanthrope. Cross soured much more quickly and predictably, but seems to get a pass, usually. Skcih Llib, my childhood hero, might have gone the same way, given a longer life. But, even in those cases, I enjoy seeing a comedian who doesn't dumb it down. Steve Martin and Stephen Wright are both wildly intelligent without being mean.
My I-want-to-be-that list includes:
Patton
Chappelle
Bamford (who appeals to the long-dormant improv nerd in me)
Brody Stevens (pure energy)
This won't make me many friends here, but I think that most contemporary comedy is too smug and absurdist and not nearly angry, opinionated or brave enough. It's not easy being a Doug Stanhope apologist, but I'll take him over Flight of the Conchords.
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Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
wasn't there a rumor that John Mayer did stand-up for a brief moment?
I think that was more than a rumor, but I don't really want to search out the video evidence.
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Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
wasn't there a rumor that John Mayer did stand-up for a brief moment?
I think that was more than a rumor, but I don't really want to search out the video evidence.
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1760661
Could be worse. Chappelle must have told him about "act-outs."
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Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
I see flashes of his comedy routine every time I do a channel surf at the wrong time. He's about as funny as Carrot Top 2.0
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Last night, before seeing The Incredible Hulk, I learned that CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck does "standup comedy" and that I could see his "comedy performance" in a special screening at my local multiplex. This illustrates why it took me a long time to get into standup, because anyone can label themselves a "comedian". Including all these soap opera stars that appear at my local comedy club every weekend.
I see flashes of his comedy routine every time I do a channel surf at the wrong time. He's about as funny as Carrot Top 2.0
Out of morbid curiosity, I found a lovely clip of his "standup". It's really painful, like a toned-down middle age Dane Cook.
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=C1ulWDHUWs4[/youtube]
I feel sorry for his children
[youtube]http://youtube.com/watch?v=xA0ESDBf8Rw[/youtube]
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I forgot to mention Andy Kindler, Maria Bamford and Paul F Tompkins, besides the obvious Patton as well.
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Nah, MOS, I'll back you up on Sam Kinison. I liked him back in the day, however obnoxious he might have been. If I remember right I think he veered into the realm of misogyny but I enjoyed his stuff anyway.
Yeah, definitely some of that, plus some ugly homophobia (for which he did later make a half-assed apology, which I suppose puts him above Eddie Murphy but doesn't really excuse it) and right-wing politics that I personally find stupid and disagreeable, but I still think he's a hilarious guy.
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I don't know if this is throwing myself under the bus, but I really like Eddie Izzard as well.
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They're not necessarily standups, but they're making me laugh lately -
-Kristen Wiig
-All the "It's Always Sunny..." cast
-Amy Poehler
-Amy Sedaris
-Jimmi Simpson
-Nick Swardson
-Scott Thompson
-Zach G
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Now we come full circle. I have heard David Cross and Eddie Izzard use the same material as Carlin.
-David Cross - military camouflage being stupid in urban environments
-Eddie Izzard - cats suddenly looking up while washing themselves, as if remembering something important
I am by no means suggesting that they took the material...I just wanted to point out that younger, "hipper" comedians tread over the same ground that the old timers do.
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ANDY DALY
Do we have a release date yet, Jouster?
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Don't know how I forgot Michael Palin.
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ANDY DALY
Do we have a release date yet, Jouster?
Nope. August, tentatively, but no solid date. There is an issue because the amount of material he recorded is too much for one CD, but no one wants to release a double CD for various reasons. Might be bonus online content, or a bonus EP, Under the Bushes Under the Stars-style.
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I guess I'm trying to figure out what (for those people who disliked him enough to state so on the day of his death) was so unlikeable about Carlin's entire body of work... that's why I was wondering which stand-up comedians people found specifically more appealing.
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ANDY DALY
Do we have a release date yet, Jouster?
Nope. August, tentatively, but no solid date. There is an issue because the amount of material he recorded is too much for one CD, but no one wants to release a double CD for various reasons. Might be bonus online content, or a bonus EP, Under the Bushes Under the Stars-style.
Any of those scenarios sound awesome. Thanks for the info.
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I don't know anyone under 60 who thinks Lenny Bruce is funny.
i remember being quite taken with that dustin hoffman flick about him way back when i was in college, and i REALLY tried to get into him, but you're right - it's impossible for anyone under 60 to laugh at this stuff. it's so dated and is just from/about another era i'm entirely removed from. tom was right, not much has aged more poorly than that comedy. i respect what he did - and i'm on board with the whole "innovator" thing - but the movie was more enjoyable than the records.
that said, i enjoy mr. hicks very much - even though he's more clever and interesting than bust-a-gut funny. rodney dangerfield still cracks me up. i love how he can fire off three more quick ones before you even stopped laughing at the first joke. i thought mitch hedberg was pretty special, even though it can be argued he owes a massive debt to stephen wright. hey, stephen wright is great. david cross is hilarious - but he's some damned arrogant with his "anyone who doesn't see what's really going on here is an idiot" rants i can't listen to him much. carlin i never heard much of but i liked him as rufus. dave attell is very funny and i like how he more or less just tells jokes. no long stories, no sermonizing, no high and mighty intellectual browbeating. if i just want to laugh - i'll watch him. and i saw paul f. thompkins a couple years ago and even though i was too drunk to remember 99% of what he said, i do remember tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard. patton oswalt's "mega leg" bit is genius.
