# Who's Funnier? Maria Bamford or Sarah Silverman? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144 "2011-05-25T13:22:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/1 "2011-05-25T13:22:09Z")
The Gervais-Izzard thread’s popularity suggests another such comparison. If you know of another pair (or group even) whose humor needs evaluating, start a thread/poll on them. One I’d like to see: Bill Hicks vs. Mitch Hedberg ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/2 "2011-05-25T13:55:39Z")
It’s a hard question to answer without knowing who the hell Maria Bamford is. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/3 "2011-05-25T14:02:15Z")
What **CG** said. I don’t think Sarah is particularly funny, but I’ve never to my knowledge even heard of Maria. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/4 "2011-05-25T14:38:14Z")
For those who have yet to be amazed by Maria’s world, look at [John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show: Maria Bamford](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTM_HIabUs) and clips close by in the related videos. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/5 "2011-05-25T16:32:40Z")
Silverman isn’t funny anymore. Her schtick worked ten years ago…now, not so much. Bamford is fucking weird and hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/6 "2011-05-25T17:36:34Z")
Oh, the Target lady. She’s okay. Sarah’s ‘Jesus is Magic’, though… no contest. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/7 "2011-05-25T18:15:40Z")
I have never, ever heard of Maria Bamford. But I am confident she is funnier than Sarah Silverman. Who isn’t, though? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/8 "2011-05-25T18:28:16Z")
I aways have liked comedians who push the limit. Sarah does, and I like it. She pissed people off for sport.That is fun. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/9 "2011-05-25T18:33:53Z")
Aside from the fact that they’re both women, I don’t think there’s anything remotely similar about them. I probably prefer Bamford, but honestly, I’m not a huge fan of either. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/10 "2011-05-26T04:00:02Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > For those who have yet to be amazed by Maria’s world, look at [John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show: Maria Bamford](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTM_HIabUs) and clips close by in the related videos. That was awful. I turned it off after two minutes. Did it get better? ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/11 "2011-05-26T04:11:09Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > That was awful. I turned it off after two minutes. Did it get better? Nope. At least I didn’t think so. I want to like Maria, I really do. She’s so cute. But much more weird than funny. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Cheech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Mister\_Cheech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Cheech)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/12 "2011-05-26T04:15:35Z")
When Maria Bamford creates something so subversive, daring and hilarious as “The Sarah Silverman Program,” that’s the day she becomes funnier. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/13 "2011-05-26T04:17:10Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > That was awful. I turned it off after two minutes. Did it get better? It had some funny moments, just like Sarah’s routines. Not a big fan of either. If I have to pick, I’ll say Maria, if only because she’s a bit less obvious in where her jokes are going. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/14 "2011-05-26T04:19:19Z")
I think I almost peed myself, I was laughing so hard at [Dark](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCqDReW8f_s). Sarah Silverman is ok, but I’ll take Bamford any day. “That’s a paper napkin from the food court with ketchup on it.” “Do you deny the holocaust of my people? Sit on this bench and wait for your wife to come back from Chico’s where she’s buying a boxy jacket.” ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/15 "2011-05-26T04:30:54Z")
> [@Mister\_Cheech](#): > > When Maria Bamford creates something so subversive, daring and hilarious as “The Sarah Silverman Program,” that’s the day she becomes funnier. Are you kidding? That show was the definition of “suck”. At least Maria is occasionally funny - not often but at least occasionally. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/16 "2011-05-26T05:08:05Z")
When Bamford started out, she was pretty funny. Then she got just weird. The best I can say is that Bamford is less unfunny than Silverman. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/17 "2011-05-26T05:37:41Z")
> [@beartato](#): > > I have never, ever heard of Maria Bamford. But I am confident she is funnier than Sarah Silverman. Who isn’t, though? That’s what I thought until I saw that video. Silverman may not make me laugh, but she’s never made me turn off a video out of annoyance. I even watched Silverman’s show sometimes. They’re both playing characters, but Silverman at least doesn’t keep that voice the entire time… ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/18 "2011-05-26T05:49:23Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > That was awful. I turned it off after two minutes. Did it get better? Well, I love [Joy Whack-a-mole](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uTM_HIabUs&t=4m10s) but if you don’t like her style, I dunno. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/19 "2011-05-26T06:02:27Z")
Bamford and Silverman both seem to fall in the category of comedians the people either find hilarious or horribly annoying. I already stated in that other topic about comedians that Bamford is in my top five of all comedians (fighting for number four with Dana Gould), so she’s a clear winner. But Silverman does have her moments. My biggest problem with her is that sometimes it seems like she’s trying way too hard. I keep waiting for her to look at the audience and say “Get it? I’m being funny!” ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144/20 "2011-05-26T13:21:11Z")
Bamford is brilliant. My husband loves her even more than me. We watched a comedian documentary featuring her, and we fell in love with her back story, too. Also, Hedberg over Hicks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-funnier-maria-bamford-or-sarah-silverman/583144.md?page=2)