# Pick 5 Comedians for a tour
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [March 7, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001 "2004-03-07T19:55:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@grisham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grisham)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/1 "2004-03-07T19:55:09Z")
Okay here’s the deal. You can choose five comedians living or dead to go and perform on one night. They won’t perform together and their genres need not match. Just pick your five favorites of all time. Mine are George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Ron White, Eddie Izzard. What would yours be?
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### Author:  [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/2 "2004-03-07T20:44:25Z")
**George Carlin** , circa early-mid 1970s.
**Bill Cosby** , circa mid-1960s
**Patton Oswalt**
\*\*Jonathan Katz \*\* (whatever happened to him? I think he’s Toby on _The West Wing_)
**Larry Miller**
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### Author:  [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/3 "2004-03-07T20:55:58Z")
Dave Chapelle
Jim Breuer
George Carlin
Larry Miller
Jerry Seinfeld
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### Author:  [@quiltguy154](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy154)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/4 "2004-03-07T21:10:50Z")
Elayne Boosler
Drew Carey
George Carlin
Bill Hicks
Kathleen Madigan
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### Author:  [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/5 "2004-03-07T21:16:23Z")
Interesting question.
My choices:
George Carlin: grandfather of observational humor. Without him, no Seinfeld
Richard Pryor: No one has ever made me laugh as hard as Richard
Sam Kinnison: Move where the food is!
Bernie Mac: His performance on Kings of Comedy was brilliant. He’s makin’ fun of me!
Robert Schimmel: Only comedian who made me buy their CD, and that I listened to more than once.
Interesting that we’ve all chosen George Carlin.
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/6 "2004-03-07T21:23:07Z")
Carlin: in the 70’s. Funny.
Marx Brothers: I want to have a front row seat to their work.
Monty Python: see Marx Brother’s reasoning.
Wanda Sykes.
Woody Allen.
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### Author:  [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/7 "2004-03-07T21:24:38Z")
Lessee, now…
George Carlin ~ Yeah, he’ll turn up on a lot of lists, I think.
Laura Kightlinger ~ Always thought she should have made a bigger impact than she did. Amused me, anyway.
Sam Kinison ~ At his peak, he was truly funny, not just crude. Unfortunately, his peak got cut short.
Kevin Pollak ~ Just for the Columbo impersonation. Cracks me up
Bill Hicks ~ The headliner. The big finish. Just turn him loose for about two hours, and stand back.
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### Author:  [@bigbird120](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigbird120)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/8 "2004-03-07T23:56:55Z")
easy
1. George Carlin
2. Chris Rock
3. Richard Pryor
4)Eddie Murphey (1980’s Eddie with leather bodysuit, color optional)
5)Mitch Hedburg
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [March 7, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/9 "2004-03-07T23:59:55Z")
> [@grisham](#):
>
> Mine are George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Lenny Bruce, Ron White, Eddie Izzard. What would yours be?
Mine are the same as yours, except I’m replacing Pryor with Eddie Murphy and Lenny Bruce with John Cleese (I know, he isn’t famous for standup but he’s still the funniest man of all time).
Oh, and Ron White gets the boot for Chris Rock.
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### Author:  [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/10 "2004-03-08T00:02:11Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#):
>
> Carlin: in the 70’s. Funny.
My folks were in Vegas 2 weeks ago and admitted that Carlins recent stuff has been taking a dive lately, but claimed his performance in Vegas was really a huge come back. So, I hope to see another HBO special in the next year or two.
Chris Rock, how could I forget?
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### Author:  [@bigbird120](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigbird120)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/11 "2004-03-08T00:05:56Z")
You know they call corn on the cob, corn on the cob, but that’s how it comes out of the ground, man. They should call that corn, they should call every other version corn off the cob. It’s not like if you cut off my arm you would call it Mitch. Then reattach it and call me Mitch-all-together…
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### Author:  [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/12 "2004-03-08T00:27:01Z")
Mitch Hedberg
Eddie Izzard
David Cross
Lewis Black
Bill Hicks
Probably in that order.
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### Author:  [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/13 "2004-03-08T00:49:36Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#):
>
> Mine are the same as yours, except I’m replacing Pryor with Eddie Murphy and Lenny Bruce with John Cleese (I know, he isn’t famous for standup but he’s still the funniest man of all time).
>
> Oh, and Ron White gets the boot for Chris Rock.
How is it the same when 60% of the list has been changed?
:rolleyes:
Brian Regan
Steven Wright
Joel Hodgson (sp?, from mst3k)
Redd Foxx
Bill Hicks
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### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/14 "2004-03-08T01:23:53Z")
Derek Edwards - There is a sample [here](http://www.corporateentertainers.ca/derekedwards.htm).
Brent Butt
Chris Rock
Woody Allen
Steven Wright
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/15 "2004-03-08T03:58:41Z")
Standup only, and single performers, not groups:
1. Chris Rush. His “First Rush” was the funniest comedy album ever made. Vanished soon afterwards, though he seems to be still performing. Rush’s style was to build up, then hit you with about six punchlines in a row, one funner than the next.
2. Dennis Wolfberg. Hilarious man, much like Rush. Best known (if at all) for his recurring part as Gooshie in Quantum Leap, and died much too young.
3. Jackie Vernon. Long forgotten, but his “vacation slides” routine was one of the great classics.
4. Bob Newhart.
5. Woody Allen.
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### Author:  [@Forlorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forlorn)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/16 "2004-03-08T04:05:43Z")
Bill Hicks
Dane Clark
Lewis Black
Denis Leary
Richard Pryor
Sorry - I like 'em profane and loud!
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### Author:  [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/17 "2004-03-08T08:06:52Z")
Lewis Black
Denis Leary (\Cancer\ era)
Greg Proops
George Carlin
Jerry Seinfeld
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### Author:  [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)
#### Post date: [March 8, 2004, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pick-5-comedians-for-a-tour/233001/18 "2004-03-08T08:12:16Z")
In no particular order…
Eddie Izzard
Robin Williams
Ellen Degeneres
Chris Rock
Buddy Hackett