Here's something you might be interested in.
I hate when David Letterman does a Top 10 list, and I can think of 3 or 4 things that would've been funnier. I hate when AFI releases a list of the best comedies, and I don't agree with the order of some (actually, their list of comedies was good...it was their dramas I had a problem with).
Over lunch today, my stepbrother told me about some list someone put out, on the best 25 stand-up comics. He didn't realize Woody Allen used to do stand-up. I told him about a couple funny routines he did comparing baseball to sex, that were hysterical. Although, when I see clips of old Bob Newhart (and an old album of his I have), I don't think they hold up well.
I searched, and found a list Comedy Central put together, with the help of some great well known comedians. I thought I'd print that here. And, if anybody out there agrees or disagrees, I'd love to hear your responses. I'll write what I think after each comedian (since, well...hell, it's my blog!)
Gallagher.....uh....okay. I mean, he shouldn't be on the list of the 1,000 best. I remember the list of 100 best boxers, and Tyson was 100. That was perfect. But this....I have a problem with.
Janeane Garofalo. She was a great comedian. Until, she did what killed Rosie O'Donnel and Margret Cho. They decided to become angry, and just spout on about politics. Nothing funny about bitching about George Bush. Hey...I hate him, too. But, make me laugh. Don't just rant.
Louis C.K. A great comedian. I love this guy.
Sandra Bernhard. I remember seeing her on HBO when I was 15. She was bugging this guy in the audience who had his shirt unbuttoned, and said his name was Ace. I thought she was creepy looking, but still kinda sexy. Great entertainer. She deserves this spot on the list. I saw her at the Back Door at SDSU when I was 19. I wasn't disappointed.
Joey Bishop. Don't know enough about him. But, he was part of the Rat Pack, so....I guess on that alone, he makes the list.
Andrew Dice Clay. I remember he was playing to 50,000. He was the Bon Jovi of stand up. But, do you really put him on the list for that? Because a bunch of drunken frat boys buy tickets? Bottom line, he was average, at best. Remove him, now! He did dirty nursery rhymes, and okay impressions.
David Alan Grier. This guy should be in the top 10. He is one of the funniest men on the planet. Whether it's in movies, or in interviews. He was the funniest guest Loveline ever had on. Look for him in a small part in "Amazon Women on the Moon," in a commercial called "Black Men Without Soul," with B.B. King.
George Wallace. A great old-timer.
Louie Anderson. He was great. Loved him in Coming to America, too. All the more, since I worked at McDonald's in high school.
Jim Breuer. He had some good routines. I can't remember, did he work on Saturday Night Live? He did the AC/DC stuff, right?
Dana Carvey. Good comedian. I often thought his SNL characters were overrated. They were always cute...like the Church Lady, they just ended up getting overrated. And, how annoying was it to go into work, and have someone say, "Choppin' brocoli..." and think it's funny?
Kevin James. Great on his show, great live. He did a routine about having exact change in drive-thru, and how excited that makes him. In fact, I saw an hour routine, and 95% of it was hysterical.
Paula Poundstone. She was good. Not sure if she deserves a place on this list, though. And, what was with the way she leaned in on barstools?
Brett Butler. I always liked her. When I was being interviewed on Chip Franklins radio show on KOGO (he does stand up), he told me about her yelling at some woman working at a club in Washington D.C. Apparently, she's not the friendliest person. Wasn't there a baseball player with the same name?
Jay Mohr. This guy is great. He tanked on SNL. As did Garafolo. Oh well, sketch comedy is probably tough. But, listen to him fill in for Jim Rome doing sports. He kills. And, rent a movie called GO. Mohr is a talent. He really is.
David Cross. Uh....who is this? Was he in C.S.N.& Y?
Drew Carey. He was okay. Why isn't he funny on Price is Right, though?
Norm MacDonald. Some of my friends hate him. I think he's funny. I like his smartass attitude.
Howie Mandel. He was good. I didn't care for his manic style, but most of his jokes worked.
Dick Gregory. He was a little before my time. I remember seeing clips of him as a kid, and a few appearances on the Mike Douglas show, and he seemed funny enough.
Bobby Slayton. I interviewed him when I worked in radio. This dude is so New York. The voice, the attitude. And funny as hell. Great stand up.
Dom Irerra. Also real New York. He has the Italian thing going, always saying "badda boom, badda bing." I just watched Big Lebowski again the other day, and didn't realize, he was the limo driver. (there's a beverage here, man!!!!)
Cedric The Entertainer. Ya know, I love this dude in interviews, but don't think I've ever seen him actually do stand-up. He's probably good.
