The Funniest Stand-up Comic (Your Top Five)

Cafe Society
1

This is a Multiple-choice Honor-system Poll
Pick your Top Five Stand-up Comics (all time)

The source data are those names that were mentioned more than once in
The Funniest Comic/Comedian – a search for names for a poll which was started 05-26-2011, 02:30 PM.

The 37 names are:

Woody Allen
Dave Attell
Lewis Black
Lenny Bruce
George Carlin

Dave Chappelle
Louis CK
Bill Cosby
Jim Gaffigan
Zach Galifianakis

Greg Giraldo
Mitch Hedberg
Bill Hicks
Gabriel Iglesias
Eddie Izzard

Richard Jeni
Sam Kinison
Bill Maher
Steve Martin
Norm MacDonald

Bob Newhart
Patton Oswalt
Paula Poundstone
Richard Pryor
Don Rickles

Chris Rock
Robert Schimmel
Jerry Seinfeld
Garry Shandling
Daniel Tosh

Tim Vine
Ron White
Katt Williams
Robin Williams
Jonathan Winters

Dennis Wolfberg
Steven Wright

Use “Other” for names you wish had been on the list, and post who they may be.

Due to the holiday weekend, I decided not to wait for more posts in the preliminary thread.

2

Working just from the list:

Dave Attell
Carlin
Dave Chappelle
Pryor
Robert Schimmel

3

George Carlin
Mitch Hedberg
Seinfeld
Louis CK
Stephen Wright

4

Sorry for the delay getting the poll up! Thanks, Mahaloth and DCnDC and you can vote now if you wish.

5

In no particular order, I picked:
Izzard
Carlin
Hicks
Rock
Hedberg

6

Thanks!

7

In the interest of full disclosure, and to vouch for how hard picking 5 is, I settled on:

Carlin
Hedberg
Hicks
Martin
Winters

8
  1. Robin Williams
  2. Richard Pryor

3-5) Jonathan Winters, Eddie Izzard, Paula Poundstone

.

9

If we had gone for 10, your list would have been added to mine and the extra (we share Winters) would have been Wright for me.

If we have to do a follow-up for whatever reason, I vote we go for a Top Ten!

10
  1. Woody

Also voted for Hedberg, Hicks, Newhart, and Pryor. Might have voted for Dangerfield were he on there. Older acts like Lord Buckley maybe. Newer acts like Bamford or Todd Barry maybe. Duos like Nichols & May, Brooks & Reiner - that might stretch the definition of stand up a bit.

11

Jeff Foxworthy and Bill Engvall don’t make your list, but Ron White does?

Okay, okay, that is your list, but for my part, I have never found White funny. Foxworthy and Engvall crack me up. I’d also add Jeff Denham. Poundstone and Williams round out my list, which is in no particular order.

12

Checkpoint #1



George Carlin    12 60.00% 
Mitch Hedberg     8 40.00% 
Eddie Izzard      7 35.00% 
Richard Pryor     7 35.00% 

Louis CK          6 30.00% 
Bill Cosby        6 30.00% 
Bill Hicks        6 30.00% 
Steve Martin      6 30.00% 

Bob Newhart       5 25.00% 
Dave Chappelle    4 20.00% 
Robin Williams    4 20.00% 
Lewis Black       3 15.00% 
Ron White         3 15.00% 
Jonathan Winters  3 15.00% 

Woody Allen       2 10.00% 
Gabriel Iglesias  2 10.00%
Paula Poundstone  2 10.00% 

Dave Attell       1  5.00% 
Jim Gaffigan      1  5.00% 
Zach Galifianakis 1  5.00% 
Sam Kinison       1  5.00% 
Bill Maher        1  5.00% 
Norm MacDonald    1  5.00% 
Patton Oswalt     1  5.00% 
Chris Rock        1  5.00% 
Robert Schimmel   1  5.00% 
Jerry Seinfeld    1  5.00% 
Daniel Tosh       1  5.00% 
Katt Williams     1  5.00% 
Steven Wright     1  5.00% 

Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 20.
13

Opinions can vary. Foxworthy and Engvall are pretty amusing, but for my money Ron White is one of the funniest story teller comics I’ve ever heard.

My top five:

Richard Pryor
George Carlin
Louis CK
Robert Schimmel
Ron White

14

Pryor
Rock
Martin
Williams

and Peter Kay, dammit!

15

Picked the ones that just plain crack me up:

Cosby
Izzard
Rock
White
Williams

16

In my mind, George Carlin is on his own level, far far above all the others. I would have voted for him times five if it were allowed.

I also chose:

Woody Allen
Mitch Hedberg
Steve Martin
Chris Rock
mmm

17

I wholeheartedly agree. Just on sheer volume, the man was amazing.

18

My “other” was for Stewart Lee.

19

My Others:
Eddie Murphy. Can’t believe he was excluded.
Dennis Miller
Dana Carvey

20

This list was formed in large part from a previous recent thread in which Zeldar solicited names and selected those who more than one poster named. A lot of people mentioned Ron White, god knows why.

And while I’m with you on Jeff Dunham, he tends to get looked down on by comedy snobs, so generally doesn’t make ‘Best Comedian’ lists.

ETA: Also, since I picked Other in the poll, I should mention who: Christopher Titus.