# Funnier stand-up comedian: George Carlin or Richard Pryor? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350 "2011-09-15T00:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [September 15, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/1 "2011-09-15T00:55:36Z")
Let me emphasize, this is only about stand-up comedy, not any acting gigs. Who was the funnier comedian? Now George has died, too, and some time has passed, I thought it’d be a good to look at these two again. Who do you think was the funnier comedian? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/2 "2011-09-15T01:15:13Z")
Pryor was a lot more animated on stage. He made faces, did voices, acted out his punch lines, etc. He wasn’t as manic as Robin Williams, but he was much more of a “performer” than Carlin. Carline was more laid-back, even in his early standup days. His personna was much more cool than Pryor. Pryor’s humor to me seemed more personal, while Carlin’s was more observational. Different types of funny, so it really comes down to a matter of what you think is funnier. One thing I’ll use as a tie-breaker. If you watched a Richard Pryor routine with the sound turned off, you’d probably laugh at least once or twice by what you saw. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/3 "2011-09-15T01:30:54Z")
In terms of pure funny, Richard Pryor made me laugh out loud more often and consistently. Carlin was more cerebral, but occasionally could make me laugh until I couldn’t breathe. Carlin did get more bitter and less funny as he got older. Pryor just got sick. This is a hard one. Two very different kinds of comics, both with very distinct voices and styles who were both top shelf when they were on their game. I guess I’m going to go with Pryor just for sheer quantity of laughs. I can also remember being able to recite huge chunks of his act with my friends, and I don’t remember doing that so much with Carlin. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/4 "2011-09-15T02:04:13Z")
Too close to call. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/5 "2011-09-15T02:07:30Z")
Oh, and I voted George Carlin. The man just made me laugh so much. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/6 "2011-09-15T02:12:27Z")
I loved both, but that concert movie Pryor did around 1980 actually made me fall out of my chair laughing. Ok, so I was high, but so what? Pryor would make you laugh and think but Carlin more on the the think than the laugh, usually a little chuckle. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/7 "2011-09-15T02:23:04Z")
I went with Carlin, but tomorrow I could pick Pryor. Both are comic geniuses. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/8 "2011-09-15T02:34:11Z")
Carlin has the edge on making you think. Pryor has the edge on making you wet yourself. Pryor by a hair (that’s on fire.) ---
**Author:** ![Chicagojeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@Chicagojeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicagojeff)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/9 "2011-09-15T02:52:28Z")
Love George… but Rich and the monkeys… that shit with Jim Brown… ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/10 "2011-09-15T02:55:01Z")
George Carlin in his prime was brilliant, even though he got old and bitter later on. Even at his alleged peak, Richard Pryor rarely did a thing for me. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/11 "2011-09-15T02:55:36Z")
Never watched any Pryor but enjoyed some Carlin stuff. I remember enjoying one of Carlin’s books but I don’t know that either of them are really my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/12 "2011-09-15T03:05:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Carlin has the edge on making you think. Pryor has the edge on making you wet yourself. > > Pryor by a hair (that’s on fire.) > [@](#): > > When you are on fire, people get the fuck out of your way. .. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/13 "2011-09-15T03:37:19Z")
This was a close one, but I ultimately had to go with Pryor. They both made me laugh really hard, but Pryor made it impossible for me _not_ to laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/14 "2011-09-15T03:38:23Z")
Pryor, both had extremely funny material. In some ways I probably remember some Carlin material better than Pryor’s stuff, but Pryor had the more enjoyable act to actually watch on TV or whatever, and I had a lot more actual laughs watching Pryor than Carlin. I think Carlin had maybe some of the best material ever, better than Pryor’s, but Pryor’s was almost as good and I think he edges Carlin out in other areas like delivery and on-stage presence so Pryor is better overall. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/15 "2011-09-15T04:18:39Z")
I’m remembering classic old Pryor stuff now. Remember the wino talking to Dracula? “You wanna suck what? You can suck yo’ ass on outta here.” ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/16 "2011-09-15T04:44:44Z")
I hope I’m not the only one who remembers Pryor’s **after hours** sketch. Massively unPC, but piss yourself funny. I’m certain that the character of Vera from **Harlem Nights** comes from that. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/17 "2011-09-15T05:19:21Z")
Pryor relied too much on 4 letter words, Carlin used them correctly and cleverly and had a ton of really interesting takes on things. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/18 "2011-09-15T06:08:36Z")
Carlin was good but Pryor was a genius. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/19 "2011-09-15T06:59:52Z")
There’s very little I can add to the comments already made and I voted (reluctantly) for Carlin. Both are at the top of the funny list with not many others nearby. The poll(s) we had earlier this year on funny people mostly validated that statement. What swayed me to Carlin was that Pryor relied on his act as much as his material and if anyone else used his material without the persona to make it work, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near as effective, much less funny. Carlin’s material was funnier and relied less on his act, even though his expressions, grimaces and funny faces helped underscore the words. Both could keep you laughing constantly. As was said upthread by **outlierrn** , “too close to call.” But I give the edge to George. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2011, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350/20 "2011-09-15T13:34:25Z")
Carlin. Both were hilariosly funny, but Pryor relied a little too much on potty humor and cursing. He didn’t NEED that crutch. Plus Carlin’s cat “I meant to do that” skit is just about my all-time favorite, I haven’t heard it in years and can still recite most of it by heart! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funnier-stand-up-comedian-george-carlin-or-richard-pryor/596350.md?page=2)