# What deceased comedian are we most lost without? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489 "2003-11-16T01:52:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_scratch\_fever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/73ab20/32.png) [@Cat\_scratch\_fever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_scratch_fever)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/1 "2003-11-16T01:52:29Z")
When you look at the greats - the funnymen that could have contributed more ( who died 1960- today) who are you most saddened to not have around today. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/2 "2003-11-16T02:01:58Z")
Bill Hicks. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/3 "2003-11-16T02:03:37Z")
I’d have to say Lenny Bruce. He pushed the boundaries of free speech and made Carlin, Belushi, Kinison, and the rest of the “blue” crowd possible. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/4 "2003-11-16T02:06:17Z")
**Gilda Radner**. I’m still pissed-off at Mr. Cancer about her. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/5 "2003-11-16T02:07:36Z")
Gracie Allen Jack Benny ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/6 "2003-11-16T02:09:03Z")
Sam Kinison ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/7 "2003-11-16T02:11:01Z")
Well, in all fairness, **Dex** , Gracie and Jack would be 108 and 109 years old, respectively. They might still be _funny_, but not intentionally. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/8 "2003-11-16T02:12:48Z")
\*\*Dex, those are the first two that I thought of. When Jack Benny died – I think it was the mid 1970’s – that was the first time that I thought how strange it would be to have a world without that particular celebrity alive. By the way, Rachmaninoff was a Jack Benny fan. ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/9 "2003-11-16T02:37:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Well, in all fairness, **Dex** , Gracie and Jack would be 108 and 109 years old, respectively. They might still be _funny_, but not intentionally. \*\* Jack would be 39, wouldn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/10 "2003-11-16T03:02:38Z")
Phil Hartmann ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mean\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/11 "2003-11-16T03:10:32Z")
Bill Hicks, without a question. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Babbington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Mr.Babbington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Babbington)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/12 "2003-11-16T03:13:33Z")
Phil Hartman, or John Belushi. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/13 "2003-11-16T04:03:48Z")
You guys are amateurs - if only **[http://www.weirdity.com/oneliners/cooper1.shtmTommy](http://www.weirdity.com/oneliners/cooper1.shtmTommy) Cooper** was still amongst us, we would be standing on the shoulders of giants. _Not like that, like that_ And **[Kenny Everett](http://www.kennyeverett.co.uk/)** makes us all ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![KingLupid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@KingLupid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KingLupid)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/14 "2003-11-16T15:06:09Z")
John Candy ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/15 "2003-11-16T15:11:36Z")
Bill Hicks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/16 "2003-11-16T15:17:31Z")
Another vote for Phil Hartman and Bill Hicks. If Bill had lived, perhaps Denis Leary would have had to steal someone else’s act. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/17 "2003-11-16T15:23:57Z")
OK, I am going to have to go google this “Bill Hicks,” never heard of him . . . ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/18 "2003-11-16T15:24:33Z")
Votes for Belushi, Hartman, Candy in that order. Having said that, I always wondered what more Freddie Prinz had in him – would he have been Tony Orlando today? or John Travolta? or Rob Reiner … ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/19 "2003-11-16T15:25:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*OK, I am going to have to go google this “Bill Hicks,” never heard of him . . . \*\* Really? Or whoosh…? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489/20 "2003-11-16T15:27:42Z")
Can someone explain the John Candy contention here? 1. Comedian. Check. 2. Dead. Check. 3. “Lost without” :dubious: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-deceased-comedian-are-we-most-lost-without/213489.md?page=2)