Paul Reiser. He's great. I started to read his book, Parenthood, and it was funny. Not sure why I didn't finish it, though.
Robert Schimmel. This guy is so bizarre, and so funny. He had cancer numerous times. He lost a young son to cancer. He married his 18 year old daughters best friend. And, his mom met a man she loved, and was separated from because they were put in concentration camps. Amazing stories, and just as you are about to shed a tear, he says the crudest things.
Eddie Izzard. Someone just told me this guy is a secret cross dresser. The few times I've seen him, he's funny. British humour doesn't always work for me.
Paul Rodriguez. I remember liking him as a teenager, and not liking him as much now. Something about seeing his goofy smile, and pudgy face, and...I dunno. I just switch the channel if I see him on. I don't even wait to see if the joke is going to be funny.
Elaine Boosler. She was great. I remember reading that she dated some weird comedian, like Andy Kaufman, or someone like that. I'd love to know more about that. Maybe I'll Google that later.
Bernie Mac. Funny guy.
Red Buttons. I get him confused with Red Skelton. Not sure who either of them are. Does one paint pictures of clowns?
Wanda Sykes. I just had 2nd row seats for her in Vegas. Very disappointing. The dude opening for her was a lot funnier. She's a great comic writer, though. And great in interviews.
Pat Cooper. I've never seen him do stand up. But, loved his anger when he'd appear on Howard Stern, and he'd talk about how he was funnier than anyone working "today". He'd often walk off the show, too.
Dave Attel. I enjoyed his show Insomnia, and his style of comedy.
Kevin Pollack. I just saw him at the Improve in Irvine. After the show, he was just sitting at one of the booths, so I went over and talked to him for a few minutes. Nice guy. Great actor, too. Ya know the dude started in stand up, and has now been in over 40 movies. You can't handle the truth!!!!!
Shelley Burman. Uh...she shouldn't be this high on the list if I don't even know who she is.
Sinbad. Dang, maybe I should've given him a chance at the Del Mar Fair the other day.
Richard Belzer. I always loved this guy. Listening to him talk about how Mick Jagger looked like a rooster on acid, before doing the goofy dance.
Jackie Mason. He was too Jewish for my tastes. He could be funny, but often times, the old timers in the crowd just laugh at his mannerisms and his volume, rather than the actual content and substance of what he's saying. If it was a new comedian using the same material, they wouldn't make it. Put him at 93 on the list, instead of 63.
Eddie Griffin. Don't know enough about him.
Bobcat Goldthwait. A lot of people hate this guy because of that annoying voice. But, his material is brilliant. It really is. Listen to his routines. Although, when I tried to interview him, on two different occasions, he was a complete jerk. But, that won't stop me from saying he's a great stand up comedian. His Bono impersonation isn't half bad, either.
Jeff Foxworthy. I really want to hate this guy. I do. The voice is annoying. But, his jokes are funny. And, they are popular. He deserves to be here.
Gilbert Gottfried. When I Googled to find this list, one list had Gilbert at 11 on a Top 100. Yikes. He's real hit and miss. Not sure he deserves to be on a Top 100 at all. I love listening to him in interviews, though. He usually starts to tell a story, and makes himself laugh so hard, he can't finish his own story.
Larry Miller. I love this guy. Just saw him in Keeping up with the Steins. Love him in all the Chris Guest films, too.
Richard Jeni. He recently killed himself. Was a great stand-up.
Colin Quinn. This Irishman was a bit harsh and hard to take for some. I loved his show, and wish it hadn't been cancelled. And, often times, funnier than Seinfeld in the movie Comedian.
Alan King. I only knew him from movies, but enjoyed his work.
D.L. Hughley. He said in an interview a few months back, that black comedians were funnier than white comedians. When pressed on that, said white comedians weren't funny. Again, what I've always said, blacks are more racist than whites. What an ignorant statement. Just looking at a list like this, can tell you how stupid a statement that is.
David Brenner. He's great. In Vegas a few years ago, I bought his book "Waiter, There's a Terroris in my Soup." I've yet to read it, though.
Damon Wayans. In Living Colour was good. I think I saw part of his HBO special and liked it.
Lewis Black. Two things about him. I read he doesn't write those rants he does. Second, I don't think they're that funny. It's all about him being angry, sweaty, and having a tie that is undone. What's funny about that? This guy has no business being on a list like this.
Denis Leary. Now, Denis Leary did that angry thing Lewis Black does, but he actually was funny doing it. When he broke on MTV doing those commercials, they were hysterical. He's great.
