In this post-Joan Rivers world, who’s the best American female stand-up comedian? Come to think of it, include Canadians, too, because so many really funny entertainers come from our neighbor to the north.
I’d go with Amy Schumer.
I think Tina Fay, Sarah Silverman, and Kathy Griffin are all pretty high up there. Sarah Silverman might have the same issue Chris Rock did, where she got famous before she got really good, and then ended up being a bit stale for a long time afterward. But, I like her for the same reason I like Louis CK - they both occasionally make the audience very uncomfortable before reeling them back in. They tell a lot of jokes that aren’t safe, and take a lot of chances.
Does Tiny Fey do standup anymore?
Iliza Shlesinger (check out her special on Netflix streaming if you haven’t seen it).
I would say that Amy Schumer is pushing Tina Fey as the best female American sketch comedian. Fey has done relatively little stand-up, and it was long ago. She has a long career writing sketches, creating shows, and doing hosting jobs that concerned comedy. She can still turn out great sketches, as is shown by “Meet Your Second Wife” recently on Saturday Night Live. There are people who prefer Schumer’s stand-up to her sketches, but I think she’s a better sketch comedian than a stand-up.
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any stand up performance, but I might be tempted if Paula Poundstone comes back to town.
She was supposed to be funny? For the life of me, I never laughed at anything she ever said. No less an authority on humor than the National Lampoon summed her up perfectly “Joan Rivers had a career in comedy without ever saying anything funny. She just talked loud.”
The same person who was the funniest before Joan Rivers died: Wanda Sykes.
I love Iliza Shlesinger so far as standup goes.
I think Amy Schumer is genius at sketch comedy, but I don’t enjoy her standup quite as much.
Sarah Silverman is one of the best.
Tig Notaro is up there at the top somewhere and so is Kristen Schaal.
Maria Bamford is blindingly brilliant.
I still like Janeane Garofalo, although I haven’t seen any of her standup in a long time.
Margaret Cho, although she may be a niche favorite.
I was a big fan of Margaret Cho in the 1990s, but her more recent stuff isn’t among my favorite.
First of all, Joan Rivers was never America’s best comedienne, to me, she barely qualified as a comedienne at all. As noted earlier, she’s loud, not funny.
I think right now Amy Shumer is the best, she’s just killing it. And Samantha Bee’s political standup monologs on her TBS show are freaking HILARIOUS. I never would have thought so because I didn’t care for her when she was a Daily Show regular, but she’s really opened up and gone for the hilarious, and she’s getting it. I’m thinking she would have been a MUCH better choice to host the Daily Show than Trevor, who is more personable than funny. (I think Trevor would make a GREAT host for, say, the Tonight Show.)
I don’t just think Amy Schumer is the female comedian right, I think she is the comedian full stop (sorry Louis CK). She amazes me with the material she can present and not even suffer much mainstream backlash for it because it is so funny and well done.
Amy Schumer owes a lot of her style to Sarah Silverman who I also love. Natasha Leggero is also excellent and has a similar style. I agree that Wanda Sykes is extremely talented as well. Seem doesn’t make me double over like Amy Schumer and the others do but see can deliver top notch material consistently.
Sara Silverman
Janeane Garofalo
Maria Bamford
Jen Kirkman
Another vote for Iliza Shlesinger and one for Kathleen Madigan (she loves John Denver).
Da-da-dahhh, d-da-dum*–SNOOTCH!
(*Think Laugh-in music)
I don’t watch much standup comedy at all, but just based on what I’ve seen, I agree with you. I’ma Be Me just slayed me.
Wouldn’t Carol Leifer or Elayne Boosler be at the top of the list? Leifer is the basis of Elaine Benes, hugely influencial as a standup and comedy writer.