Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comics

Cafe Society
1

This is their list, which I have several disagreements with:

  1. Gallagher
  2. Janeane Garofalo
  3. Louis CK
  4. Sandra Bernhard
  5. Joey Bishop
  6. Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay
  7. David Alan Grier
  8. George Wallace
  9. Louie Anderson
  10. Jim Breuer
  11. Dana Carvey
  12. Kevin James
  13. Paula Poundstone
  14. Brett Butler
  15. Jay Mohr
  16. David Cross
  17. Drew Carey
  18. Norm MacDonald
  19. Howie Mandel
  20. Dick Gregory
  21. Bobby Slayton
  22. Dom Irrera
  23. Sinbad
  24. Paul Reiser
  25. Robert Schimmel
  26. Eddie Izzard
  27. Paul Rodriguez
  28. Billy Connolly
  29. Bernie Mac
  30. Red Buttons
  31. Wanda Sykes
  32. Pat Cooper
  33. Dave Attell
  34. Kevin Pollak
  35. Shelley Berman
  36. Cedrick the Enter.
  37. Richard Belzer
  38. Jackie Mason
  39. Eddie Griffin
  40. Bobcat Goldthwait
  41. Jeff Foxworthy
  42. Gilbert Gottfried
  43. Larry Miller
  44. Richard Jeni
  45. Colin Quinn
  46. Alan King
  47. DL Hughley
  48. David Brenner
  49. Damon Wayans
  50. Lewis Black
  51. Denis Leary
  52. Freddie Prinze
  53. Tim Allen
  54. Henny Youngman
  55. Adam Sandler
  56. Richard Lewis
  57. Joan Rivers
  58. Dave Chappelle
  59. Flip Wilson
  60. Jon Stewart
  61. Mort Sahl
  62. Billy Crystal
  63. Bill Maher
  64. Martin Lawrence
  65. Jim Carrey
  66. Phyllis Diller
  67. Buddy Hackett
  68. Andy Kaufman
  69. Albert Brooks
  70. George Burns
  71. Garry Shandling
  72. Milton Berle
  73. Jack Benny
  74. Jay Leno
  75. Ray Romano
  76. Bob Hope
  77. Redd Foxx
  78. Steven Wright
  79. Robert Klein
  80. Dennis Miller
  81. Sam Kinison
  82. Bill Hicks
  83. Jonathan Winters
  84. Don Rickles
  85. Ellen DeGeneres
  86. David Letterman
  87. Bob Newhart
  88. Robin Williams
  89. Jerry Seinfeld
  90. Johnny Carson
  91. Eddie Murphy
  92. Roseanne Barr
  93. Bill Cosby
  94. Rodney Dangerfield
  95. Steve Martin
  96. Chris Rock
  97. Woody Allen
  98. Lenny Bruce
  99. George Carlin
  100. Richard Pryor

Of course, every cable channel and magazine make their own seemingly-arbitrary lists nowadays, and there’s bound to be controversy. But what are YOUR thoughts? Who did they do justice to? Who was ranked too high or too low? Who deserved to be on the list who was left off?

These are the stand-up comics I like who got ranked:

  1. Janeane Garofalo (one of my dream women)
  2. Louis CK
  3. Jay Mohr (although I like him better as an actor)
  4. David Cross
  5. Norm MacDonald
  6. Eddie Izzard
  7. Dave Attell
  8. Kevin Pollak
  9. Cedrick the Entertainer
  10. Richard Belzer
  11. Henny Youngman
  12. Dave Chappelle
  13. Jon Stewart
  14. Steven Wright (my all-time favorite stand-up comic)
  15. Bill Hicks
  16. Robin Williams
  17. Eddie Murphy
  18. Steve Martin
  19. Chris Rock
  20. Woody Allen
  21. George Carlin

I was also annoyed to see Mitch Hedberg, Harland Williams, Wendy Liebman, and Margaret Cho left off the list. I think a lot of the people on there were just “household names” who are better-known for their later TV and movie careers (Sandler, Carrey, Romano), or necessary name-dropping for people who aren’t funny at all (I’ll NEVER understand the Sam Kinison appeal).

I have seen George Carlin, Richard Jeni, Harland Williams, Howie Mandel, and Bill Cosby in concert, and I thought the latter two were TERRIBLE. But I’ve never been a Cosby fan.

If the rules could be slightly amended to include monologuists and hosts of talk and variety shows, I definitely would have wanted to see Conan O’Brien and Henry Rollins included.

2

I want to know whose crack Colin Quinn is slobbering on. NO WAY does he deserve on this list. I’d rather pound my nuts flat with a wooden hammer than listen to the man.

And I’ve never thought that Dom Irerra was funny, either. Give me John Mendoza any day.

3

Please explain to me why Robin Williams is #13 and Roseanne Barr is #9. Is there really any comparison?

4

I was really glad that Bill Hicks got in the top twenty, it surprised me actually. Most of the time when they have these top 100 of something shows everybody is going to disagree.

But really…Colin Quinn? come on, give me a break. I heartily agree he should not be on the list. He is the most unfunny person that is supposed to be funny.

5

Just FYI. Can we combine the two threads?

6

Terribly sorry! I didn’t mean to start another thread, and I swear I never saw that first one. But if a kindly mod could combine our comments (rather than delete my thread altogether), that would be swell.