No Right Answer: Best Standup Comedian Ever
- Thread starter Firefilm
- Start date
Comparing Bill Cosby to George Carlin is like comparing MC Hammer to Eminem. Black Guy who doesn't offend "white people" vs White Guy who probably offended someone's parents. I'd settle for the White Guy who probable offended someone's parents.
Although the safest bet I guess right now for me would probable say Chris Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9yBPcn8IqU
But then again I don't remember Bill Cosby for comedy. I remember Cosby for Jello & Kodak. So for me that makes him as funny as that "Dude you're getting a Dell" guy. Or the "Can you hear me now?" guy. Or even the "Mac vs PC" Guys.
George Carlin however would at least try to connect with the audience on an intellectual level. Its sad that he's no longer around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o
....
On 2nd Thought Joe Pesci wins....
Although the safest bet I guess right now for me would probable say Chris Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9yBPcn8IqU
But then again I don't remember Bill Cosby for comedy. I remember Cosby for Jello & Kodak. So for me that makes him as funny as that "Dude you're getting a Dell" guy. Or the "Can you hear me now?" guy. Or even the "Mac vs PC" Guys.
George Carlin however would at least try to connect with the audience on an intellectual level. Its sad that he's no longer around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o
....
On 2nd Thought Joe Pesci wins....
Out of these two George Carlin. Carlin was funny no matter what he did. Cosby might have been funny for some things but his stand up is horrible. I've watched some of his stand up and I didn't found it funny.
The best Comedian though? That's a hard one I mean Carlin is up there but you also got Robin Williams(his stand up is funny as hell), Richard Pryor, and so many more. To choose my favorite I have to go with Bill Hicks. Its sad that he died so young.
The best Comedian though? That's a hard one I mean Carlin is up there but you also got Robin Williams(his stand up is funny as hell), Richard Pryor, and so many more. To choose my favorite I have to go with Bill Hicks. Its sad that he died so young.
Judging on a strictly Laughs-Per-Minute basis, for me it's between Chris Rock, Louis C.K and Eddie Izzard.
I don't like Robin Williams because he tends to ramble a bit for my taste, and I don't like Carlin's newer work because it gets a bit preachy, religion and government etc.
Chris and Louis have a pretty structured show, but if Eddie does he hides it very well and it looks like he's winging it.
I don't like Robin Williams because he tends to ramble a bit for my taste, and I don't like Carlin's newer work because it gets a bit preachy, religion and government etc.
Chris and Louis have a pretty structured show, but if Eddie does he hides it very well and it looks like he's winging it.
If it were me, I'd have gone Chris Titus (Neverlution was HILARIOUS) versus Lewis Black (Black on Broadway is a classic). Cosby and Carlin are both good (I laughed at both "I started out as a Child" and "Himself" a lot), but Titus and Black are better.
I don't know this Eddie Izzard people keep mentioning (at least not by name). I may have to look him up!
I don't know this Eddie Izzard people keep mentioning (at least not by name). I may have to look him up!
Going with Carlin. Cosby's funny noises, faces, and word jumbles alone aren't comedy for me. Plus, I'm bugged by his personal grudge against Dave Chappelle. How about Billy Connolly? He dominated stand up in Europe in the 70's and 80's and is still going. We wouldn't have Eddie Izzard or Craig Ferguson without his influence. Sam Kinison needs a mention too.
Cosby was more accessible, he's permeated more of the culture, and he did it all without cussing.
Carlin got famous cussing. I know there's more to him than that, but... eh? He's funny when he's just observing and digging really deep, but he didn't have as good a "flow" as Cosby did. But some of the stuff he did when he was an old man was pretty gold. When he wasn't just flat out insulting those who didn't agree with him. And all the Todds.
I know a lot of people think Cosby is boring, but he wasn't so much a stand up comedian as far as today's standards go. He told a bunch of stories, slowly, weaving humor in slowly. Watch Bill Cosby Himself and watch how he does two bits that are quicker and punchier, then goes into the rest of the stories and just builds and builds and builds on them. You get some laughs in the beginning, but then just a giggle here and there, a good laugh when the smaller stories wrapped within the narrative, but by the end? Everything he says is satisfyingly hilarious, but those jokes took time to get to and build. Carlin couldn't do that. He just got to the point, which has its place, but it is far more rewarding to build up slow.
Carlin got famous cussing. I know there's more to him than that, but... eh? He's funny when he's just observing and digging really deep, but he didn't have as good a "flow" as Cosby did. But some of the stuff he did when he was an old man was pretty gold. When he wasn't just flat out insulting those who didn't agree with him. And all the Todds.
I know a lot of people think Cosby is boring, but he wasn't so much a stand up comedian as far as today's standards go. He told a bunch of stories, slowly, weaving humor in slowly. Watch Bill Cosby Himself and watch how he does two bits that are quicker and punchier, then goes into the rest of the stories and just builds and builds and builds on them. You get some laughs in the beginning, but then just a giggle here and there, a good laugh when the smaller stories wrapped within the narrative, but by the end? Everything he says is satisfyingly hilarious, but those jokes took time to get to and build. Carlin couldn't do that. He just got to the point, which has its place, but it is far more rewarding to build up slow.
Based on the amount of influence they brought to comedy, I have to go with Carlin on this one...
My current favorites (in no particular order);
Aziz Ansari
Mitch Hedgeberg
Gabriel Iglesias
Christopher Titus
Lewis Black
My current favorites (in no particular order);
Aziz Ansari
Mitch Hedgeberg
Gabriel Iglesias
Christopher Titus
Lewis Black