Freddie Prinze. Way before my time. It's a shame he killed himself...I don't know enough about him, but comedians always claim he was great at what he did.
Tim Allen. I only knew him from his show, which was good. And, well, it was based on his routines.
Henny Youngman. Great old timer. Nice recreation of him in Goodfellas, too.
Adam Sandler. His segments on SNL were great, but his standup was not very good. Remove him from this list. Now. My brother told me he saw him at Humphrey's. I think he opened for Dana Carvey. He said the crowd wasn't into it. Some even booed. Sure, the Hannukah song is funny. As were most of his songs. But, this is a list for stand-up. That's why Weird Al isn't on it.
Richard Lewis. This guy is great. Maybe to narcissistic for some...but I dig the guy.
Joan Rivers. Okay, well, she looks bizarre now. And, she got annoying when she started doing the red carpet shows. But back in the day, and doing the guest hosting gig for Carson, she was tops.
Dave Chappelle. Great stand up. His show was good, but way overrated.
Flip Wilson. I have only seen small clips of his old acts. They seemed funny.
Jon Stewart. I've only seen him on the Daily Show. Real hit and miss with this guy. I think the Daily Show has gotten a bit stale. Colbert is so much fresher and funnier. But, I think this list was based on stand up. Maybe Stewart was a great standup. If he was, I don't know about it.
Mort Sahl. I believe this guy did parody songs at a piano, much in the way Steve Allen did. I'm not positive though.
Billy Crystal. Oh, he was good. When he'd talk about his Jewish family. Or his love of baseball. Great stuff.
Bill Maher. A good stand-up. Maybe put him where Andrew Dice Clay is on the list, though.
Martin Lawrence. A good comedian, but really? 37 is where we're putting Martin?
Jim Carrey. Carrey did great impressions and characters, as everyone saw on In Living Colour. Great stand up, too. I saw an early HBO special when I was a kid, and he wasn't known. He was great.
Phyllis Diller. She's great. For that idiot, Jerry Lewis, who said no woman is funny. I would say...Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and Diller, are the first 3 on a list of 25 I could give him (who, by the way, isn't funny). I liked seeing her in The Aristocrats, too.
Buddy Hackett. He was good. Unlike Jackie Mason, who was "too Jewish", he was very Jewish in his routines, but they worked for me.
Andy Kaufman. I understand you have to put Kaufman this high. You just have to. He was so innovative with his stuff, by tricking the audience. I wasn't the biggest fan, though.
Albert Brooks. I liked his routines, but his movies even more. Rent "Defending Your Life," and "Broadcast News"...two of the Top 20 comedies ever made, in my opinion.
George Burns. I've only seen bits and pieces...but, he goes back to the Catskills, vaudville, all that stuff. You have to have him on a list of this kind. And, his routines held up well.
Garry Shandling. Very funny. And, the Larry Sanders Show was the best made for HBO show ever (better than Sex and the City, or Sopranoes)
Milton Berle. Uncle Miltie. First TV show ever. Great comedian. And, San Diego band Ratt made their video debate with the help of this comedic legend.
Jack Benny. I don't now anything about him, other than Johnny Carson always joking about how cheap he was.
Jay Leno. He was such a great comedian. Just great. It's a shame he sucks so bad at doing late night.
Ray Romano. I love his style. And, his voice works perfectly for his jokes. He was a pleasant surprise in this poker movie that just came out, as a fantasy football player. His wife wins the big game, of $10 million. He drafts Peyton Manning, and tells her it's like they both won the big game.
Bob Hope. This guy is the most overrated comedic person ever. I think it's wonderful, all the stuff he did entertaining the troops over the years. And, a great guest on Carson. But, if you really watch any of his stuff, there's just not a lot of humor there.
Redd Foxx. This is really just a case of an old man, being dirty and working blue, when it was underground. When you break down his routines, they weren't all that funny. I could see having him on the list, but maybe in the 70s.
Steven Wright. Yep. This guy hits 'em out of the park 98% of the time. I wonder how many times people have heard one of his one liners, and then repeated them the next day at work. "I went to a 7-11, and it was closing. I said "I thought you were open 24 hours." The guy said, "yeah, it's been 24 hours."
Robert Klein. He's good. One of those comedians I remember from the 70s, with Belzer and Brenner. Not sure why he's so much higher than those two. But, he's good. Love when he whips out that harp and does the impression of the blues singer.
Dennis Miller. This guy, uh....really needs to be at about 78. Most of his refs go over everyones head. And, is he just trying to impress people? Well, the object is making people laugh. Not impressing them with your knowledge of Greek history.
