I think this is going to come down to a death match between Gallagher and Carrot Top.
I’m not a big follower of stand-up comedy, but I actually do think Carrot Top is a bit of a misunderstood subversive comedy genius. I mean, who the fuck does prop comedy in this day and age in a seemingly sincere manner? I have to give him props for that. Same with Gallagher.
Dane Cook is my vote.
Oh, shit, I missed Carlos Mencia on the list. Give him an extra 10 votes from me. I answered too quickly. Carlos Mencia is the only comic I actively dislike. He just pisses me off with his “I’m-so-edgy-I-can-call-a-beaner-a-beaner” schtick. I want to sock him in the kisser every time I see his annoying mug.
Sticking strictly to comics I’ve actually seen (live or on TV), I chose Carrot Top, Larry the Cable Guy, Andrew Dice Clay, Daniel Tosh, George Lopez, and maybe someone else I forgot since I can’t see the poll while I’m composing this. For the most part, I seem to be allergic to smarm.
ETA: oh, and Bob Saget.
I’ve got to throw in with pulykamell; Carrot Top isn’t that bad. I’m going to hold off on suggesting he’s a comedic genius, but he gets up and delivers original jokes, and some are moderately funny, which is more than I can say about the guy I saw last night who did nothing but racist jokes that I can only refer to as “jokes” in the sense that he was speaking aloud at a comedy club in a situation were one must assume he was attempting to tell what he thought were jokes.
I mean, he’s really frackin’ scary looking, so I can understand reacting negatively to him. But he tells a lot of jokes, which right there beats 70% of amateurs.
Indeed, even among real comedians, I can’t say Carrot Top’s all that bad. He does prop comedy; it’s trite, but he does it competently. Carlos Mencia, even if you didn’t know he was a thief, is basically just an asshole who makes racist comments, and gets big laughs from, I assume, racists.
I am much more impresse by a comci who gets laughs from jokes, as opposed to getting laughs by just saying shocking things (not that real jokes can’t be profane, racist, or gross.)
I hope the OP doesn’t object to this sorted set of results after 46 voters. It’s already out-of-date!
But I suspect the lower votes might even suggest sort of approval for these folks.
Anyway:
Carrot Top 23 50.00%
Gallagher 18 39.13%
Larry the Cable Guy 18 39.13%
Andrew Dice Clay 15 32.61%
Dane Cook 14 30.43%
Carlos Mencia 12 26.09%
Gilbert Gottfried 10 21.74%
Joan Rivers 9 19.57%
Roseanne Barr 8 17.39%
Lisa Lampanelli 7 15.22%
Artie Lange 7 15.22%
Louie Anderson 6 13.04%
Daniel Tosh 6 13.04%
Gabriel Iglesias 5 10.87%
Andy Kaufman 5 10.87%
Whoopi Goldberg 5 10.87%
Richard Lewis 5 10.87%
George Lopez 5 10.87%
Adam Sandler 5 10.87%
Dennis Miller 4 8.70%
Don Rickles 4 8.70%
Joe Rogan 4 8.70%
Bob Saget 4 8.70%
Sarah Silverman 4 8.70%
Bobcat Goldthwait 3 6.52%
Sam Kinison 3 6.52%
Howie Mandel 3 6.52%
Ray Romano 3 6.52%
Henny Youngman 3 6.52%
Maria Bamford 2 4.35%
Milton Berle 2 4.35%
David Brenner 2 4.35%
Phyllis Diller 2 4.35%
Jeff Foxworthy 2 4.35%
Jerry Seinfeld 2 4.35%
Robin Williams 2 4.35%
Jonathan Winters 2 4.35%
Bill Cosby 1 2.17%
Rodney Dangerfield 1 2.17%
Paul Reiser 1 2.17%
Richard Belzer 0 0%
Lenny Shultz 0 0%
Steven Wright 0 0%
And of course there’s also… 2 4.35%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 46.
Har.
