# 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:** 2
**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, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/21 "2016-03-27T22:15:56Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > 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. I could go for that. Shumer’s stuff seems more subversive and deeper than Louis CK’s … or anyone else’s. ---
**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, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/22 "2016-03-27T22:19:45Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > I was thinking more [Jay and Silent Bob.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5bW8H-kNZs) Hey, 12-step, **The Time** sucked! 😃 😃 ---
**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, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/23 "2016-03-27T22:23:41Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > I could go for that. Shumer’s stuff seems more subversive and deeper than Louis CK’s … or anyone else’s. Is there a special or something I can watch that shows off her best work? I don’t remember having near that reaction at anything I’ve seen from Shumer, but I could definitely be missing something. ---
**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, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/24 "2016-03-27T22:28:16Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Is there a special or something I can watch that shows off her best work? I don’t remember having near that reaction at anything I’ve seen from Shumer, but I could definitely be missing something. Her best work is in her tv series. It’s brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Memnon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Memnon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Memnon)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/25 "2016-03-27T22:32:53Z")
Chelsea Peretti (Gina from Brooklyn-99) is a pretty hilarious stand-up. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/26 "2016-03-27T22:38:57Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Is there a special or something I can watch that shows off her best work? I don’t remember having near that reaction at anything I’ve seen from Shumer, but I could definitely be missing something. Her SNL [monologue](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhu7rs3Ihas) was pretty good. ---
**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, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/27 "2016-03-27T22:53:39Z")
> [@Mosier](#): > > Is there a special or something I can watch that shows off her best work? I don’t remember having near that reaction at anything I’ve seen from Shumer, but I could definitely be missing something. [This one’s just funny. Dirty and oh, so funny.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cue9frSM6EY) [Last fuckable day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPpsI8mWKmg) [Class and judging](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTFIdV9pPeU) [Historical reality meets romance fantasies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOIuwNeS-gU) [Faux-personal relationships that are commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTde8nG0KkI) I didn’t link to any of her standup routines because they are not divided up by topic and are generally 30-60 minutes long and I don’t have the kind of time it takes to sort them out. Watch 'em yourself. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/28 "2016-03-27T22:54:59Z")
> [@Tithonus](#): > > Chelsea Peretti (Gina from Brooklyn-99) is a pretty hilarious stand-up. Never head of her until I saw her on Big Fat Quiz. She more than held her own. ---
**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, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/29 "2016-03-27T23:06:32Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > 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. Maybe in 1992. Not today. ---
**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, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/30 "2016-03-27T23:21:49Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Maybe in 1992. Not today. That’s kinda what I thought. I used to enjoy Elayne Boosler’s stuff, also Laura Kightlinger and Rita Rudner, but that was a couple of decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/31 "2016-03-27T23:26:07Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > 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. The last four listed are not only my favorite female comedians, they are most of my top favorite _comedians_. Amy Schumer I have not been able to understand as funny. I just don’t get it. She reminds me or Carlos Mencia. Maybe her sketch stuff is funnier, I’ll have to check it out! Iliza Schlesinger, I’ll have to look into again. I watched about fifteen minutes of her special War Paint, and it seemed, well, redneck. It seemed like a little bit more sophisticated version of Jeff Foxworthy. Did I just see the wrong fifteen minutes? ---
**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, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/32 "2016-03-27T23:29:18Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Iliza Schlesinger, I’ll have to look into again. I watched about fifteen minutes of her special War Paint, and it seemed, well, redneck. It seemed like a little bit more sophisticated version of Jeff Foxworthy. Did I just see the wrong fifteen minutes? It’s not very intellectual—mostly guys and gals and dating—but it’s very well done. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/33 "2016-03-27T23:33:29Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s not very intellectual—mostly guys and gals and dating—but it’s very well done. Ahhhhh… that’s probably just my snobbery coming out then. 🙂 Ooo another one I’ve enjoyed is Chelsea Perreti. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/34 "2016-03-27T23:34:03Z")
I saw Paula Poundstone perform twice and I love her on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me - I think she’s hilarious! I also love Kathleen Madigan. Personally, I don’t think Amy Schumer is all that funny, but then I don’t like crude humor, and I find her very crude. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/35 "2016-03-28T00:28:37Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I saw Paula Poundstone perform twice and I love her on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me - I think she’s hilarious! I also love Kathleen Madigan. > > Personally, I don’t think Amy Schumer is all that funny, but then I don’t like crude humor, and I find her very crude. I love, love, love Poundstone on WWDTM. Heard her standup twice, on PHC, I thought she sucked both times. Her panelist duties on WWDTM are really her sweet spot. If I’m wrong (or missing something) please link me to her funniest stand up routine. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/36 "2016-03-28T00:29:31Z")
I saw Amy Schumer’s live show in Seattle last New Year’s Eve, and she was brilliant. She seamlessly worked into the act some disruptions from the audience, including a man who needed an ambulance. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/37 "2016-03-28T01:21:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Her best work is in her tv series. It’s brilliant. > [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > [This one’s just funny. Dirty and oh, so funny.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cue9frSM6EY) > > [Last fuckable day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPpsI8mWKmg) > > [Class and judging](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTFIdV9pPeU) > > [Historical reality meets romance fantasies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOIuwNeS-gU) > > [Faux-personal relationships that are commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTde8nG0KkI) > > I didn’t link to any of her standup routines because they are not divided up by topic and are generally 30-60 minutes long and I don’t have the kind of time it takes to sort them out. Watch 'em yourself. Agree that the show is funny, but to nitpick the OP did specify stand-up comedy. If her stand-up is not as good (which I don’t think it is), then she doesn’t qualify as “best American female stand-up comedian”. ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/38 "2016-03-28T01:24:54Z")
What’s Sandra Bernhard been up to? She is the greatest of all time for me. Don’t know if she’s current. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2016, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/39 "2016-03-28T01:52:11Z")
I saw Margret Cho, Amy Schumer and **Lisa Lampanelli** in a 6-month span last year. They were all drop-dead funny but Lisa was the one who most brought me to tears. Amy is my girl tho. Love love love her TV show and her standup. But Lisa is the best of the 3 at standup IMHO. ---
**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 28, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374/40 "2016-03-28T02:08:56Z")
Actually, now that people are mentioning it, Wanda Sykes is my all time favorite comedian. My second favorite is another woman who plays mostly women’s and GBLT venues, named Kate Clinton; she is very sophisticated, never raunchy, and as political as Tina Fey with the personal touch of Paula Poundstone, my third favorite comedian. My number four is Sarah Silverman. You have to get down to six or seven before you start to hit John Mulaney and Patton Oswalt. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-this-post-joan-rivers-world-whos-the-best-american-female-stand-up-comedian/750374.md?page=3)