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Stephen Wright
Stephen Wright
stephen wright
Three is my limit - it's Steven Wright. Comedy Kudos™ to Gilly and KickTheBobo for getting it correct.
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I guess I'm trying to figure out what (for those people who disliked him enough to state so on the day of his death) was so unlikeable about Carlin's entire body of work... that's why I was wondering which stand-up comedians people found specifically more appealing.
I appreciate you asking, Erika, because I was wondering the same thing.
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I don't know anyone under 60 who thinks Lenny Bruce is funny.
i remember being quite taken with that dustin hoffman flick about him way back when i was in college, and i REALLY tried to get into him, but you're right - it's impossible for anyone under 60 to laugh at this stuff. it's so dated and is just from/about another era i'm entirely removed from. tom was right, not much has aged more poorly than that comedy. i respect what he did - and i'm on board with the whole "innovator" thing - but the movie was more enjoyable than the records.
that said, i enjoy mr. hicks very much - even though he's more clever and interesting than bust-a-gut funny. rodney dangerfield still cracks me up. i love how he can fire off three more quick ones before you even stopped laughing at the first joke. i thought mitch hedberg was pretty special, even though it can be argued he owes a massive debt to stephen wright. hey, stephen wright is great. david cross is hilarious - but he's some damned arrogant with his "anyone who doesn't see what's really going on here is an idiot" rants i can't listen to him much. carlin i never heard much of but i liked him as rufus. dave attell is very funny and i like how he more or less just tells jokes. no long stories, no sermonizing, no high and mighty intellectual browbeating. if i just want to laugh - i'll watch him. and i saw paul f. thompkins a couple years ago and even though i was too drunk to remember 99% of what he said, i do remember tears rolling down my face from laughing so hard. patton oswalt's "mega leg" bit is genius.
I entirely agree about Lenny Bruce. I almost actually posted earlier saying that I watched Lenny last summer and read his autobiography but when I finally heard a CD collection of his I was just so disappointed by how dated and boring it was. He's an innovator but that's about all I like him for.
Also, those Glenn Beck video clips have to be up there with some of the worst stand up I've ever seen.. He just looks so incredibly lame in his Got Milk tight black t-shirt with the pathetic microphone headset on.
And to the mention of Nick Swardson: his stand-up is kinda weak but I just love him on Reno and in Grandma's Boy.
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I guess I'm trying to figure out what (for those people who disliked him enough to state so on the day of his death) was so unlikeable about Carlin's entire body of work... that's why I was wondering which stand-up comedians people found specifically more appealing.
I appreciate you asking, Erika, because I was wondering the same thing.
Same here. I don't want to sound like I was dancing on his grave. But if I'm going to be a Donnie Downer, I better be able to back it up. You were right to shine the flashlight on us roaches.
But if there was anyone whose danced on his share of graves, it was Carlin. And I don't think he would appreciate pulling punches on his behalf, just because he was dead. If anyone could take it, it would be him.
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Agreed about Swardson, but he improvised some funny shit as Terry (http://www.quotesbase.com/celebs/7296/).
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Stephen Wright
Stephen Wright
stephen wright
Three is my limit - it's Steven Wright. Comedy Kudos™ to Gilly and KickTheBobo for getting it correct.
Thanks, Jowstre!
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I guess I'm trying to figure out what (for those people who disliked him enough to state so on the day of his death) was so unlikeable about Carlin's entire body of work... that's why I was wondering which stand-up comedians people found specifically more appealing.
I appreciate you asking, Erika, because I was wondering the same thing.
Same here. I don't want to sound like I was dancing on his grave. But if I'm going to be a Donnie Downer, I better be able to back it up. You were right to shine the flashlight on us roaches.
But if there was anyone whose danced on his share of graves, it was Carlin. And I don't think he would appreciate pulling punches on his behalf, just because he was dead. If anyone could take it, it would be him.
Ah that's just part of it. I didn't think anyone was dancing on his grave, but I did think people were very quick to dismiss him as just plain unfunny. In the past few years, some of his humor didn't strike me as strongly as it used to, but I still had great respect for the man and his career. He made me laugh so many times, influenced many of the comedians in this list, and had the most solid and consistent body of work of any performer out there. The guy was 71 years old and still going...