Sam Kinison. Yeah. Perfect spot for him. I caught him at SDSU once. He did the bit where he called peoples ex-girlfriends. I found out later that was fake. But, it was still funny. And, what surprised me was....I would see his HBO specials, started from when I was 15, and he was probably 25. And, he always had different material. And, it always killed. That's talent.
Bill Hicks. This guy is great. Everyone comedian, lists him in their top 20. He was always controversial, and loved smoking and making fun of people that complained. Also talked about religion often. Once saying, "If Jesus comes back, do you think he'll want to see those crosses around your neck? That would be like the Kennedy's wearing a pistol around their necks."
Jonathan Winters. This is Robin Williams favorite comedian. Just looking at his big, round face makes me laugh. He's a legend.
Don Rickles. Put him at 80. I know, I know. He's Sinatras buddy. But really, not all that funny. Sure, he could insult with the best of 'em. But just not all that funny.
Ellen Degeneres. Like Leno, a great comedian, that lost her way, once she got a talk show.
David Letterman. A good comedian, but not great. He never felt real comfortable on stage. One joke: My friend took his dog to the vet, because it was constipated. I said "why mess with a good thing?"
Bob Newhart. I didn't think his standup was that great. Love him in interviews, though.
Robin Williams. I've argued with comedians, that try to tell me he steals stuff. I don't buy it. I saw him adlib stuff once, by walking thru the audience. It was brilliant. He'd take a hat, put it on his head, and do 15 minutes. He could write material about anything put in front of him. He is truely annoying to listen to, on talk shows. It's like he's on speed. He needs to just learn to turn it off, and sit on the couch. I mean, Jim Carrey can be manic in film, and yet sit on the couch like a normal person.
Jerry Seinfeld. Yep. Great comedian. No doubt about it. Bobcat Goldthwait makes fun of him, and hates people that like him. But, the guys good. No doubt about that.
Johnny Carson. Carsons show is great. But really, is it fair to put him on the list? He didn't do stand up. You could argue he did, each nigh. But you know what? He did it, with a team of 12 writers. All the others on this list (aside from Lewis Black), wrote their own stuff to perform when they did stand up. Take him off a list like this.
Eddie Murphy. Ya know what? At 3 a.m. Comedy Central shows his movies, like RAW. Where he wears those goofy all leather outfits. I remember when I was 18 or whatever age, seeing them in the theatres, and we all laughed so hard. Well, they aren't as funny as I remembered them. Good comedian, but I think, overrated. Maybe #30.
Roseanne Barr. Like Foxworthy. Annoying voice. You want to hate her routine, but the material was good.
Bill Cosby. Wow...I'd have Cosby in the Top 3. He could work clean, and still be funny.
Rodney Dangerfield. Good spot for Rod. He finally gets some respect. He created so many innovative things in comedy.
Steve Martin. And, speaking of innovative. Martin once told a crowd, he was going to go next door and do laundry after a show. And, sure enough, he did. While the crowd of 75 sat there watching him (that was told to me by local Russian musician Valerie). Okay, the arrow in the head wasn't so funny. But, listen to a few of those old albums, and banjo songs. You'll have the biggest smile on your face. The stuff works.
Chris Rock. Sorry. Rock needs to be at #40. There's something I noticed about black comedians. They get by a lot on this manic attitude. Rock has it. They start talking loud, and with attitude. And, it gets the audience pumped. And they laugh. But, the material isn't really hysterically funny. Eddie Murphy parodied that perfectly in Nutty Professor, with a black comedian. Sure, Rock can be funny. But he's hit and miss. For Top 5, you should always be hit.
Woody Allen. He was great. As were all his early movies.
Lenny Bruce. Very, very overrated. Near the end, he just ranted about cops and legal issues. Sure, it sucks he got harassed. But, is that really funny? One time, he just sat on a toilet. Gross.
George Carlin. I've argued so often about George Carlin. I think his material is so well written. I'm just not into his facial expressions. They bug me. I'd think they were funnier performed by a different person. He's talented, though. I'd put him at 15, though.
Richard Pryor. I have no problem with Pryor at this spot. Most comedians put him here. I bought Sunset album as a teenager, and loved it.
I wonder with a list like this, how long does it take for a new comedian, like a Jim Gaffigan or Dane Cook, to make it on the list? I mean, both of them, are funnier than Gilbert Gottfried. What about Greg Giraldo, Judy Gold, or Lisa Lampenelli?
Maybe next time.
I'm curious to see who you guys think should or shouldn't be on the list.