Well, at least half of the problem would be solved, no matter how it turns out. Gallagher would probably win, especially if he brought his signature prop (and frankly, what else does he have?)
A pox on both of them. The only really funny prop comic was thepre-MST3K Joel Hodgson.
We’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that (which is, of course, totally fine!). I’ve seen his act, got taken to see him several years ago before I’d really made up my mind about him. I found him aggressively unfunny. The whole prop comic thing just reeked of, “Look, look, something funny! Aren’t I clever and funny!? It’s funny, isn’t it!? It’s a pun that I’ve made into an object! I’m so funny!”. I find his whole schtick very annoying.
I freely admit it’s a matter of opinion, but seeing as he’s currently leading the poll, I’m clearly not alone!
Well, of course not. Carrot Top is perhaps the softest target in the world of stand-up comedy. He’s the cliché for unfunny comic. Now, when I say he’s a misunderstood genius, perhaps I exaggerate a little bit, but I sincerely (not in an ironic contrarian manner) actually think he is quite good at the brand of comedy he does.
Now that you mention it, that is a glaring omission by the OP.
Other omissions: Bill Engvall, Ron White(although the OP mentioned the other two Blue Collar Comedy Tour guys) and Dat Phan
No Pauly Shore? Dennis Leary? Just because he acknowledges what an asshole he is, doesn’t make it funnier…
If the Top 20 on the list collectively threw themselves into the sun tomorrow…
no-one would notice.
You know, I probably wouldn’t have voted for Carrot Top several years ago, when he was just a genial dipshit prop comic. But now he looks … well, he was never exactly an Adonis to begin with, of course, but now he has a rather frightening, bad-plastic-surgery face. His appearance on an episode of CSI this past season made me cringe.
A couple of years ago Goldthwait was the guest on Steve Jones’ (the Sex Pistol guitarist) radio show. When I heard Goldthwait being introduced as the guest at the start of the show I thought to myself “Oh lordy, this is going to be painful”.
It was a great interview. Goldthwait was quite funny, very self-effacing, and openly honest about his C-list level status. I was really impressed with the guy. He was on the show to promote a stand-up appearance that he was doing. After hearing him talk on the show, I’d have gone to see him live.
(I heard this as a podcast, I think you can still download several episodes of Steve Jones’ “Jonesy’s Jukebox” on iTunes. Jones’ show is also lots of fun to listen to.)
Andy Dick. :rolleyes:
No Judy Tenuta?
Do you want a spanking? 'Cause I’ll be happy to dish one out to you.
I’ll re-iterate Howie Mandel. Worst comedy concert ever. I’ll also second Andy Dick. What a … dick.
As a side note I’ll mention that I saw Rodney Dangerfield in concert. Not what you see on Carson. I laughed so hard I couldn’t breathe.
Poll is invalidated by the non-presence of Pauly Shore.
Oddly enough, Norm was pretty dam funny ripping on Carrot Top. Check out about 4 minutes in.
Norm was on Conan along with an actress who just finished a movie with Carrot Top.
“If it’s got Carrot Top in it you know what a good name for it would be? BOX OFFICE POISON!”
Her: “The title is Chairman of the Board”
Conan (to Norm): “Do something with that, you freak!”
Norm: “Board is spelled B-O-R-E-D”
I am pretty picky but I like Larry the Cable Guy. I don’t know if it helps or hurts to know that is from Nebraska and not a Southern redneck. The whole character is made up but I get a kick out of it. I liked Gallagher OK too but I only saw him when we first got cable when I was 10 and liked just about anything that wasn’t on the 2 1/2 channels we had before then. He probably wouldn’t seem as good today.
Roseanne
Whoopi
Belzer
Cosby: 1966- Hilarious. 1978- bitter, angry, not funny.
Gallagher
Rivers: Gratuitously outrageous- yes. Funny- no. And am I the only one who literally has a visceral “Oh my God!” reaction to what she’s done to her face?