# Best comedians and cynical, insightful social commentators **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 15, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485 "2014-05-15T01:16:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/21 "2014-05-15T17:26:48Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Yes, Carlin was brilliant, but heavily influenced by Lenny Bruce. Who pretty much founded the cynical, insightful social commentator genre. Nope. Mort Sahl did so. Their careers did overlap a lot and both found there was no market for their records until the very end of the 50s, years after they started working in clubs. But I’d say Sahl developed his style earlier. He also started making national television appearances earlier and was the first comic to make a name lampooning national politics since Will Rogers, who is the grandfather of them all. It was certainly Sahl’s success that allowed others to take a chance on Bruce, not the reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/22 "2014-05-15T18:53:42Z")
Well the big ones have been mentioned already, but do give Dylan Moran a shufti, OP. When he’s good, he’s really good… AND THEN THE CAGE COMES DOWN ! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/23 "2014-05-15T19:00:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Richard Pryor should definitely be high on the list. I’m loathe to leave Richard off any “best comedians” list, but I don’t think he fits what the OP is after. Richard was not cynical by a long shot. If anything, he was a hopeful realist, it’s just that he lived through some pretty shitty times to be a black man. Listen to “Africa” from _Live on the Sunset Strip_ and tell me he’s cynical. Mudbone on the other hand … 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/24 "2014-05-15T19:05:32Z")
Louis CK would be my choice as well. I sometimes wonder how funny he is to non-parents, given how much of his schtick is exploring the darkest thoughts that parents have. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/25 "2014-05-15T20:35:39Z")
George Carlin for sure. ---
**Author:** ![MostlyClueless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@MostlyClueless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MostlyClueless)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/26 "2014-05-15T21:02:21Z")
Another vote for Dylan Moran. ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/27 "2014-05-15T21:32:50Z")
Louis CK and Patton Oswalt are the two best comedians working today, I think. They’re extremely smart and more dedicated to the art of standup than just about anybody working today. Neither are overly political, but their observations of the world are typically spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/28 "2014-05-15T23:25:29Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Louis CK would be my choice as well. I sometimes wonder how funny he is to non-parents, given how much of his schtick is exploring the darkest thoughts that parents have. I love his stuff. The bit about being poor is the best. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/29 "2014-05-16T00:22:34Z")
Denis Leary. [**Really** anti-social!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs&feature=kp) ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/30 "2014-05-16T00:28:33Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](#): > > Was Will Durst big in the States? Or was he one of your unwanted exports to us Brits? > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPyYXurXcwY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPyYXurXcwY) > > I swear there is a link between how unfunny a comedian is and the amount of whooping and hollering their audience emits. Will Durst? Oh, THAT guy. Like Rich Hall, neither big nor funny. You can keep them. ---
**Author:** ![MortSahlFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@MortSahlFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MortSahlFan)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/31 "2018-11-06T22:39:57Z")
Mort Sahl Bill Hicks George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/32 "2018-11-07T14:21:27Z")
Two zombies. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/33 "2018-11-07T17:09:30Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Two zombies. Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. “Yes, you are,” he says. Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. “Yes, you are,” he says. They eat other. They do not tip. Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. He brings them two zombies. The four of them fall in love and form a group marriage in Utah. Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. Trapped behind the bar he has no place to go. Three zombies shamble out of the bar. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/34 "2018-11-07T22:38:29Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. “Yes, you are,” he says. > > Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. “Yes, you are,” he says. They eat other. They do not tip. > > Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. He brings them two zombies. The four of them fall in love and form a group marriage in Utah. > > Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. Trapped behind the bar he has no place to go. Three zombies shamble out of the bar. Two zombies shamble into a bar. “Two zombies,” they say to the bartender. He brings them two zombies. They drink them, pay, and shamble wobblingly out of the bar. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/35 "2018-11-07T23:02:16Z")
Whether or not you enjoyed Michelle Wolf’s set at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, it did not represent her best work. Listen to her album “Nice Lady” and you’ll hear a pretty brilliant evisceration of gender stereotypes and political norms… along with some just plain funny stuff about dating and everyday life. \*ETA: didn’t realize I was posting to a zombie thread, but I stand by my above remarks. \* ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/36 "2018-11-08T00:02:19Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > George Carlin for sure. Four years later, and I agree with Mahaloth! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/37 "2018-11-08T16:04:23Z")
Two Zombies walk into a bar. The bartender says “Wow, a blast from the past.” They join him in a rousing round of zombies, “Time of the Season,” “Tell Her No” and “She’s Not There.” ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/38 "2018-11-08T16:15:09Z")
Dave Chappelle was great back in the day. Not sure what he’s been up to lately. ---
**Author:** ![Noel\_Prosequi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b19c9b/32.png) [@Noel\_Prosequi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noel_Prosequi)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/39 "2018-11-13T20:43:38Z")
Everyone’s heard of Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette by now (so dark it delegitimises comedy itself). But Russell Brand, despite his reputation as a plonked, is surprisingly clever. Anyone who can work the concept “Tyranny is the deliberate destruction of nuance” into a comedy set has some claim to be mentioned here. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485/40 "2018-11-14T00:33:19Z")
> [@Noel\_Prosequi](#): > > But Russell Brand, despite his reputation as a plonked, is surprisingly clever. Anyone who can work the concept “Tyranny is the deliberate destruction of nuance” into a comedy set has some claim to be mentioned here. His two books are quite good, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-comedians-and-cynical-insightful-social-commentators/688485.md?page=3)