I hate when David Letterman does a Top 10 list, and I can think of 3 or 4 things that would've been funnier. I hate when AFI releases a list of the best comedies, and I don't agree with the order of some (actually, their list of comedies was good...it was their dramas I had a problem with).
Over lunch today, my stepbrother told me about some list someone put out, on the best 25 stand-up comics. He didn't realize Woody Allen used to do stand-up. I told him about a couple funny routines he did comparing baseball to sex, that were hysterical. Although, when I see clips of old Bob Newhart (and an old album of his I have), I don't think they hold up well.
I searched, and found a list Comedy Central put together, with the help of some great well known comedians. I thought I'd print that here. And, if anybody out there agrees or disagrees, I'd love to hear your responses. I'll write what I think after each comedian (since, well...hell, it's my blog!)
Gallagher.....uh....okay. I mean, he shouldn't be on the list of the 1,000 best. I remember the list of 100 best boxers, and Tyson was 100. That was perfect. But this....I have a problem with.
Janeane Garofalo. She was a great comedian. Until, she did what killed Rosie O'Donnel and Margret Cho. They decided to become angry, and just spout on about politics. Nothing funny about bitching about George Bush. Hey...I hate him, too. But, make me laugh. Don't just rant.
Louis C.K. A great comedian. I love this guy.
Sandra Bernhard. I remember seeing her on HBO when I was 15. She was bugging this guy in the audience who had his shirt unbuttoned, and said his name was Ace. I thought she was creepy looking, but still kinda sexy. Great entertainer. She deserves this spot on the list. I saw her at the Back Door at SDSU when I was 19. I wasn't disappointed.
Joey Bishop. Don't know enough about him. But, he was part of the Rat Pack, so....I guess on that alone, he makes the list.
Andrew Dice Clay. I remember he was playing to 50,000. He was the Bon Jovi of stand up. But, do you really put him on the list for that? Because a bunch of drunken frat boys buy tickets? Bottom line, he was average, at best. Remove him, now! He did dirty nursery rhymes, and okay impressions.
David Alan Grier. This guy should be in the top 10. He is one of the funniest men on the planet. Whether it's in movies, or in interviews. He was the funniest guest Loveline ever had on. Look for him in a small part in "Amazon Women on the Moon," in a commercial called "Black Men Without Soul," with B.B. King.
George Wallace. A great old-timer.
Louie Anderson. He was great. Loved him in Coming to America, too. All the more, since I worked at McDonald's in high school.
Jim Breuer. He had some good routines. I can't remember, did he work on Saturday Night Live? He did the AC/DC stuff, right?
Dana Carvey. Good comedian. I often thought his SNL characters were overrated. They were always cute...like the Church Lady, they just ended up getting overrated. And, how annoying was it to go into work, and have someone say, "Choppin' brocoli..." and think it's funny?
Kevin James. Great on his show, great live. He did a routine about having exact change in drive-thru, and how excited that makes him. In fact, I saw an hour routine, and 95% of it was hysterical.
Paula Poundstone. She was good. Not sure if she deserves a place on this list, though. And, what was with the way she leaned in on barstools?
Brett Butler. I always liked her. When I was being interviewed on Chip Franklins radio show on KOGO (he does stand up), he told me about her yelling at some woman working at a club in Washington D.C. Apparently, she's not the friendliest person. Wasn't there a baseball player with the same name?
Jay Mohr. This guy is great. He tanked on SNL. As did Garafolo. Oh well, sketch comedy is probably tough. But, listen to him fill in for Jim Rome doing sports. He kills. And, rent a movie called GO. Mohr is a talent. He really is.
David Cross. Uh....who is this? Was he in C.S.N.& Y?
Drew Carey. He was okay. Why isn't he funny on Price is Right, though?
Norm MacDonald. Some of my friends hate him. I think he's funny. I like his smartass attitude.
Howie Mandel. He was good. I didn't care for his manic style, but most of his jokes worked.
Dick Gregory. He was a little before my time. I remember seeing clips of him as a kid, and a few appearances on the Mike Douglas show, and he seemed funny enough.
Bobby Slayton. I interviewed him when I worked in radio. This dude is so New York. The voice, the attitude. And funny as hell. Great stand up.
Dom Irerra. Also real New York. He has the Italian thing going, always saying "badda boom, badda bing." I just watched Big Lebowski again the other day, and didn't realize, he was the limo driver. (there's a beverage here, man!!!!)
Cedric The Entertainer. Ya know, I love this dude in interviews, but don't think I've ever seen him actually do stand-up. He's probably good.
