# In this post-Joan Rivers world, who's the best American female stand-up comedian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comedian-jokes\ **Created:** [March 27, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374 "2016-03-27T17:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/1 "2016-03-27T17:20:44Z")
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. ---
**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:** [March 27, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/2 "2016-03-27T17:24:41Z")
I’d go with Amy Schumer. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/3 "2016-03-27T17:30:14Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > 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 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. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/4 "2016-03-27T17:47:09Z")
Does Tiny Fey do standup anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/5 "2016-03-27T17:48:18Z")
Iliza Shlesinger (check out her special on Netflix streaming if you haven’t seen it). ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/6 "2016-03-27T18:05:33Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/7 "2016-03-27T18:30:52Z")
It’s been awhile since I’ve seen any stand up performance, but I might be tempted if Paula Poundstone comes back to town. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/8 "2016-03-27T18:34:14Z")
> [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](#): > > 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. 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.” ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/9 "2016-03-27T19:09:57Z")
The same person who was the funniest before Joan Rivers died: Wanda Sykes. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/10 "2016-03-27T19:19:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/11 "2016-03-27T19:26:28Z")
Margaret Cho, although she may be a niche favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/12 "2016-03-27T19:49:37Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/13 "2016-03-27T20:06:10Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/14 "2016-03-27T20:13:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/15 "2016-03-27T20:30:52Z")
[Kathleen Madigan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jDfdJSO5po) ---
**Author:** ![Laggard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de053/32.png) [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/16 "2016-03-27T20:35:21Z")
Sara Silverman Janeane Garofalo Maria Bamford Jen Kirkman ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/17 "2016-03-27T21:54:16Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/18 "2016-03-27T21:59:53Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Da-da-dahhh, d-da-dum\*–SNOOTCH! > > (\*Think _Laugh-in_ music) I was thinking more [Jay and Silent Bob.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5bW8H-kNZs) ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/19 "2016-03-27T22:04:59Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > The same person who was the funniest before Joan Rivers died: Wanda Sykes. 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. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/20 "2016-03-27T22:06:34Z")
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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374.md?page=2)