I am thinking more of the stand-up comic, not the Stephen Fry/Will Ferrell/Steve Carell sketch-comedy types. I think it is important to distinguish between countries (or mainly just the UK and the US) because the humour is so different, but equally as special. Later on I will combine them into one list. Might even be hard for me to make a top ten American comedians. But anyway, first off...

British
1. Ricky Gervais
2. Jack Dee
3. Sean Lock
4. Michael McIntyre
5. Micky Flanagan
6. Lee Evans
7. Jimmy Carr
8. Russell Brand
9. Rhod Gilbert
10. Frankie Boyle
11. Peter Kay
12. Andy Parsons

American
1. Jerry Seinfeld
2. Louis C.K.
3. Larry David
4. Bill Burr
5. Russell Peters

Top Ten
1. Ricky Gervais
2. Jerry Seinfeld
3. Jack Dee
4. Sean Lock
5. Michael McIntyre
6. Micky Flanagan
7. Lee Evans
8. Louis C.K
9. Jimmy Carr
10. Larry David

I respect Larry David much more than his position dictates. But this is for stand-up, and aside from his stand-up in the early episodes of Curb, it is not so easy to find much of his material. As a general comedy performer, he is up there in the top two along with Gervais.

Also, if there are any comedians you think I may enjoy from the ones I've already mentioned, please do recommend them. I love stand-up comedy and am always open to finding new ones. I guess it will mainly be American ones because of the heavy US-influence here and because American comedy is something I'm not so familiar with - I only recently found Bill Burr, Louis C.K., and Russell Peters, and it was only in the last 2-3 years that I discovered Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. I like people such as Greg Proops, but I haven't seen enough of his comedy recently to rank him. As a guide, I do not like comedians such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, and Kevin Hart. Not so much their jokes, but their delivery. Not my cup of tea, and I'm really not their target audience. As people and actors, I like Murphy and Pryor very much, just not as comics. And female comedians are just plainly and simply not funny, so please no Joan Rivers or Sarah Silverman recommendations. I'm hoping there are some good Australian comedians suggested because I vaguely remembering liking one but have no idea who it was (and I'm too lazy to do the research).

So, who are your favourite comedians?

1. Dave Chappelle
2. Eddie Murphy
3. Chris Rock

Bill Burr
George Carlin
Ricky Gervais
Jim Jeffries
Louis CK
Tracy Morgan
Patton Oswalt
Jim Gaffigan

Those are the people I'd most likely pay money to see.

Of the people I have seen live, Katt Williams and Amy Schumar.

Algren I think you'd like Jeffries alot. Kind of an Austrailian Gervais.

Jerry Seinfeld
Paul F. Tompkins
Jimmy Pardo
Brian Regan
Jim Gaffigan

Bill Hicks and George Carlin including dead people. Probably Louis CK and Chris Rock for living

Patton Oswalt has my all time favorite comedy album (Werewolves & Lollipops)

Don Rickles.

Ellen DeGeneres
Maria Bamford
Margaret Cho
Michelle Wolf

I do not think I have ever once watched stand up comedy except for on America's Got Talent.

So that's entirely no.

Mike Birbiglia
Russell Brand
Ricky Gervais
Jim Jefferies
Lloyd Langford
Marc Maron
Demetri Martin
John Mulaney

Hilarious.

British
1. Ricky Gervais
2. Jack Dee
3. Sean Lock
4. Michael McIntyre
5. Micky Flanagan
6. Lee Evans
7. Jimmy Carr
8. Russell Brand
9. Rhod Gilbert
10. Frankie Boyle
11. Peter Kay
12. Andy Parsons

American
1. Louis C.K.
2. Jerry Seinfeld
3. George Carlin (NEW)
4. Bill Burr
5. Larry David
6. Russell Peters

Just recently got in to George Carlin. The guy cracks me up, and I can relate so much. This clip is hilarious (and he even mentions my name on his list of names that he hates):



I'm definitely going to be watching more of Carlin.

George Carlin is my all-time favorite comedian. And he goes through major changes in his act through his career, while being brilliant throughout. 70s to mid-80s is more observational and silly, but he does it so perfectly. Late 80s to early 2000s is more anger-driven, but he never really veers into rant and rave. It can be raging but it's fucking funny. His last two specials are definitely slowed down. His 2005 show, Life is Worth Losing, is especially dark.

I can quote Carlin often and attribute him with having some of the best material covering tough subjects like death, losing a pet, suicide, etc.

Other favorites, living and dead: Bill Hicks, Jim Gaffigan, Louis CK, John Mulaney, Sarah Silverman, Bill Burr, Ricky Gervais, Patton Oswalt, Jerry Seinfeld.

I'm not sure I've seen Larry David do standup often. His SNL monologue was good, but he's definitely a better writer and actor on Curb.

Larry's most recent SNL monologue was awful.

He's a good comedian, but just not that good at stand-up actually. Seinfeld on the other hand was just born for it.


Further love Chris Rock's stand-up too.

Some of my favorite bits:

I will watch these at some point.

Don Rickles
Jerry Seinfeld
Bill Burr
Russell Peters
Jim Gaffigan

Priceless.

Not Louis C.K.

Norm MacDonald

And Louis C.Ks career is done now.

I wish Norm had more standup specials. He's so weird and I spend half the time saying "where the fuck is he going with this?"