Paul Reiser. He's great. I started to read his book, Parenthood, and it was funny. Not sure why I didn't finish it, though.
Robert Schimmel. This guy is so bizarre, and so funny. He had cancer numerous times. He lost a young son to cancer. He married his 18 year old daughters best friend. And, his mom met a man she loved, and was separated from because they were put in concentration camps. Amazing stories, and just as you are about to shed a tear, he says the crudest things.
Eddie Izzard. Someone just told me this guy is a secret cross dresser. The few times I've seen him, he's funny. British humour doesn't always work for me.
Paul Rodriguez. I remember liking him as a teenager, and not liking him as much now. Something about seeing his goofy smile, and pudgy face, and...I dunno. I just switch the channel if I see him on. I don't even wait to see if the joke is going to be funny.
Elaine Boosler. She was great. I remember reading that she dated some weird comedian, like Andy Kaufman, or someone like that. I'd love to know more about that. Maybe I'll Google that later.
Bernie Mac. Funny guy.
Red Buttons. I get him confused with Red Skelton. Not sure who either of them are. Does one paint pictures of clowns?
Wanda Sykes. I just had 2nd row seats for her in Vegas. Very disappointing. The dude opening for her was a lot funnier. She's a great comic writer, though. And great in interviews.
Pat Cooper. I've never seen him do stand up. But, loved his anger when he'd appear on Howard Stern, and he'd talk about how he was funnier than anyone working "today". He'd often walk off the show, too.
Dave Attel. I enjoyed his show Insomnia, and his style of comedy.
Kevin Pollack. I just saw him at the Improve in Irvine. After the show, he was just sitting at one of the booths, so I went over and talked to him for a few minutes. Nice guy. Great actor, too. Ya know the dude started in stand up, and has now been in over 40 movies. You can't handle the truth!!!!!
Shelley Burman. Uh...she shouldn't be this high on the list if I don't even know who she is.
Sinbad. Dang, maybe I should've given him a chance at the Del Mar Fair the other day.
Richard Belzer. I always loved this guy. Listening to him talk about how Mick Jagger looked like a rooster on acid, before doing the goofy dance.
Jackie Mason. He was too Jewish for my tastes. He could be funny, but often times, the old timers in the crowd just laugh at his mannerisms and his volume, rather than the actual content and substance of what he's saying. If it was a new comedian using the same material, they wouldn't make it. Put him at 93 on the list, instead of 63.
Eddie Griffin. Don't know enough about him.
Bobcat Goldthwait. A lot of people hate this guy because of that annoying voice. But, his material is brilliant. It really is. Listen to his routines. Although, when I tried to interview him, on two different occasions, he was a complete jerk. But, that won't stop me from saying he's a great stand up comedian. His Bono impersonation isn't half bad, either.
Jeff Foxworthy. I really want to hate this guy. I do. The voice is annoying. But, his jokes are funny. And, they are popular. He deserves to be here.
Gilbert Gottfried. When I Googled to find this list, one list had Gilbert at 11 on a Top 100. Yikes. He's real hit and miss. Not sure he deserves to be on a Top 100 at all. I love listening to him in interviews, though. He usually starts to tell a story, and makes himself laugh so hard, he can't finish his own story.
Larry Miller. I love this guy. Just saw him in Keeping up with the Steins. Love him in all the Chris Guest films, too.
Richard Jeni. He recently killed himself. Was a great stand-up.
Colin Quinn. This Irishman was a bit harsh and hard to take for some. I loved his show, and wish it hadn't been cancelled. And, often times, funnier than Seinfeld in the movie Comedian.
Alan King. I only knew him from movies, but enjoyed his work.
D.L. Hughley. He said in an interview a few months back, that black comedians were funnier than white comedians. When pressed on that, said white comedians weren't funny. Again, what I've always said, blacks are more racist than whites. What an ignorant statement. Just looking at a list like this, can tell you how stupid a statement that is.
David Brenner. He's great. In Vegas a few years ago, I bought his book "Waiter, There's a Terroris in my Soup." I've yet to read it, though.
Damon Wayans. In Living Colour was good. I think I saw part of his HBO special and liked it.
Lewis Black. Two things about him. I read he doesn't write those rants he does. Second, I don't think they're that funny. It's all about him being angry, sweaty, and having a tie that is undone. What's funny about that? This guy has no business being on a list like this.
Denis Leary. Now, Denis Leary did that angry thing Lewis Black does, but he actually was funny doing it. When he broke on MTV doing those commercials, they were hysterical. He's great.