I'm also a big comedy nerd, so maybe I was looking for some other explanation/discussion to ensue.
But... Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes over George Carlin? Really??
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But... Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes over George Carlin? Really??
A-fuckin-greed. I'm stunned by that.
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Yeah, I don't know what to say. What can I tell you? I know Margaret Cho is NOT for everyone, but she does it for me. I think I am the wrong generation for George Carlin or something.
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I know a lot of Koreans who hate Margerat Cho. They thought of her as a big cultural sell-out. And it's not like those people even knew each other. I got the feeling it was a community-wide consencus.
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She's viewed as kind of a disgrace by many Asian-Americans, probably due to her choice of material and rather loudmouthed style. I can't help but think it has a lot to do with her rather unabashed presentation of, shall we say, pro-gay material, but I'm sure many of those folks would deny that and say that it's much more than that. Her biggest constituency is undoubtedly the gay community anyway.
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Margaret Cho? more like Margaret Blow or Margaret, No! or Margaret Po' as in call the Po'lice because she should be arrested for her assault on comedy.
and Wanda Does It? more like Wanda Doesn't!
(slow day at the office, forgive me)
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I'm a Carlin fan. To me his early stuff is still some of the most engaging stand-up I've ever heard. I only wish that his sense of glee continued through out his life. When he was angry he started to loose me.
I'm also into (in no order):
Todd Glass (hard to tell how great he is from his crumb-bum podcast. SEE HIM LIVE!)
Dave Chappelle (I would gladly watch him for three hours. I think he's amazing)
Louis CK (no one has ever made me laugh harder)
PFT (just plain funny ... I'm proud we have the same birthday)
Eugene Mirman (imaginative)
Mike Schmidt (Someday he'll get some respect)
Todd Barry (I wish I could say I've seen him live)
Jen Kirkman (endearing)
Patton Oswalt (if you're lucky, you'll get to see him forced to stall for time at a Comedians of Comedy show...turning nothing into something ... That's when I realised that he was the most talented stand-up I've ever seen)
Marc Maron (great live)
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Mike Schmidt (Someday he'll get some respect)
His new podcast (the 40 year old boy) is usually very funny.
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agreed
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I suddenly remember that when I was a kid (say 11-14) I spent a lot of time listening to Bob Newhart albums in between the endless plays of Black Sabbath's first album and Lee Michaels. I don't know how it would hold up if I heard it today, but I loved it then. Plus, I always enjoyed watching Bob and Ray, who seemed to be on a lot.
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I've listened to some old Bob Newhart, and I was surprised how funny it was. Who knew being queasy and neurotic was so timeless?
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Woody Allen may have had an inkling.
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I love the way George Carlin wrote and performed his sets. Starting from the little and mundane to things that I assumed where very important to him. On the last special, he began with a simple clarification of the terms old man, old fart and old fuck to exploring his ideas on the bill of rights and its 'imaginary' aspect. In his later years, he might have been viewed as a condescending asshole. But if you're a condescending asshole for speaking out your mind and being disgusted with a culture that celebrates the inane and stupid, then bring out the assholes. I have welcome mats ready and everything.
He seemed really honest with himself and the audience. I think that is what I enjoyed most about him.
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I think hate is too strong a word. I just don't find him funny. There are a lot of things I don't find funny. I don't think it rises to the level of "hate" with him.
A lot of my friends liked George Carlin. Those same people tend to like MST3K and other stuff I could never get into, and don't like a lot of the things that I do. Probably not a coincidence.
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What about when you were younger? When Carlin was popular? Are there any comedians you liked back then?
My current favorites are Patton and Louis CK. As far as stand-up goes... those two guys are really the kings. PFT and Zach are really good too. But Patton and Louie get me laughing to the point of tears consistently and are constantly coming up with new material.
Back "in the day" I liked Carlin the most I think.
Louis CK was the first comedian I've seen multiple times and I saw him last summer before his HBO special and saw him probably 6 months later and he already had 90 minutes plus of great new material. It was just unbelievable to hear no repeat jokes.
I like how Louie can walk the line between the shock jock crowd and the alternative comic crowd and still be loved in both circles. Hes doing an interview with Ron Bennington from The Ron and Fez Show this Friday for Rons XM show Unmasked.
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What about when you were younger? When Carlin was popular? Are there any comedians you liked back then?
My current favorites are Patton and Louis CK. As far as stand-up goes... those two guys are really the kings. PFT and Zach are really good too. But Patton and Louie get me laughing to the point of tears consistently and are constantly coming up with new material.
Back "in the day" I liked Carlin the most I think.
Louis CK was the first comedian I've seen multiple times and I saw him last summer before his HBO special and saw him probably 6 months later and he already had 90 minutes plus of great new material. It was just unbelievable to hear no repeat jokes.
