# Help me out, please....who IS funny? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305 "2010-09-01T20:22:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/41 "2010-09-02T00:59:38Z")
Jack Benny. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/42 "2010-09-02T01:59:09Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Eddie Izzard. Me too. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/43 "2010-09-02T02:28:06Z")
In addition to others that have already been mentioned, Ellen DeGeneres and Jim Gaffigan both have some hour-long comedy specials on DVD that are \*really \*funny. I don’t have any strong preference for family-rated fare, but it’s a nice bonus that you can watch them with your kids. I wish they did more stand-up. Ellen’s are called “Here and Now” and “In the Beginning”, which are on YouTube, but make sure you watch each whole show in order. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/44 "2010-09-02T02:41:33Z")
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are both pretty funny. 30 Rock and Parks and Rec are currently the two most consistently funny sitcoms. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/45 "2010-09-02T03:17:39Z")
Ricky Gervais, Brian Regan, Jim Gaffigan, Lewis Black, Ron White, Chelsea Handler, Amy Sedaris. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/46 "2010-09-02T04:00:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > > [@Rain\_Soaked](#): > > > > [Russell Peters?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Peters) > > That’s the guy! Does hilarious riffs on Indians and Asians. Technically, I think he’s Canadian. 😛 No love for Craig Ferguson? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/47 "2010-09-02T04:31:58Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > To me? > > Currently: Louis CK, Paul F. Tompkins (check out his Pod F. Tompkast for free on iTunes), Greg Giraldo, Rob Huebel, Patton Oswalt, Chris Rock, _It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia_. > > Dead or past their prime: Andy Kaufman, Richard Pryor and Steve Martin at their peaks, Dave Chappelle (might make a comeback). Man, that pretty much sums it up for me. Ditto. Add Eddie Murphy and Katt Williams and then we can talk. ---
**Author:** ![deadindays](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@deadindays](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deadindays)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/48 "2010-09-02T06:49:33Z")
Bill Hicks. Doug Stanhope. Bob Newhart. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/49 "2010-09-02T07:58:21Z")
Jon Stewart Craig Fergusen Conan O’Brien Louis C.K. Demetri Martin Lewis Black Denis Leary Jim Gaffigan Jim Norton Ricky Gervais Perhaps past their prime, but great back in the day: Steven Wright Garry Schandling Robin Williams Eddie Murphy Bob Newhart Dennis Miller Norm MacDonald Dead guys: Mtch Hedberg Bill Hicks George Carlin Richard Pryor Rodney Dangerfield ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/50 "2010-09-02T08:27:30Z")
If we could trust people to tell the truth, this could be a fun game. We could compile a list of all the funny people we can think of, and allow any of them to be voted of by only one Doper (or maybe a higher number), and see who is left. Okay, maybe it wouldn’t be fun, but I’d enjoy knowing if anyone could actually survive. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/51 "2010-09-02T08:35:41Z")
I’m also into classic Cross and Odenkerk, Jabbels and Kage, Monty Python, and Arrested Development. Maybe thast is why I can sometimes be meta-funny, Oswalt has meta-funny down to a sniper. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/52 "2010-09-02T09:25:58Z")
Jake Johansson. ---
**Author:** ![Baboonanza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f475e1/32.png) [@Baboonanza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baboonanza)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/53 "2010-09-02T09:44:49Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > But then there is British black comedies. I love those. Rowan Atkinson and the whole _Blackadder_ series makes me laugh. I like BritComs way more than American sit-coms. Fry and Laurie kills me. For something more modern but in the same vein I would suggest Peep Show. Easily the best and most original British comedy in the last 10 years. Also The Inbetweeners and Grandma’s House (currently showing in the UK) are worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/54 "2010-09-02T14:29:41Z")
Stephen Colbert is at his funniest when doing interviews with self-important blowhards and politicians (that may be redundant in many cases). He’s extremely quick on his mental feet and a master of the ad-lib. ---
**Author:** ![usar\_jag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f0a364/32.png) [@usar\_jag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usar_jag)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/55 "2010-09-02T16:41:36Z")
As far as dead guys go, I’m surprised that \*\*Andy Kaufman \*\*hasn’t been mentioned yet… Maybe it’s an acquired taste. ETA: Whoops–my apologies to **wodstockbirdybird** , post #19. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/56 "2010-09-02T17:55:22Z")
Funny is totally relative. I think Lewis Black, Margaret Cho, John Oliver, Eddie Izzard, etc. are really funny. My husband likes them okay but laughs himself stupid over Jeff Dunham and Steven Lynch who I could never hear another thing about them again and be just fine. You want to know who is funny? Go on Netflix and start watching some standup until you find someone who makes you laugh. That person is funny. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/57 "2010-09-02T18:11:27Z")
I’m sure it’s because he’s from this area, but the funniest guy today for me is [Nate Bargatze](http://natebargatze.com/home.html) who has a fair number of clips on YouTube and elsewhere. This breaks me up and I have seen it several times already: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/MUJNpjD1Izc/hqdefault.jpg ""Cooking Dixie" with Nathaniel RobertELee") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUJNpjD1Izc) “Cooking Dixie” with Nathaniel RobertELee ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/58 "2010-09-02T18:15:05Z")
Dave Allen Benny Hill ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/59 "2010-09-02T18:19:26Z")
Louis C.K and Big Les in concert. Chris Rock in concert. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305/60 "2010-09-02T18:23:17Z")
My taste doesn’t coincide with everyone else’s . I haven’t heard Cosby recently, but the last time I heard him, he was genuinely funny.I love Weird Al. Also, Og help me, I like Jay Leno. So there! Other people who are funny: **dave Barry Tom Weller Chris Moore Alan King Tom Lehrer Jon Stewart Mark Twain MST3K** (and its various descendants) **Louis Black** **Dennis Miller** used to be. And it ain’t the change in his politics, either. **Mad** Still. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-out-please-who-is-funny/552305.md?page=4)