Let's talk COMEDIANS!

[Whipping Boy]

I have a huge list of comedians that I love but since today is a big day we will keep it simple because I am very curious as to what other people have to say on this topic.

Mitch Hedberg.

One of the greats and he's dead. Herion will do that to you...

I mention him because he has a new CD out today!
That's right... just like Biggie and Tupac who can still put out albums from the grave so can Hedberg!

It's called Do you Believe in Gosh?

http://www.mitchhedberg.net/ is where you can find it.

There is a lot of stuff of his on the youtube that you can find if you would like to see more. Great stuff. I always enjoyed Mitch and when he died I talked to many comic friends and they were so taken aback by it. Mitch was just Mitch. Always funny... he did not have to try to be funny... he just was.

(And no, this is not a shameless plug. I don't get a cut of the CD sales. Just wanted to pass it along. I have always been a fan.)

So, what other comics do you like that you would like to share?

[Derek]

Wow, this is quite a coincidence. Mitch is my favorite comedian and I just got Mitch All Together but a few days ago. I can't wait to get my hands on this new one!

[Whipping Boy]

Mitch was AMAZING and from talking to his widow he had social anxiety. He was not good with crowds but that's how he made his living.

Funny, huh?

The same thing was said about Johnny Carson.
(Johnny is on my list of funniest people that I am sure we will get into as this thread goes on.)

Also, another fun fact about Mitch... he was fired from being the open mic night host in his home town because the club owner did not think he was funny.

I don't want to put links from the youtube -again this is not my board and I don't want to over step my bounds- I would suggest anything that is uncensored from him. The Comedy Central stuff is good but the uncensored stuff is great.

Please, enjoy.

[JimmyF1982]

i gotta say prob. my favorite being Bill Hicks. and both John and Bendy made me jealous by talking about all kinds of stuff i don't have by him that i now need to track down.

[rufusTfirefly]

just like Biggie and Tupac who can still put out albums from the grave so can Hedberg!


Bill Hicks has that uncanny power also...

[rufusTfirefly]

I'm partial to a lot of the standard ones...

Obviously, Groucho Marx...Huge impact on me...

Robin Williams' early, stream of consciousness stand-up...

Bob Newhart. Nobody, and I mean nobody, knew how to time a joke like Bob Newhart. Absolute perfect delivery...

Lots and lots more, but I'm feeling too lazy right now to think...Or really type...

[Amedeo]

Bill Hicks.....Bill Hicks.....Bill Hicks.

Hedberg is/was pretty fantastic as well.

[B. Serum]

I'm a big fan of Demetri Martin (http://www.demetrimartin.com/).

Moreover, I'm going to try to see Maria Bamford at a "Stand Up for Obama" shindig tomorrow here in L.A.

[Eddie Edmends]

Peter Hellier

[Adrian B AWESOME]

Steve Martin's stuff still gets me.

[Ian Brill]

I saw Jimmy Pardo (http://www.jimmypardo.com/reenter.html) preform last night. The guy is the king of crowd work. Sort of a mix between Don Rickles and that stream-of-consciousness Robin Williams stuff. I also love his podcast, Never Not Funny. But I can save that for the podcast thread.

[Whipping Boy]

Hicks was one of the greats.
Growing up here in Houston I have known about him for many years and have been a fan. Got to see him once live!
AMAZING!

If you want some great Hicks one of my favs is him on the short lived Dennis Miller talk show.
It's on the youtube.

There is a great inside joke at the end with him and Miller.
If you don't get it then ask and I will be happy to explain or point you in the right direction where you can find the answer.

Other great people...

One question I have...
Does what a comic does NOW take away from what they did before?
Example:
Eddie Murphy Raw was great... but did he just do Meet Dave?
OH SNAP!
I can't look at him the same anymore....

[hamgmt]

my favorite bill hicks joke, which i BELIEVE i saw him do on that ancient stand-up comedian show that used to air on MTV (!!!!):

"Jimi Hendrix died in a pool of his own vomit........you know how much vomit it takes to fill up a POOL???"

