No Right Answer: Best Standup Comedian Ever
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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
Billy Connolly! Always funny,great story teller,great one liners and great observational humor Best...stand...up...comic....EVER!
Between the two? Carlin hands down.
As far as best comedians over all, removing the standup from the equation, I think it would be Jon Stewart.
But again its all subjective. There are a lot of good comedians out there, Chris Rock, Louis CK, John Mulaney, Bill Burr(Who I'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet,) Tina Fey, Steven Colbert, Tim Minchin, Mitch Hedberg, Daniel Tosh, Aziz Ansari, Christopher Titus. And there are so many varying styles that its really pretty impossible to say one person is the best.
Edit: As an aside(not that I have stock in the company or anything) but Pandora does comedy as well. Most people I talk to aren't aware, but you can type in Carlin or Cosby or whoever and it will play tracks from their comedy CDs and comedians who have similar styles. Pretty cool stuffs.
As far as best comedians over all, removing the standup from the equation, I think it would be Jon Stewart.
But again its all subjective. There are a lot of good comedians out there, Chris Rock, Louis CK, John Mulaney, Bill Burr(Who I'm surprised nobody has mentioned yet,) Tina Fey, Steven Colbert, Tim Minchin, Mitch Hedberg, Daniel Tosh, Aziz Ansari, Christopher Titus. And there are so many varying styles that its really pretty impossible to say one person is the best.
Edit: As an aside(not that I have stock in the company or anything) but Pandora does comedy as well. Most people I talk to aren't aware, but you can type in Carlin or Cosby or whoever and it will play tracks from their comedy CDs and comedians who have similar styles. Pretty cool stuffs.
As many have said before me, I prefer Carlin to Cosby. As far as free choice goes, I'd throw Eddie Izzard, Craig Campbell and Dana Alexander into the ring.
I don't really know much about either of them and I think comedians are a very varied thing that don't translate well country to country. Most stand-up comedians in the UK tend be British.
But I feel these two were still a good selection, there's something more to them than just the stand up ness
But I feel these two were still a good selection, there's something more to them than just the stand up ness
Carlin hands down, if you see all his shows through the years you see so much change in attitude towards relegion and politics
Really good on human behaviour and domestics.
Didn't see so much Cosby sadly.
Best shows of Titus is Love is evol, End of the World and his best which you see allot of material back in his Sitcom he had Norman Rockwell is bleeding. I find him almost as fearless as George Carlin probably due to Papa Titus.
Damn it i Miss that show.
Really good on human behaviour and domestics.
Didn't see so much Cosby sadly.
Titus is at it's best regarding Domestics especially Dis functional Families he has that nailed down. Neverlution is sharp but lacks the edge but maybe because it's really political and so many comedians say about the same things with kind of they same humor.RonHiler said: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!
Best shows of Titus is Love is evol, End of the World and his best which you see allot of material back in his Sitcom he had Norman Rockwell is bleeding. I find him almost as fearless as George Carlin probably due to Papa Titus.
Damn it i Miss that show.
Most of george carlin's standup from the 90s was visibly fueled by cocaine.
As to cosby.
Pudding and the pudding and the eat the pudding.
Worst Best Of ever.
As to cosby.
Pudding and the pudding and the eat the pudding.
Worst Best Of ever.
