IMO...the five funniest and important comedians of the last 50 years...
Lenny Bruce George Carlin Richard Pryor Bill Hicks Andy Kaufman
i fuckin love Bill Hicks, i could listen to the man all day long. It is absolutly frightening that he is so relevant today.
Carlin ruled for so long the man could do an album of knock knock jokes and get a pass.
Pryor, no doubt.
Andy Kaufman: people are still only beginning to appreciate the genius.
But i have a confession: i have never heard Lenny Bruce.
I know, i know, but i have never heard one word out of the mans mouth. All my favorite comedians cite him as their primary influence, and hell, i work for a comedy club, but i dont even know what the man voice sounds like, Where do i start?
I love Lenny Bruce's book...but not a fan of his stand up, although I did laugh when I found out that his opening line at gig he did on the day JFK was shot was "Well, I guess Vaughn Meader is pretty much fucked"
Yeah, I'm definitely a fan of Lenny Bruce but I guess I find him to be more interesting/cool/historically important than an actual funny stand up comedian. "Ladies and Gentlemen, Lenny Bruce" is great book. Probably one of the most fascinating bios I've ever read.
Man, I've always loved George Carlins stuff. I remember I was going back and listening to all of his 70's stuff, and then I was introduced to Mitch Hedburg. He really had georges random observation style down pat. I think George's stuff can get immature, and old, but when he hits he really delivers. He doesn't really have to go for the cheap laughs. Plus he probably has some of the best mixture of social commentary in his stage show. I'd say Pryor and Carlin are probably my top 2. I even notice how when Chris Rock got big his act got more and more like Carlins act.
If you don't like George carlin, then maybe you're the problem.
Social commentary is well and good but too often it's at the expense of being funny... as illustrated perfectly by dudes like Carlin. And aside from that, his jokes are pretty much at the level of a 12 year old. He's like the grandfather of un-funny comedy.
Social commentary is well and good but too often it's at the expense of being funny... as illustrated perfectly by dudes like Carlin. And aside from that, his jokes are pretty much at the level of a 12 year old. He's like the grandfather of un-funny comedy.
So he's too highbrow but also too lowbrow? Gotcha.
I'd like to see some 12 year old stand up comedian. I'm sure it'd be better than Dane Cook.
Social commentary is well and good but too often it's at the expense of being funny... as illustrated perfectly by dudes like Carlin. And aside from that, his jokes are pretty much at the level of a 12 year old. He's like the grandfather of un-funny comedy.
So he's too highbrow but also too lowbrow? Gotcha.
Social commentary is well and good but too often it's at the expense of being funny... as illustrated perfectly by dudes like Carlin. And aside from that, his jokes are pretty much at the level of a 12 year old. He's like the grandfather of un-funny comedy.
So he's too highbrow but also too lowbrow? Gotcha.
GRUELINGLY MIDDLEBROW
(on Carlin, that is. Hate on Zeppelin for days...)
New Rule: I'm not the cashier! By the time I look up from sliding my card, entering My PIN! number , pressing 'Enter,' verifying the amount, deciding, no, I don't want Cash back, and pressing 'Enter' again, the kid who is supposed to be ringing me up is standing there eating my Almond Joy.
Still funny. Those made me laugh! Yes, he's preachy, but that's his routine. Ex hippie-coke addict who bitches about how stupid people are. He's pretty razor sharp with his observations so you have to give him that even if you dont' like his style. Personally I love it.
This, coming from Emo Philips. The un-funniest man alive.
I'm about to see Emo "rock the stage". I'm expecting greatness, frankly.
RIP Carlin
Man...bitd I watched SO MUCH Comedy Central (circa 90's barrage of stand-up clips era).
Anyways, Emo always creeped me out as a kid. I just saw him as this hybrid Ichabod Crane/Paul Bearer-voiced mother fucker...who was actually kind of funny if you got over the initial creep factor.
I'd love to get a candid answer from him on if he has any regrets in "forcing" himself to maintain that fucking insane voice/schtick.
Dr. Katz was the fucking truth and Emo's work on it always entertained the hell outta me.
This, coming from Emo Philips. The un-funniest man alive.
I'm about to see Emo "rock the stage". I'm expecting greatness, frankly.
RIP Carlin
Man...bitd I watched SO MUCH Comedy Central (circa 90's barrage of stand-up clips era).
Anyways, Emo always creeped me out as a kid. I just saw him as this hybrid Ichabod Crane/Paul Bearer-voiced mother fucker...who was actually kind of funny if you got over the initial creep factor.
I'd love to get a candid answer from him on if he has any regrets in "forcing" himself to maintain that fucking insane voice/schtick.
Dr. Katz was the fucking truth and Emo's work on it always entertained the hell outta me.
Let us know how Emo holds up in 2016.
Yeah, I used to watch Emo on tv all the time and thought he was weirdly funny. But I didn't get many of his jokes, I'm sure.
He KILLED. The blackest, zaniest schtick. Like a living breathing Mad mag. I'm talking knee-slappers about Nazis.
He showed this toward the end, on silent, while he accompanied with his clarinet.
Comments
This is actually fairly reassuring.
Lenny Bruce
George Carlin
Richard Pryor
Bill Hicks
Andy Kaufman
I'm absolutely with ya here.
i fuckin love Bill Hicks, i could listen to the man all day long. It is absolutly frightening that he is so relevant today.
Carlin ruled for so long the man could do an album of knock knock jokes and get a pass.
Pryor, no doubt.
Andy Kaufman: people are still only beginning to appreciate the genius.
But i have a confession: i have never heard Lenny Bruce.
I know, i know, but i have never heard one word out of the mans mouth. All my favorite comedians cite him as their primary influence, and hell, i work for a comedy club, but i dont even know what the man voice sounds like, Where do i start?
If you don't like George carlin, then maybe you're the problem.
- spidey
Carlin's still funny though.
So he's too highbrow but also too lowbrow? Gotcha.
I'd like to see some 12 year old stand up comedian. I'm sure it'd be better than Dane Cook.
- spidey
GRUELINGLY MIDDLEBROW
(on Carlin, that is. Hate on Zeppelin for days...)
He did make bill and ted.
yea, Real Time is a good show. Maher has plenty of writers though.
Carlin is okay, not really my taste and i can appreciate good standup.
if any of you guys have hbo on demand, check out Dave Attel's standup, which came on this past saturday night.
Then give him cash you old fart.
Leary's blatant Hicks rip-offs are well documented. He basically stole his whole persona from him and stripped the soul out of it.
RIP Carlin
Anyways, Emo always creeped me out as a kid. I just saw him as this hybrid Ichabod Crane/Paul Bearer-voiced mother fucker...who was actually kind of funny if you got over the initial creep factor.
I'd love to get a candid answer from him on if he has any regrets in "forcing" himself to maintain that fucking insane voice/schtick.
Dr. Katz was the fucking truth and Emo's work on it always entertained the hell outta me.
Let us know how Emo holds up in 2016.
Yeah, I used to watch Emo on tv all the time and thought he was weirdly funny. But I didn't get many of his jokes, I'm sure.
He KILLED. The blackest, zaniest schtick. Like a living breathing Mad mag. I'm talking knee-slappers about Nazis.
He showed this toward the end, on silent, while he accompanied with his clarinet.
http://www.emophilips.com/video/video/179