Freddie Prinze. Way before my time. It's a shame he killed himself...I don't know enough about him, but comedians always claim he was great at what he did.
Tim Allen. I only knew him from his show, which was good. And, well, it was based on his routines.
Henny Youngman. Great old timer. Nice recreation of him in Goodfellas, too.
Adam Sandler. His segments on SNL were great, but his standup was not very good. Remove him from this list. Now. My brother told me he saw him at Humphrey's. I think he opened for Dana Carvey. He said the crowd wasn't into it. Some even booed. Sure, the Hannukah song is funny. As were most of his songs. But, this is a list for stand-up. That's why Weird Al isn't on it.
Richard Lewis. This guy is great. Maybe to narcissistic for some...but I dig the guy.
Joan Rivers. Okay, well, she looks bizarre now. And, she got annoying when she started doing the red carpet shows. But back in the day, and doing the guest hosting gig for Carson, she was tops.
Dave Chappelle. Great stand up. His show was good, but way overrated.
Flip Wilson. I have only seen small clips of his old acts. They seemed funny.
Jon Stewart. I've only seen him on the Daily Show. Real hit and miss with this guy. I think the Daily Show has gotten a bit stale. Colbert is so much fresher and funnier. But, I think this list was based on stand up. Maybe Stewart was a great standup. If he was, I don't know about it.
Mort Sahl. I believe this guy did parody songs at a piano, much in the way Steve Allen did. I'm not positive though.
Billy Crystal. Oh, he was good. When he'd talk about his Jewish family. Or his love of baseball. Great stuff.
Bill Maher. A good stand-up. Maybe put him where Andrew Dice Clay is on the list, though.
Martin Lawrence. A good comedian, but really? 37 is where we're putting Martin?
Jim Carrey. Carrey did great impressions and characters, as everyone saw on In Living Colour. Great stand up, too. I saw an early HBO special when I was a kid, and he wasn't known. He was great.
Phyllis Diller. She's great. For that idiot, Jerry Lewis, who said no woman is funny. I would say...Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, and Diller, are the first 3 on a list of 25 I could give him (who, by the way, isn't funny). I liked seeing her in The Aristocrats, too.
Buddy Hackett. He was good. Unlike Jackie Mason, who was "too Jewish", he was very Jewish in his routines, but they worked for me.
Andy Kaufman. I understand you have to put Kaufman this high. You just have to. He was so innovative with his stuff, by tricking the audience. I wasn't the biggest fan, though.
Albert Brooks. I liked his routines, but his movies even more. Rent "Defending Your Life," and "Broadcast News"...two of the Top 20 comedies ever made, in my opinion.
George Burns. I've only seen bits and pieces...but, he goes back to the Catskills, vaudville, all that stuff. You have to have him on a list of this kind. And, his routines held up well.
Garry Shandling. Very funny. And, the Larry Sanders Show was the best made for HBO show ever (better than Sex and the City, or Sopranoes)
Milton Berle. Uncle Miltie. First TV show ever. Great comedian. And, San Diego band Ratt made their video debate with the help of this comedic legend.
Jack Benny. I don't now anything about him, other than Johnny Carson always joking about how cheap he was.
Jay Leno. He was such a great comedian. Just great. It's a shame he sucks so bad at doing late night.
Ray Romano. I love his style. And, his voice works perfectly for his jokes. He was a pleasant surprise in this poker movie that just came out, as a fantasy football player. His wife wins the big game, of $10 million. He drafts Peyton Manning, and tells her it's like they both won the big game.
Bob Hope. This guy is the most overrated comedic person ever. I think it's wonderful, all the stuff he did entertaining the troops over the years. And, a great guest on Carson. But, if you really watch any of his stuff, there's just not a lot of humor there.
Redd Foxx. This is really just a case of an old man, being dirty and working blue, when it was underground. When you break down his routines, they weren't all that funny. I could see having him on the list, but maybe in the 70s.
Steven Wright. Yep. This guy hits 'em out of the park 98% of the time. I wonder how many times people have heard one of his one liners, and then repeated them the next day at work. "I went to a 7-11, and it was closing. I said "I thought you were open 24 hours." The guy said, "yeah, it's been 24 hours."
Robert Klein. He's good. One of those comedians I remember from the 70s, with Belzer and Brenner. Not sure why he's so much higher than those two. But, he's good. Love when he whips out that harp and does the impression of the blues singer.
Dennis Miller. This guy, uh....really needs to be at about 78. Most of his refs go over everyones head. And, is he just trying to impress people? Well, the object is making people laugh. Not impressing them with your knowledge of Greek history.
