Do you have a favorite stand-up comic?

[Harold Balzonia]

In addition to George Carlin, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, etc... I'd like to hear some names of comics that are maybe underrated in your mind or if there is someone out there who might not be known to the masses.

These folks always make me laugh out loud (you can find any and all of them on you tube):

Don Rickles
Jim Jeffries
Hannibal Burress
Steven Wright
Norm MacDonald
Anthony Jeselnik
Bill Burr
Dan Naturman
Jeff Ross

Are there comics that are popular that you just don't "get?"

[Jerome Stanek]

I don't consider Jerry Seinfeld as very funny.

[John A langley]

Jeff Foxworthy ,cable guy,Ron White

[daryl moses]

Jim Gaffigan, and Brian Regan.

[Prashun Patel]

In fact, Jeff Ross was the M.C. at a Comedy concert I went to last summer. I found him mean-spirited. He was roasting everyone and everything from the audience members to the sign language translator. Made me uncomfortable.

I like Louis. He makes me uncomfortable too but I like it.

[Joel Wesseling]

Two of my favorites - Louis CK and Trevor Noah


There are many big names that just don't stir a response in me.

[Jay Nossen]

John Mulaney and Tom Segura are great. I have a John Mulaney Pandora station that also introduced me to Chad Daniels, Gary Gulman and Dan Cummins (to name a few).

[John Lanciani]

Lewis Black is the only one I'll pay to see.

[Marcus R Geiser Sr]

George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Eddie Murphy cause my parents had their stuff when I was young. I would sneak and watch then on HBO.

Nowadys's I like Kevin Heart, Ralphie Mays, and a few others..

[Kev Williams]

I like listening to Dane Cook. Not because he's my favorite-- he IS funny, but far from my favorite...What he does extraordinarily well is ENUNCIATE. He's one of the few people on the planet that I can understand every single word he says. Funny reason, but that's why!

Years ago I recorded Rick Ducommun on HBO and I probably watched it 100 times. I just now found out (googling how to spell his name) he died 2 years ago...

Recent alleged revelations notwithstanding, I always liked Bill Cosby. When I was 14 years old (I just turned 63 last week) I could recite "To Russell, my brother, whom I slept with" verbatim, word for word, the entire album. Yet I never watched "Cosby", not once...

Always liked George and Richard, Eddy was okay but always seemed a bit too contrived...

All time favorite, Robin Williams. I would love to get my hands on footage of his work before he became famous. His ability to have you laughing till you cry just ad-libbing stuff out of thin air was amazing...

[Frederick Skelly]

Dad has Cheech and Chong records. Every time he plays Sister Mary Elephant, I'm in sttitches. "Class. Claass. Claaasss. SHUT UP!!!!!!!"

George Carlin is a hoot, too. Very wierd to realize he used to narrate Thomas the Train videos.

[Brent Cutshall]

Larry the Cable Guy and Andy Griffith. I like Andy's take on football, that was funny. John Candy and as far as a comedian, I like Bill Cosby. I don't know if he did what they said he did or not, so please, I don't want to start a war over it.

[Jerome Stanek]

I always liked Gallagher

[Allan Dozier]

Wow, I have never heard of most of those names. Guess I'm out of the loop. Anyway, I like George Carlin, Jerry Clower, but Robin Williams was the genius. Some of his funniest stuff wasn't a standup routine but just visits to talk shows where he would get on a roll.

[Charles Wiggins]

This could be as dangerous as religion or politics.

In no particular order:

General humor:
Jim Gaffigan
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias
John Pinette (deceased)
Jeff Foxworthy
Bill Engvall
Jeff Dunham (added per Chuck Ellis)

Political Humor:
Steven Crowder
Andrew Klavan
Adam Corolla
Dennis Miller

Vintage:
Bill Cosby
George Carlin
Steven Wright
Billy Crystal
Eddie Murphy
Robin Williams
Robert Klein
Richard Pryor
Gallagher
Eddie Izzard

All that said, there's some folks I would not bother with now. I have a much lower tolerance for foul language and body humor than I used to.

[Chuck Ellis]

No one has mentioned Jeff Dunham... he's a ventriloquist and I especially like his dummy Walter.... the others not so much.

[Charles Wiggins]

No one has mentioned Jeff Dunham... he's a ventriloquist and I especially like his dummy Walter.... the others not so much.

Thanks for the reminder!

