# Funniest Living Comedian? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494 "2000-08-08T00:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![oldscratch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@oldscratch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oldscratch)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/1 "2000-08-08T00:34:51Z")
Who is it. Robin Williams is up there, but he gets so schmaltzy sometimes. I vote eddie Izzard. All day all I can think about is “I’m covered in Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees” hilarious hilarious stuff. ---
**Author:** ![JoeyHemlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ba0ec/32.png) [@JoeyHemlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyHemlock)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/2 "2000-08-08T01:03:12Z")
I vote for my friend Mike Lukas, former host of The Straight Dope television show. Some others 9native to Chicago: Dwayne Kennedy, Tom Clark, Fred Klett… ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/3 "2000-08-08T01:23:21Z")
Count one vote for Steven Wright. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/4 "2000-08-08T01:51:36Z")
Izzard is the most godawful, boring, overrated, talentless hack since Jay Leno. Watching him is physically painful. I’ll second that Steven Wright. Chris Rock is great too. ---
**Author:** ![Scotticher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Scotticher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scotticher)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/5 "2000-08-08T02:53:37Z")
George Carlin and the King-even if he IS retired- **HEEERRREE’S JOHNNY!** Scotti ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/6 "2000-08-08T02:58:46Z")
1. Billy Connolly 2. George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/7 "2000-08-08T03:05:44Z")
Jon Stewart–his stand-up is hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/8 "2000-08-08T04:40:25Z")
As long as he is still living, Richard Pryor is still the best. Sad to see him the way he is now. ---
**Author:** ![evilbeth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/evilbeth/32/2268_2.png) [@evilbeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/evilbeth)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/9 "2000-08-08T04:59:50Z")
Steven Wright George Carlin ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/10 "2000-08-08T05:07:58Z")
I’ll second the nomination for Chris Rock. I also think that Robin Williams is a great actor, as far as comedy goes, (actually, as far as anything goes) but I’ve never seen much of his stand-up. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/11 "2000-08-08T05:09:37Z")
George Carlin, without a doubt. I had quite a few of his older records but not near all of them. Then his “The Little David Years” collection came out and I bought it right away. All of it is hilarious, and his book is pretty damn funny too. Also up there, definitely Richard Pryor and Stephen Wright. ---
**Author:** ![Skwerl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Skwerl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skwerl)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/12 "2000-08-08T05:12:46Z")
The Amazing Jonathan’s Lounge Lizards performance on Comedy Central was a riot, I thought. Also, John Henson made Talk Soup one of the funnier shows on TV. I don’t know about his stand-up, though. But his delivery on TV was perfection…that Hal Sparks guy was (is? Is he coming back?) a poor replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Fanny\_May](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3be4f8/32.png) [@Fanny\_May](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fanny_May)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/13 "2000-08-08T06:17:08Z")
I’ll vote for **Sid Ceasar**. I saw him this year on a PBS special, and he’s still got the goods. ---
**Author:** ![Prosser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/cc9497/32.png) [@Prosser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prosser)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/14 "2000-08-08T06:20:51Z")
I vote for Dennis Miller and Lewis Black ---
**Author:** ![2sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/e47774/32.png) [@2sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2sense)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/15 "2000-08-08T06:23:30Z")
Chris Rock. But Steve Martin had his day. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/16 "2000-08-08T06:34:07Z")
Chris Rock. Does P.J. O’Roarke qualify? Also, Don “D.C.” Curry. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/17 "2000-08-08T07:15:53Z")
Eddie Izzard, hands down. The competition isn’t even close. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/18 "2000-08-08T07:38:13Z")
So I’m giving myself another vote. Got a problem with that? Does anyone else know who Mitch Hedburg is? He has a special on Comedy Central - he’s got longish hair and wears these blue-lensed glasses. That show just about made me wet my pants. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/19 "2000-08-08T08:26:42Z")
1. Richard Jeni. I haven’t heard anything from him lately though. Caught his act in L.A. and my stomach was sore for a week from laughing. 2. Mitch Hedburg. 3. Dennis Miller ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2000, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494/20 "2000-08-08T08:32:56Z")
Those two guys who do the special reports for the Daily Show are really funny, too. The guy with the glasses, and the other guy. You know. –Tim [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funniest-living-comedian/28494.md?page=2)