Let me ask the Carlin haters (because I really am curious)

[Jouster]

Stephen Wright

Stephen Wright

stephen wright

Three is my limit - it's Steven Wright.  Comedy Kudos™ to Gilly and KickTheBobo for getting it correct.

[JonFromMaplewood]

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.

[jamesp]

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.

[Spoony]

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.

[cutout]

Agreed about Swardson, but he improvised some funny shit as Terry.

[dave from knoxville]

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!

[erika]

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??

[todd]

But... Margaret Cho and Wanda Sykes over George Carlin? Really??

A-fuckin-greed. I'm stunned by that.

[Fido]

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. 

[Spoony]

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.

[Fido]

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.

[Emily]

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)

[Gagneaux]

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)

[jbissell]

Mike Schmidt (Someday he'll get some respect)

His new podcast (the 40 year old boy) is usually very funny.

[Gagneaux]

agreed