Zombie Stand Up!
And nobody’s mentioned Bob Saget.
Definitely Robin Williams. As funny as some of the others are (Newhart, Cosby, Wright) nobody else ever made me laugh until I couldn’t breathe.
Another vote for Robin Williams (the golf bit is classic). Carlin’s older stuff was better. His last HBO special wasn’t great.
Agreed. Carlin has turned into a very angry old man. It’s almost uncomfortable to watch.
There have been quite a few stand-ups who’ve made mw laugh like a nut. As a kid, I LOVED Bill Cosby (Bill Cosby Himself I’ve seen at least 50 times), Taylor Negron, and Paula Poundstone. I’ve seen Janine Garafolo in concert, and enjoyed her. Chris Rock, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor are immortals. Lately, I’ve found Katt Williams to be amazingly hilarious.
Joe
I vote for Steven Wright. Some of his stuff is very funny when you read it in printed form, but it just aquires a whole new dimension of funniness when he delivers it in that slow, nasal, deadpan voice. Watching him makes me feel pleasantly stoned when I’m not.