-bob :

[Jurassicalien]

Here's the quick list, if we're talking stand up. Carlin, Pryor, Seinfeld, Cosby, Chris Rock, Bill Maher, Bill Hicks, Denis Leary, Mike Birbiglia, Zach Galafinakis, Brian Regan, Eddie Izzard, Dylan Moran, Bill Engvall, Kristopher Tinkle, Cheech and Chong, Steve Martin, Bobcat Goldwaith, D.L. Hugley, Joel Hodgson, Brian Posehn, David Spade (his stand up is funny, smug but funny)

Sketch: Any of the early SNLer's, Phil Hartman, Kids in the hall, Little Britain, Chappelle's Show, Dana Carvey, Monty Python

Writers/Actors: Gene Wilder, Woody Allen, John Cleese (Fawlty Towers), Mel Brooks, Albert Brooks, Rowan Atkinson, Larry David.

[Dusty]

Bill Murray is the funniest person who ever lived.

Eddie Murphy is the most talented person who ever lived.

George Carlin was the most insightful person who ever lived.

Nothing will ever touch the volume of quality comedies that came out of the 80's.

Rodney Dangerfield gets much respect from me.

[NeverWanderer]

I like all the Comedians of Comedy...

LOVE Robin Williams' earlier stuff (don't know how his recent stuff is)...

The one comedian who has made me laugh more than anyone else in recent years, though, has got to be Louis CK.

And it's all because of this bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4u2ZsoYWwJA

[sonnylarue]

watching the 2006 secret policeman's ball the other night, i was reminded how much i like british mimic jon culshaw.

scary how good he is, from tom baker ricky gervais tony blair george bush

tom baker interviews tom baker

[Rantz]

Steve Niles turned me on to Bill Hicks back in the late 90's when we were both working at Disney. Now, imagine if you will, the strains of Bill's scatalogical description of Barbara Bush and Jesse Helms 'porn'....
...being blasted In the Disney offices.
...in the cubicle area.
...where sound carries.
...with over 200 employees in the area.

Good times.

As, for stand up, Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce still inspire me. Both for very different reasons. When Chris Rock is on, he is ON. (a sadly less and less frequent occurance)

A lot of the folks doing stand up today, to me, see really derivative. That really saddens me.

[B. Serum]

watching the 2006 secret policeman's ball the other night, i was reminded how much i like british mimic jon culshaw.

scary how good he is, from tom baker ricky gervais tony blair george bush

tom baker interviews tom baker

That reminded me of another of my favorites: Jimmy Carr (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jimmy+carr&search_type=&aq=f)

[Supreme Convoy]

I don't have many comedy albums but currently I really love...

Skanks for the Memories by Dave Attell

To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With by Bill Cosby

[ccordova2]

in my love i knell at the church of dangerfield, carlin, kinison & hicks!! & out of new comedians ive seen gabriel iglesias is fast outrunning the crowd!

[TimmyWood]

Big fan of Steve Martin, Woody Allen, Bill Hicks, Kyle Cease, Bill Cosby, Mike Birbiglia and tons more.

[Mark4myself]

I have a nice collection of Comedians CDs and DVDs. I really loved Mitch Hedberg and also his father Stephen Wright. Eddie Izzard is a personal favorite and I'd watch him do anything. The fact his act has a lot of improv in it appeals to me as well. Chris Rock, George Carlin, Bill Cosby, Dave Attell, Patton Oswalt, Demetri Martin, Dana Gould, Steve Martin, Daniel Tosh, Dennis Miller, Bill Hicks, Ray Romano and Bob Newhart are just a few of my Hall of Famers list. Last and greatest of all of course is the Man himself, Groucho Marx! The quickest mind I've ever witnessed.

[The Funketeer]

Mitch was great but Steven Wright's I Have a Pony still cracks me up. The wife and I are big fans of Jeff Dunham who does a pretty funny ventriloquist bit.