[Nike Nihiser]

He's long gone and I'm showing my age, but I liked Red Skelton.

[Mike Chance in Iowa]

Wow. Not a single woman listed??

How about Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, Roseanne Barr, Carol Burnett, Rita Rudner, Sarah Silverman, Phyllis Diller, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bernhard, Lisa Lampanelli, Tig Notaro and so many more!

[Bruce Page]

Jonathan Winters could make me laugh just walking on stage.

[Mel Fulks]

Jonathan Winters could make me laugh just walking on stage.
He was good,kind of a "mad scientist". Strangely nutty and crafty. In interviews he even claimed to make crank calls to people he hadn't seen in years; then he would repeat some of both sides of the conversation.

[Charles Wiggins]

Wow. Not a single woman listed??

How about Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, Roseanne Barr, Carol Burnett, Rita Rudner, Sarah Silverman, Phyllis Diller, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bernhard, Lisa Lampanelli, Tig Notaro and so many more!

The list was supposed to be about favorite stand ups and none of those make my list. Carol Burnett and Lily Tomlin are legends, but I've never seen either do stand up - the same with Lucille Ball, who you did not mention. Ellen is funny, but not one of my favorites. I thought she was much better in her sitcom. I liked watching Rita Rudner, mostly because I thought she was cute, but her timing is forced. The rest I either haven't seen or unfortunately, I have seen. I don't like raw crassness or a lot body humor, or people who try to shock or embarrass me into laughing. It's cheap.

The one female I considered was Joan Rivers, but I could only take so much of her shtick.

[Mel Fulks]

I agree with the late Christofer Hitchens. Can't quote exactly but it stated the obvious....women don't need to be funny. Men certainly do!!

[Prashun Patel]

I like Sarah Silverman. She makes me uncomfortable in the same way Louis CK does.

[Mike Null]

I thought I would be the first to mention Jonathan Winters, the predecessor to Robin Williams. Winters was from my home town.

Richard Pryor, Roger Miller, ( I caught his Vegas act and couldn't stop laughing)
Gilda Radner. Johnny Carson had his moments--frequently.

[Bruce Page]

Mike, gotcha beat by a few hours. I agree with all of your names. Loved Gilda Radner's "Nevermind!" It still cracks me up!

I'll throw in Bob Newhart too.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Buddy Hackett....he took "crazy" to a new level.

Totie Fields - what can you say? The woman had real heart & a show biz ethic....plus she was a natural at being funny & really enjoyed a good joke - even if she made herself the butt of it.

[Pat Barry]

Johnny Carson

[Kev Williams]

Buddy Hackett reminded me of Bill Dana- and my dad, who used to do a dead on "My name, Jose Jimenez... " :)

[Justin Ludwig]

Jim Gaffigan, and Brian Regan.
x50

I've seen Regan live. I think my face hurt for days. A young (early 20s) couple were sitting in front of us and laughing at his jokes, but the girlfriend kept asking what some words meant and her beau didn't have an answer. :D Wife and I got a kick out of that too.

[Allan Dozier]

I guy I can really dig is Steven Wright. Not a laugh out loud type of funny but he comes up with some really sharp statements. In fact on one of the forums I used to frequent my tag at the end was his: I plan to live forever, so far, so good.

[Edwin Santos]

Wow. Not a single woman listed??

How about Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler, Wanda Sykes, Roseanne Barr, Carol Burnett, Rita Rudner, Sarah Silverman, Phyllis Diller, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bernhard, Lisa Lampanelli, Tig Notaro and so many more!

Amy Schumer maybe?

Among the ethnic guys George Lopez can be pretty funny. Every heard of an Indian stand up comedian named Russell Peters? He has a loyal following.

Then there's the great Lenny Bruce. Milton Berle and Henny Youngman - kings. Rodney Dangerfield was a stand-up genius. I think Dave Chappelle is hilarious and frighteningly talented. Andy Kaufman, Steve Martin. It's very hard to pick just one favorite stand up comedian.

[Mark Blatter]

All that said, there's some folks I would not bother with now. I have a much lower tolerance for foul language and body humor than I used to.

This is why I don't listen to much stand up, actually don't listen at all. I was a fan of Cosby years ago, but cannot listen to him today due to the news coming out. I occasionally listen to a recording I got from my dad by Charlie Douglas and still get a good laugh from it. If you have never heard his stories of growing up with his best friend Dammit Ray, you should listen to it. You can find him, along with the entire world apparently, on Youtube.