Sam Kinison. Yeah. Perfect spot for him. I caught him at SDSU once. He did the bit where he called peoples ex-girlfriends. I found out later that was fake. But, it was still funny. And, what surprised me was....I would see his HBO specials, started from when I was 15, and he was probably 25. And, he always had different material. And, it always killed. That's talent.
Bill Hicks. This guy is great. Everyone comedian, lists him in their top 20. He was always controversial, and loved smoking and making fun of people that complained. Also talked about religion often. Once saying, "If Jesus comes back, do you think he'll want to see those crosses around your neck? That would be like the Kennedy's wearing a pistol around their necks."
Jonathan Winters. This is Robin Williams favorite comedian. Just looking at his big, round face makes me laugh. He's a legend.
Don Rickles. Put him at 80. I know, I know. He's Sinatras buddy. But really, not all that funny. Sure, he could insult with the best of 'em. But just not all that funny.
Ellen Degeneres. Like Leno, a great comedian, that lost her way, once she got a talk show.
David Letterman. A good comedian, but not great. He never felt real comfortable on stage. One joke: My friend took his dog to the vet, because it was constipated. I said "why mess with a good thing?"
Bob Newhart. I didn't think his standup was that great. Love him in interviews, though.
Robin Williams. I've argued with comedians, that try to tell me he steals stuff. I don't buy it. I saw him adlib stuff once, by walking thru the audience. It was brilliant. He'd take a hat, put it on his head, and do 15 minutes. He could write material about anything put in front of him. He is truely annoying to listen to, on talk shows. It's like he's on speed. He needs to just learn to turn it off, and sit on the couch. I mean, Jim Carrey can be manic in film, and yet sit on the couch like a normal person.
Jerry Seinfeld. Yep. Great comedian. No doubt about it. Bobcat Goldthwait makes fun of him, and hates people that like him. But, the guys good. No doubt about that.
Johnny Carson. Carsons show is great. But really, is it fair to put him on the list? He didn't do stand up. You could argue he did, each nigh. But you know what? He did it, with a team of 12 writers. All the others on this list (aside from Lewis Black), wrote their own stuff to perform when they did stand up. Take him off a list like this.
Eddie Murphy. Ya know what? At 3 a.m. Comedy Central shows his movies, like RAW. Where he wears those goofy all leather outfits. I remember when I was 18 or whatever age, seeing them in the theatres, and we all laughed so hard. Well, they aren't as funny as I remembered them. Good comedian, but I think, overrated. Maybe #30.
Roseanne Barr. Like Foxworthy. Annoying voice. You want to hate her routine, but the material was good.
Bill Cosby. Wow...I'd have Cosby in the Top 3. He could work clean, and still be funny.
Rodney Dangerfield. Good spot for Rod. He finally gets some respect. He created so many innovative things in comedy.
Steve Martin. And, speaking of innovative. Martin once told a crowd, he was going to go next door and do laundry after a show. And, sure enough, he did. While the crowd of 75 sat there watching him (that was told to me by local Russian musician Valerie). Okay, the arrow in the head wasn't so funny. But, listen to a few of those old albums, and banjo songs. You'll have the biggest smile on your face. The stuff works.
Chris Rock. Sorry. Rock needs to be at #40. There's something I noticed about black comedians. They get by a lot on this manic attitude. Rock has it. They start talking loud, and with attitude. And, it gets the audience pumped. And they laugh. But, the material isn't really hysterically funny. Eddie Murphy parodied that perfectly in Nutty Professor, with a black comedian. Sure, Rock can be funny. But he's hit and miss. For Top 5, you should always be hit.
Woody Allen. He was great. As were all his early movies.
Lenny Bruce. Very, very overrated. Near the end, he just ranted about cops and legal issues. Sure, it sucks he got harassed. But, is that really funny? One time, he just sat on a toilet. Gross.
George Carlin. I've argued so often about George Carlin. I think his material is so well written. I'm just not into his facial expressions. They bug me. I'd think they were funnier performed by a different person. He's talented, though. I'd put him at 15, though.
Richard Pryor. I have no problem with Pryor at this spot. Most comedians put him here. I bought Sunset album as a teenager, and loved it.
I wonder with a list like this, how long does it take for a new comedian, like a Jim Gaffigan or Dane Cook, to make it on the list? I mean, both of them, are funnier than Gilbert Gottfried. What about Greg Giraldo, Judy Gold, or Lisa Lampenelli?
Maybe next time.
I'm curious to see who you guys think should or shouldn't be on the list.