# The Funniest Comic/Comedian -- a search for names for a poll **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341 "2011-05-26T19:30:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/41 "2011-05-27T19:39:59Z")
I realize I’m out of touch with today’s stuf, but… No one has made me laugh as much as George Carlin and Don Rickles. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/42 "2011-05-27T19:54:53Z")
To be fair to all who have provided names for the poll, here’s the list of those only mentioned once so far: Abbott and Costello Chris Addison Steve Allen Rowan Atkinson Bill Bailey Arj Barker Doug Benson Elayne Boosler Victor Borge Burns and Allen Bill Burr Brett Butler Ed Byrne Jimmy Carr Johnny Carson Tommy Cooper David Cross Rodney Dangerfield Larry David Jack Dee Ellen DeGeneres Omid Djalili Jeff Dunham Adam Ferrara Redd Foxx Al Franken Ricky Gervais Rhod Gilbert Gilbert Gottfried Rich Hall Richard Herring Bob Hope Jake Johanssen Andy Kaufmann Peter Kay Robert Klein Nick Kroll Stewart Lee David Letterman Sean Lock Howie Mandel Marc Maron Michael McIntyre Denis Miller Bob Monkhouse Eddie Murphy Patrice O’Neil russell peters Emo Phillips John Pinette Brian Regan Caroline Rhea Nipsey Russell David Sedaris Sarah Silverman The Smothers Brothers Doug Stanhope Wanda Sykes Christopher Titus Paul F. Tompkins Ron White Flip Wilson Also to be noted is that only 27 individuals have posted so far and I was hoping to get 50 before building the Final Poll. I would like to post the multiple-mention folks after the 40th individual post so as to allow latecomers to have the benefit of seeing where things stand. Deciding what number of mentions to use as a cutoff ought to be easier to do at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/43 "2011-05-27T20:41:35Z")
Tim Minchin ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/44 "2011-05-28T13:53:43Z")
In case you haven’t followed this week’s time line of comedy-based threads, here are the ones I’m aware of, in chronological order: > **[Who's Funnier, Gervais or Izzard?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609745)** > > Discuss as you see fit, but vote for your preferred comic, please. Who’s Funnier, Gervais or Izzard? 05-24-2011, 01:18 PM > **[Who's Funnier? Maria Bamford or Sarah Silverman?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=609865)** > > The Gervais-Izzard thread’s popularity suggests another such comparison. If you know of another pair (or group even) whose humor needs evaluating, start a thread/poll on them. One I’d like to see: Bill Hicks vs. Mitch Hedberg Who’s Funnier? Maria Bamford or Sarah Silverman? 05-25-2011, 08:22 AM > **[Who was/is Funniest?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610018)** > > Pick your favorite from the list. Who was/is Funniest? 05-26-2011, 08:34 AM > **[Convince us your favorite comedian is funny, in three YouTube clips or less.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610068)** > > There are a bunch of comedy threads up right now, with people discussing what is/isn’t funny in them. In at least one of these threads several YouTube videos of funny bits from the comedian in question have been posted as an example of why said... Convince us your favorite comedian is funny, in three YouTube clips or less. 05-26-2011, 01:48 PM > **[The Funniest Comic/Comedian -- a search for names for a poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610078)** > > In Who was/is Funniest? (started Today, 08:34 AM) in this post I proposed what I have decided to put into a separate thread. As support for the process, here are some older threads on the basic issue: Your All-Time Favorite Comic/Comedian ... The Funniest Comic/Comedian – a search for names for a poll \<\<\< This thread \>\>\> 05-26-2011, 02:30 PM > **[Who is the most annoying/unfunny stand-up comic? (multiple choice)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610183)** > > I thought it would be interesting to put this out there as an accompaniment to the other recent stand-up polls and discussions. These names are off the top of my head, chosen based on my perception that each could conceivably be considered annoying... Who is the most annoying/unfunny stand-up comic? (multiple choice) \<\<\< closed \>\>\> Yesterday, 10:34 AM > **[Who is the most annoying/unfunny stand-up comic? (Now with multiple choice!)](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610205)** > > I thought it would be interesting to put this out there as an accompaniment to the other recent stand-up polls and discussions. These names are off the top of my head, chosen based on my perception that each could conceivably be considered annoying... Who is the most annoying/unfunny stand-up comic? (Now with multiple choice!) Yesterday, 01:11 PM > **[Everyone voting in the Unfunny Stand-up Comic poll is wrong.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610287)** > > Because they’re not familiar with the comic genius of Daniel Songer. Everyone voting in the Unfunny Stand-up Comic poll is wrong. Today, 01:41 AM Here’s hoping we can take the concept further! ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/45 "2011-05-28T15:39:00Z")
I’ll drop a couple o’ names into the pot… **Ron White** …my personal favorite, surprised no one has nominated him yet. **Gabriel Iglasias** …people seem to either love him or hate him. Personally I get a good chuckle out of watching him And from the dead comedians ranks (as well as the other side of the pond), **Benny Hill** …I don’t know if I’d find him as funny today. But back in the day I used to laugh myself limp at his antics. Best of all were the skits he did with \*\*Jackie Wright \*\*who was as perfect a straight man as ever lived. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/46 "2011-05-28T20:29:17Z")
Poll is up! [The Funniest Stand-up Comic (Your Top Five)](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610345) Posting here had tapered off a lot and with the holiday weekend likely adding to the slowdown I just went ahead with it. Additional posts here and/or results from the posted poll may suggest a follow-up to fine tune the results, in case we missed mentioning really important people. We’ll see! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341/47 "2011-05-29T14:02:16Z")
Some comments in the poll thread suggest that we’re going to need at least one follow-up poll to drill down to an acceptable (by reasonable people) statement on what the SDMB thinks about the quality stand-up comedian/comic situation. I started [Really Funny Women? - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=610358) Really Funny Women? Yesterday, 05:33 PM to address the obvious problem with too few women in the current poll. Should we break down the vast sea of names at > **[Stand-up comedy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-up_comedy)** > > Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, comic, or stand-up. > Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, observations or a shtick that may incorporate props, music, magic tricks or ventriloquism. It can be performed almost anywhere, including comedy clubs, comedy festivals, bars, nightclubs, colleges or theatres.\[citation needed\] > Stand-up as a Western art form has... > **[List of stand-up comedians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_stand-up_comedians)** > > The following is a list of notable stand-up comedians by nationality. > The first country listed is that of origin; the second is that in which the comedian achieved notability or most commonly performs. > **[List of United States stand-up comedians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_stand-up_comedians)** > > This is a list of stand-up comedians from the United States. and related places into groups, with polls for each, and then have a Final Poll where the winners of the sub-polls are all in one place? I recall the effort last year to get “Your Favorite TV Show of All Time” or “Your Favorite Character from _The Wire_” and other such multi-phased projects that I got involved in. They wound up being annoying more than anything else. How can we go about finding “The Best/Funniest Stand-up Comic(s)” that will have the best chance of being endorsed by a majority of the SDMB participants? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-funniest-comic-comedian-a-search-for-names-for-a-poll/583341.md?page=2)