# Who is the most annoying/unfunny stand-up comic? (Now with multiple choice!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 27, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457 "2011-05-27T18:11:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/1 "2011-05-27T18:11:12Z")
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 or unfunny by many (although I actually like a select few listed here). With that in mind, feel free to add your own. mmm ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/2 "2011-05-27T18:37:43Z")
Yes! I get to vote for Joan Rivers TWICE! Today is _good_. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/3 "2011-05-27T18:40:20Z")
Nice poll. Some excellent choices. I would add Lewis Black. ---
**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, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/4 "2011-05-27T18:48:25Z")
Good list! I voted for at least half of them. I tried to find the Netflix “Watch Instantly” choice of Comedy Central Presents over 100 20-minute-or-so clips from the late 90’s, in hopes of posting a link in one of these threads as an alternative to Netflix clips for evaluating some of the active comics. Either they have taken it down or removed it from the Watch Instantly list, or I couldn’t locate it again. The point to all this is that I had trouble staying with dozens of clips, with a hit rate of 1 in 10 or so where I could endure more than a couple of minutes. There are some dreadful efforts at comedy these days. Adding to your list would be painful but there are entire categories of unfunny people these days. Many of them appear more than once on the “specials.” ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/5 "2011-05-27T18:52:06Z")
It’s still Norm Macdonald. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/6 "2011-05-27T18:58:48Z")
There’s a number of them on here that I haven’t heard/seen (Dane Cook, Carrot Top), and some others who’s humor is likely so dated that we would think they’re bad today (Milton Berle), but in the '40s? Who knows? So, for an honest answer, I voted for Richard Lewis, who I never thought was worthwhile and George Lopez. Fortunately, the OP saved me a bit of effort by putting these two ass-clowns next to each other on the list. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/7 "2011-05-27T19:02:44Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > It’s still Norm Macdonald. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/8 "2011-05-27T19:13:18Z")
I only voted for the ones that I’d actually seen doing some stand-up and I thought had absolutely no redeeming value. That was Carrot Top, Dane Cook, Gallagher, and Joan Rivers. There are several on here that I don’t care for very much, but I have at least gotten a chuckle or two out of them (Rosanne, Larry the Cable Guy, and Andrew Dice Clay come to mind) and a few that I’ve never seen do standup. Adam Sandler did stand-up? News to me. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/9 "2011-05-27T19:30:05Z")
Thanks for letting me vote for Fluffy. My one surprise pick – as in I surprised myself – is Daniel Tosh, who I thought I liked, but the more I think about it the more I can’t stand him. Maybe it’s his 2.0 show that irks me – not that I have anything against a compendium of stupid internet clips, but that smirky, smarmy delivery gets under the skin. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/10 "2011-05-27T19:48:20Z")
> [@zoog](#): > > Adam Sandler did stand-up? News to me. [Link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdIS1op_h4) mmm ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/11 "2011-05-27T19:57:45Z")
Dane Cook is the worst one I know of. His entire act is emulating what some guy would say to make teenage girls laugh at a party. I am not a giggly teenage girl so he is right out for me. I am not sure what he does is even stand-up comedy. He just tells dumb stories that young girls will fine precious in some way. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/12 "2011-05-27T20:29:19Z")
Go to an amateur night or comedy room and you’ll all think Carrot Top and Dane Cook are gods of comedy. But of the list provided, had to go with Carlos Mencia. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/13 "2011-05-27T20:30:38Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > It’s still Norm Macdonald. …or so the Germans would have us believe! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/14 "2011-05-27T20:32:50Z")
I voted for a couple of good ones - Carrot Top, Gallagher, Cook, Clay… But I’m sad you left out Margaret Cho. I want to vote for her dammit! ---
**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, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/15 "2011-05-27T20:35:36Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > But I’m sad you left out Margaret Cho. I want to vote for her dammit! Preach it! I’ve seen funnier skin lesions. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/16 "2011-05-27T20:50:31Z")
The ones I’m surprised are on the list are: Bobcat Goldthwait Bill Cosby Bob’s first HBO special, during the depths of the Reagan era was hilarious. I can’t vouch for anything after that. Maybe because it was his first one, and he brought his best material and his “A game”, but it was great. And I challenge anyone to watch [_Bill Cosby: Himself_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083652/), his 1983 concert film, and not laugh. Again, this is the comedian’s best material. It came out when we thought it was in his lazy dotage, doing pudding commercials and cashing checks. Then I saw this and saw the stuff people were paying money to see. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/17 "2011-05-27T21:22:47Z")
And I will be the thread dork and admit that I kind of like CarrotTop. Not in a --ooh CarrotTop is coming to town, let’s get tickets kind of way, but in a – eh, it’s prop-comedy, and he’s pretty good at it kind of way. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/18 "2011-05-27T21:28:22Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > And I will be the thread dork and admit that I kind of like CarrotTop. Not in a --ooh CarrotTop is coming to town, let’s get tickets kind of way, but in a – eh, it’s prop-comedy, and he’s pretty good at it kind of way. Let me put it this way. I would pay a small amount of money to see Carrot Top perform before I would go see Dane Cook for free. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/19 "2011-05-27T21:33:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Go to an amateur night or comedy room and you’ll all think Carrot Top and Dane Cook are gods of comedy. I’ve gone to amateur/open-mic nights, and yes, I’ve seen some bad, bad stand-up. But never anything approaching the sheer unadulterated annoyingness of Carrot Top. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457/20 "2011-05-27T21:38:36Z")
I included Andy Kaufman because being annoying and unfunny was what made him great. Kaufman wasn’t a comedian, exactly – he was there not to tell jokes, but to play mind games with the audience. And the audience never seemed to catch on to what he was doing until years later. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-most-annoying-unfunny-stand-up-comic-now-with-multiple-choice/583457.md?page=2)