# Best Standup Comic ever?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 17, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076 "2007-07-17T01:53:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/1 "2007-07-17T01:53:55Z")
So kids, who do you think it is or was?
– IG
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### Author:  [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/2 "2007-07-17T01:54:57Z")
Gotta go with either George Carlin or Steven Wright.
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### Author:  [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/3 "2007-07-17T01:57:56Z")
Robert Klein and Larry Miller are at the top as well
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### Author:  [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/4 "2007-07-17T01:59:29Z")
Richard Jeni or Bob Newhart.
Actually on second thought it has to be Bob Newhart. Can you name any other comedian that is still doing the same bits he did 40 years ago, and still packing houses?
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/5 "2007-07-17T02:00:10Z")
Ooh, a tough one. Do you go for stories, or jokes? I will maintain that **Bill Cosby** at his peak was the best story-telling comedian ever.
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/6 "2007-07-17T02:08:22Z")
These probably won’t be among the huge names that will dominate the thread (although they are reasonably big), but my two favorites by a mile are **Patton Oswalt** and **Lewis Black**. They are different enough in their styles that it is really tough for me to choose between them.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/7 "2007-07-17T02:11:38Z")
Potentially, Dennis Wolfberg, but he died much too young.
But for body of work, I’d have to go with Newhart.
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### Author:  [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/8 "2007-07-17T02:18:43Z")
Bill Hicks. Hands down the best.
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/9 "2007-07-17T02:21:48Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun]
Bill Hicks. Hands down the best.
[/QUOTE]
Second.
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/10 "2007-07-17T02:26:42Z")
Turd.
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### Author:  [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/11 "2007-07-17T02:32:59Z")
No no no! Bob Newhart is too … safe, his material is good but it’s all joke and no story. Check out Woody Allen’s standup material from the compilation album 1964-1968. Utter utter genius, the sheer density of comedy gold is unmatched and possibly unmatchable IMO.
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### Author:  [@Dante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dante)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/12 "2007-07-17T02:44:39Z")
As a storyteller, I’d have to say **Bill Cosby**. For jokes, **Steven Wright**.
Funniest bit I’ve ever heard though is **Jim Gaffigan’s** bit about Hot Pockets. I was literally having chest pains. Look it up on YouTube, it’s worth it.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/13 "2007-07-17T03:34:24Z")
Richard Pryor
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/14 "2007-07-17T03:41:03Z")
If a comic can be included on the strength of a single performance, I nominate Eddie Izzard in “Dress to Kill”.
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### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/15 "2007-07-17T03:42:40Z")
Richard Pryor, George Carlin…the rest are debatable.
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### Author:  [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/16 "2007-07-17T03:52:16Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe]
Richard Pryor
[/QUOTE]
Bingo. _That Nigger’s Crazy_ is absolutely brilliant.
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### Author:  [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/17 "2007-07-17T03:57:12Z")
Hey, I thought **Steve Martin** was pretty freakin’ funny back in the day, and he packed _stadiums_, owned SNL, etc. IIRC.
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### Author:  [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/18 "2007-07-17T03:58:21Z")
There was a survey of the top 100 stand-up comics a while back that (I believe) ranked Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce as the top 3. I agreed wholeheartedly with that ranking.
Bill Cosby and Woody Allen also deserve special attention for their storytelling.
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### Author:  [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/19 "2007-07-17T04:05:20Z")
Not knocking anyone/surveys pushing **Lenny Bruce** , but I’ve never heard him say anything funny, just bitch a lot. Anyone got a link to a good bit of his?
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### Author:  [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)
#### Post date: [July 17, 2007, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-standup-comic-ever/412076/20 "2007-07-17T04:07:28Z")
Richard Pryor. He went past simple comedy into social commentary and performance art, was culturally groundbreaking and immeasurably influential, but most importantly he was always piss-your-pants funny.
Some of my other favorites are Carlin, Hicks, Rock, Eddie Murphy (I think people forget what a geat standup he was) and Seinfeld.
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