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Favorite/Least Favorite Comedians?

#62
I'll admit that I don't watch a lot of stand-up comedy these days, but I'm liking Patton Oswalt lately. (I checked out his stuff after seeing him interviewed for "Ratatouille").

I'm surprised at all the votes for Lewis Black -- I've never found him to be all that funny. Seems like that whole angry-man schtick has been done before and done better.

I also really like Chris Rock and Seinfeld (from whose show I took my TB name).
 
#65
I like Steven Wright too, as my user title shows. And others have mentioned mentioned Zach Galifianakis and Demitri Martin who I dig. All three have a predilection for uncomfortable comedy which I find hysterical. And though he was hit or miss with me, the master of that style was Andy Kaufman.

Hmm, a few pages in and no mention (positive or negative) of Andrew Dice Clay?
 
#70
I see a lot of people listing Dane Cook.

I've always thought he was somewhat funny, but I don't see him as deserving the level of fame he's gotten. Similar to guys like Daniel Tosh and NIck Swardson but somehow he got huge. That's my biggest complaint with him.

For the record I think Tosh and Swardson are actually funnier.

David Cross is hit or miss for me, but sometimes I find him hilarious.
 
#71
WillPlay4Food said:
I can't believe I forgot:

Pablo Francisco <-- This guy slays me
Sinbad! <-- Funniest clean comedy I've heard in ages
Steven Wright
Henry Rollins (and I have 3-4 spoken word CDs too)
Dave Attel
Click to expand...

+1 on sinbad. i used to watch his HBO specials every time it was on.

also, i watched bill maher's special last night(filmed up the road at berklee performance center!). it was awesome.

i also saw this fella on comedy central...henry cho, methinks. he was great as well.
 
#73
Like:
Mitch Hedberg - an all-time great
Brian Regan
Bill Cosby - sentimental childhood fave
Demetri Martin - so clever

Dislike:
Mencia - has never once made me laugh
George Carlin - most overrated comic ever
Dane Cook
Margaret Cho - incredibly bad

bc
 
#74
Like:
Carlin < 1994ish (before he turned extremely bitter)
Bill Hicks
Bill Engval
Steven Wright
Plenty of others I've forgotten

Dislike:
Carlin > 1994 when he became incredibly bitter.
oh, plenty of others. I watch comedy central presents and if I don't laugh in the first 5-6 minutes they are voted off the island. Sometimes you find a really great one in there.

The old carlin stuff is just super wonderful. I don't really dig his new stuff. I think he should hang up the towell and retire.
 
#76
Favorites: Bill Hicks and Steven Wright.

Don't Care For: Andrew Dice Clay, Carlos Mencia, and Sam Kennison. (I just can't take all the screaming from ol' Sam. Gives me a headache.)

I wish Bill Hicks were still alive.

Cheney would probably have Homeland Security pay him a visit, but I wish he were alive to say something brilliant and hilarious about it.

Cherie :D
 
#78
txbasschik said:
Favorites: Bill Hicks and Steven Wright.

Don't Care For: Andrew Dice Clay, Carlos Mencia, and Sam Kennison. (I just can't take all the screaming from ol' Sam. Gives me a headache.)

I wish Bill Hicks were still alive.

Cheney would probably have Homeland Security pay him a visit, but I wish he were alive to say something brilliant and hilarious about it.

Cherie :D
Click to expand...

+1 to everything

The reason I brought up Clay was that I found it odd that no one had mentioned a guy who at one point was clearly the biggest draw in stand-up comedy.

But for me, Clay does two things that I can't stand: he panders to the lowest common denominator and his whole onstage persona is more or less an act.

Crude comedy is fine. Bill Hicks called himself "Noam Chomsky with d**k jokes". But there was also some real insight to his act. Clay was just non-stop crude and low brow.

As for being an act, I've always gravitated toward comics who are showing themselves on stage. Letting you in their world and letting you share their warped perspective in an honest way. Clay, Larry the Cable Guy and others are playing a role. That's just not stand up comedy to me.
 

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