As performers, Groucho, Chico, and Harpo Marx (sorry, Zeppo), and I’m tempted to say Peter Sellers although I think he’s a genius actor and not specifically a comedic genius. This is an area where I’m a little lacking because I haven’t seen that much W.C. Fields or Chaplin et al.
As writers, S.J. Perelman, George S. Kaufman, and two people I don’t think anybody else is going to mention: George Meyer and John Swartzwelder.
As writer-performers, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Woody Allen, Dave Chappelle, Stephen Colbert, Steve Martin, and Mel Brooks. (Mel Brooks the actor isn’t in the same league as Mel Brooks the writer but I’ll give him the respect.)
I’m torn about whether to include Jon Stewart, who is so intelligent even when The Daily Show goes for easy jokes, and Robin Williams, who could be very very funny (like in his special from, what, 1982?) but has done so much dreck. [After seeing Argent Towers’ post]: Patton Oswalt might get there. I really liked his last special and I need to check out his older stuff. I saw Zach Galifianakis when I was in college and thought he was terrific, and his Comedy Central special is really good. And this story about him is about the only time I’ve ever laughed when reading about a comedian.
Ron White - his stand-up routine consistently makes me laugh out loud. I don’t identify him with the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which has mass appeal, but doesn’t work so much for me.
Doug Stanhope - Great stand-up comedy. He makes you think.
All Time? - most have been mentioned, but I’ll throw in two. Sid Caesar, who drove early television comedy, and Woody Allen. His early stand up routines were great.
The two standup comedians that came to mind when I started the thread were Johannsen & Brian Regan. But I couldn’t decide if they were geniuses or merely damn funny.
Not sure if anyone here will remember this guy, but I always found Steven Write and his quirky and deadpan comedy to resonate with my own personality. While I don’t think he’s be too popular around here, I also used to really like Denis Miller.
I’d have to put Eddie Murphy on the list as well as Richard Prior.
Surprised George Carlin hasn’t been mentioned more, he has been mentioned sure, but I’ve always been under the impression that Carlin is the patron saint of the SDMB, his humour is definitely in line with the Doper zeitgeist - he’d make a hell of an honourary Doper.
Good to see my personal faves Groucho Marx and Monty Python have been getting love though.
As to modern, no one can really hold a candle to the classic ones mentioned above, comedy has gotten so downhill lately, kind of glad I’m not performing any more.
Yes! Second all three and will add writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan. These guys wrote Father Ted and that alone would have been enough, but either or both of them were also involved in The It Crowd and Black Books. Which also reminds me that Dylan Moran merits a mention too.
Currently,
-i always thought the late great mitch hedberg’s string of jokes are awfully hard to write, much less work into a standup.
-i’ve also admired dave chappelle managing to do racial humor without screaming at his audience like other black comedians.
-Broken Lizard. I think Supertroopers and Beerfest are funnier than any Ben Stiller or Will Ferrell vehicle. I do love me some talladega nights though.
-Russel Peters. the ONLY asian comic that is consistently funny. Plus his uncanny ability to mimic different Engrish accents is nothing short of amazing.
there are plenty of funny comedians out there, but i think these guys are just inimitable.
Richard Nixon - People just never understood his humor. That whole “I am not a crook” thing, brilliant. And his tour of China, he knocked them dead. People just sold him short. And when he got older, the routine with David Frost…You can’t beat it.