He’s the one I was looking for and couldn’t find. I’ve loved every bit I’ve seen him do.
I also really like Michelle Wolf.
Most of them I’ve laughed at on a number of occasions. But in terms of full-blooded, gut-busting laughter, I voted for only five: Carlin, Pryor, Murphy, Dangerfield, and Youngman.
Anthony Jeselnik is my favorite comic right now.
Yeah, my introduction to stand-up comedy as a 6th grader in 1987 (I think) was Bill Cosby Himself, Eddie Murphy Raw, and Robin Williams An Evening at the Met. Those three set the bar for comedy for me, though it was Cosby’s set I remember the best (followed by Robin Williams, then Murphy.)
And another vote for Eddie Izzard…
We got to see Jeselnik last week. Amazing show. Sharply-written, perfectly constructed jokes that commented on current society without betraying his personal commitments.
One thing comics need is absolute utter confidence in their mastery over the audience. Jeselnik had that more than anyone I’ve seen since Gilbert Gottfried.
I think you have to see a comic live, and in a small venue rather than an auditorium, It’s physical as much as mental. Like an athletic feat, it’s super impressive when you see it from of you.
Eddie Izzard and James Acaster. Honourable mention to Rhys Darby.
Dangerfield and Foxx. You big dummy.
I’m surprised there’s not more love for Bo. But the SD does skew older, I suppose. Inside is a work of genius.
+1 to Maria Bamford and Tig, but if I have to pick one, it’s Mulaney.
Leaving out Bill Cosby was an oversight, sorry about that.
Lookit poor Phyllis Diller, the only one (at this time) without a single vote.
I find the minimal Gilbert Gottfried love disappointing.
Of the dozens of "you forgot…"s, I’ve only heard of a couple of them. Maybe a mega-poll is in the future.
mmm
We went to the Montreal Just for Laughs festival in, I think, 2013. Tried to see a bunch of on-the-rise new comics.
John Mulaney did a wonderful set, brainy yet accessible and crowd-pleasing. Bo Burnham did a stupendous set that depended on pre-recorded dialogue with himself so that every line had to be precisely timed. But the winner was Trevor Noah with his Born a Crime set introducing himself to the world. All three should be on anyone’s list.
If people ever get a chance, go to Montreal. That festival is point zero for brilliant comedy.
P.S. I saw him twice. When talking about a comic killing the audience he was the dictionary definition of the term.
I went to the Robin Williams Weapons of Self Destruction taping at Constitution Hall. A friend was the local producer for the show and gave me and a bunch of our other friends free tickets to fill out the crowd. Wasn’t his best set ever but he was still funny and it turned out to be his last comedy special. Afterwards we went backstage and saw him just long enough to say hello and shake his hand.
Nikki Glaser
Yakov Smirnoff. I read his America on Six Rubles a Day while studying in Moscow and almost fell out of my chair laughing.
Nate Bargatze is great. I first saw him on a Netflix special, and I’ve seen him live twice since. Something about his comedy just gets me. I like his older stuff the best.
No love for the stand-up comics without legs?
eg Randy Feltface
Sorry, never heard of … him?
So many to list in “Other” that I can’t even believe aren’t on the list. And these are just the ones that I like. There are quite a few that I don’t like, who nonetheless have earned a spot on that list as well.
In no particular order:
James Acaster
Dara O’Briain
Eddie Izzard
Greg Davies
Rod Gilbert
Daniel Sloss
Billy Connolly
Taylor Thomlinson
Bert Kreischer
Amy Schumer
Jeff Foxworthy
Larry the Cable Guy
Gabriel Iglesias
Leanne Morgan
Jeanne Robertson
Ali Wong
Jo Koy
Iliza Schlesinger
Katherine Ryan
Fortune Feimster
Trevor Noah
Ron White
Neal Brennan
Tom Papa
John Leguizamo
Leslie Jones
Doug Stanhope, also not mentioned on this list, is the closest thing we’ve got to Carlin these days. Saw him live last month and he opened his set by asking the crowd; “So, now that we’ve all had time to look back and reflect, which did you like better - covid or 9/11?”
Ooh, ooh, and Marc Maron!
I really like stand-up comedy. I’m another one who grew up listening to Bill Cosby, and it just plain pisses me off that he turned out to be such a slimeball. Same for Louis CK (only less, since he wasn’t as funny).