Favourite Stand Up Comic

[Guest DirtyFoot]

Pretty simple... who's your favourite stand up comedian cos over the years there been some great ones. Maybe you could also list some of your favourite jokes or one liners, entirely up to you.

Edited May 16, 2006 by DirtyFoot

[Liam]

I'm not big into my stand up comedy, but my favourites are easily Bill Bailey and Jack Dee.

[Plankton]

Dane Cook, no doubt. I would list some quotes, but I'm sure half of the board will take care of that.

Actually, here's a video of some of my favorite jokes. I love the car alarm bit.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Plankton

[apsham]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptBmTD9gp0I

Lewis Black

Watch all the Back In Blacks as well.

[TMM]

Billy Connolly. Always has been and always will be. Can go off to random places, tell a hilarious story and come back to the story he was trying to tell. Ok so that's just him forgetting what he was talking about in the first place, but it's still hilarious.

[Guest Kliq Masterson]

Right now, it's a toss up between Dane Cook and Sarah Silverman.

[GRIFT]

Bill Hicks and David Cross.

[Cactus Drags]

I got Ross Noble's Unrealtime DVD last week, I've watched it three times and I still piss myself laughing. Need to get hold of Sonic Waffle.

[Skummy]

For the most part, it's a toss-up between Eddie Izzard and Bill Hicks. They pretty much represent the two sides of the spectrum of what I feel a stand-up comedian should be. Hicks was questioning social norms, and using comedy to highlight the greatness of the world, and the atrocities and individuals ruining that. He was often misunderstood as being just a hateful man, but his hate came entirely from love. He loved the world, and he loved people, but he hated those that ruined the intrinsic beauty of the world. He'd hate the labelling I'm about to give him, but he pretty much transcended "stand-up comedian" and just became a social commentator.

On the other hand, Eddie Izzard. Most of his humour is irreverent, but intelligent. It's not questioning anything, it's not really making a point about anything, but it's timeless, and it's bloody funny. He goes off on surreal flights of fantasy, seemingly improvised and on the spur of the moment (although that's not the case), then manages to tie it in to a seemingly throwaway line from an hour and a half earlier. He exploits his own flaws within the stand-up to further his act, and everything just flows together beautifully. It says a lot that a 40-something year old man can go up on stage, in women's clothing, and be so funny that, within minutes, you couldn't care less what he looks like, or who he is, as long as that comedy keeps coming.

To a lesser extent...I'm kind of into Bill Bailey, although not as much as I used to be. When he gets it right, he's fantastic, but he can be pretty poor at times too. Same goes for Dylan Moran.

Ross Noble, I love. I've followed him since I heard him on "Just A Minute" a few year's back, and I'm happy he's finally getting recognition. He's essentially doing what Izzard appears to be doing: Unplanned, unrehearsed surrealism. And it's very, very funny. He's one of the best comedians that's reached fame this century.

Noel Fielding, also, is fantastic. A really funny guy, ridiculously surreal, and, while a little short on material, can consistently make you laugh and just baffle you with a large part of his act. More than a little bit out-there, but fantastic all the same.

And, to summarise, I hate Dane Cook.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Bill Hicks.

Also good are Eddie Izzard, Bill Pryor, Chris Rock, Woody Allen, and as far as newer guys are concerned perhaps, Noel Fielding and Steven Lynch.

I'd say Ricky Gervais, but I dunno if he has enough material to be considered a true stand-up, rather than just 'somebody doing stand-up as an aside' or whatever.

[GRIFT]

Honorable mention should be given to Henry Rollins who is a superb spoken word performer though he just narrowly crests 'stand up.' His insights, stories, and endearing self depreciation class him at the top for me.

[Guest muddatrucker]

Lee Evans, Bill Bailey, Peter Kay (he can be funny but not crude, something everyone can relate to).

Women aren't funny, I laugh at Women because a joke can be a good one for them, but if a bloke said it I'd probably break his back and apply the camel clutch.

[punky]

Dane Cook and Dave Attell.

I also went to see a guy named Patrick O'Donnell last week who was fucking hilarious. He's wrote jokes for Jay Leno and various TV shows, does shows in Vegas and New York a lot.

[TOG]

Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg, Sarah Silverman, Eddie Izzard, Bill Maher (when he's at his best).

[A-Dub]

Oh man, I can't really choose, there's so many...

Carlin, Izzard, Attell, Black, Bruce-Bruce, Gaffigan.

[Farmer Reil]

Bill Bailey, Ross Noble, Justin Lee Collins and that Aussie woman who's ALWAYS on The World Stands Up.

[Psicosis]

Demetri Martin, saw him twice at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and he was fantastic both times.

[Quom]

Ross Noble and Sarah Silverman.

[Venom]

Mitch Hedberg, Jim Gaffigan, Dave Attell, and Jerry Seinfeld.

[ACCBiggz]

Right now I don't have a favorite becuase there are so many good talents out there. Dane Cook not being one of them, the most overrated comedian this side of the sun. To each his own, but that is my personal opinion, I do not fault you guys for liking him as there are different styles of comedy for everyone, but I think he over does his jokes when he doesn't need to and therefore makes them unfunny while it may have been funny in premise.

I'll list a comedian I wish would be recognized more like Vince Morris, who I think has the potential to have a good tv show. I think he has that type of act that translates well to the small screen like Seinfeld, Romano, James, and the rest. He isn't my favorite, but I would like to get his name out there more.