I like how Louie can walk the line between the shock jock crowd and the alternative comic crowd and still be loved in both circles. Hes doing an interview with Ron Bennington from The Ron and Fez Show this Friday for Rons XM show Unmasked.
My brother and I were thinking the same thing when we last saw him. You can see how he attracts a crowd of Opie and Anthony/Jim Norton fans who like the raunchier material he does but he'll also work with cool guys like Todd Barry, Ricky Gervais, and Chris Rock. I really can't wait for his movie with Gervais and next HBO special.
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Do you guys have any links to your favorite Louis CK moments? I've caught his stand-up a couple times and it seemed pretty mild at the time. Everyone seems to love him, I'm just wondering what his best work sounds like.
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You should watch his last two HBO specials. I'm sure you can download them somewhere.
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You could definitely find them online. Or you could buy the Lucky Louie DVD.. Or you could search for "Live In Houston", his standup album, on a p2p. I don't think it's available to buy anywhere anymore, but it's amazing.
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Very few comedians warrant being hated (i feel).
There are a couple I severely dislike but Carlin wasn't one of them. The guy got old and cranky. It happens.
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I've noticed comedians like Carlin getting flack in the forums for either being cranky or mean. I'm wondering how anyone who likes Tom Scharpling enough to join his forum could simultaneously have a beef with comedians on the basis of their crankiness/meanness.
erika and swissmiss: thanks for the recommendations, I'm checking bittorrent now.
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I've noticed comedians like Carlin getting flack in the forums for either being cranky or mean. I'm wondering how anyone who likes Tom Scharpling enough to join his forum could simultaneously have a beef with comedians on the basis of their crankiness/meanness.
Tom's crankiness/meanness seems situational (i.e. technical difficulties; mutant callers) or, at worst, focused on a relatively specific area (for, say, Steely Dan) that's offset by enthusiasm (for, say, ABBA). I think his and others' knock against Carlin (which I'm not going to commit to myself) is that he put across an "everything stinks and everyone's stupid" worldview.
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I gave Carlin another chance last night.
HBO's been tossing his old specials around like water balloons, so I watched as much as I could before I got bored.
It was an old one from the early 70's and he was going on and on about dogs. The funniest thing about it was how tweaked he was. He was leaving white, powdery footprints on stage.
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I gave Carlin another chance last night.
HBO's been tossing his old specials around like water balloons, so I watched as much as I could before I got bored.
It was an old one from the early 70's and he was going on and on about dogs. The funniest thing about it was how tweaked he was. He was leaving white, powdery footprints on stage.
I was watching these HBO reruns too, or more accurately, listening in while I was doing other things. I think I said before that I don't care for George Carlin. Can I take that back? Watching/listening to all this old material makes me realize that I enjoy listening to his insights sometimes, and while I still don't really laugh out loud at his material, I find it entertaining and occasionally very thoughtful. Upon listening to him for a long time last night, I have to admit I respect the man. (Hear that Erika and Emily? Maybe you had a point. I still love Margaret Cho and always will -- sorry.)
I have to admire that George Carlin influenced as many people as he did, including comedians I think many of us admire, and that he certainly made people stop and think a tiny bit more carefully about the madness and absurdity of the world we live in.
Maybe sometimes we can learn a lot from curmudgeons -- also, maybe curmudgeonliness can be just a stage act or schtick, e.g. Tom Scharpling, a man who is often angry on the air, but whose curmudgeonliness is not his defining characteristic. Carlin may have been just a crank through and through, I dunno, but maybe not.
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I don't hate George Carlin just because he stopped being funny to me when I got of a certain age and saw some of the flaws in his thinking. There just came a point where I could mentally defend myself against his fancy, pessimistic pimp-patter long enough to realize he wasn't a genius, and I could move on.
What he was, in retrospect, was a hardworking comedian that paved the way for many others, and questioned authority in a time when questioning authority was important, much as it is now (in different ways). 'Old' doesn't exactly equal 'bad', even if it's not relevant enough to be funny anymore. You still have to give the man props for what he had a hand in building, that we all now stand on.
Anyways, all I wanted to say initially was: Brian Regan! Also, PFT is still number one.
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I think Margaret Cho is okay. Obviously she's going to piss people off in the Korean community. Wait, the Korean-American community doesn't appreciate that their ambassador to mass American culture is a woman who is constantly talking about hanging out with gay guys, having self-negating sex and massive food issues? It's not her fault (not saying that you're saying it is, btw).
I also think Wanda Sykes is funny.
aaand, a little off topic, but I still think Tim and Eric are too creepy. I feel about them the way Tom feels about Glen Branca: I got tired of pretending!
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I love Tim and Eric, and would rate them considerably higher than Wanda Sykes, nothing against her, but I respect your opinion and present this Gentlemen's agree to disagreement.