Uncle Ronnie seems to just know people. Whether being
invited to a private restaurant party, getting a private tour of the White
House, or simply knowing really cool and interesting people, Uncle Ronnie is
quite the interesting man. Never ceasing to amazing me, he recently just
dropped a bomb that he is personal friends with Judy Gold. For those of you who
don’t know, Judy Gold is a great standup comic, most well known for her short
pieces on HBO, Emmy Award winning writing for The Rosie O’Donnell Show and the
truTV series World’s Dumbest. For those of you who don’t know me, I am an
absolutely crazy fan of standup comedy. I often frequent comedy clubs and have
heard most great comedic albums out there. There is something truly amazing
about standup comedy. The realism and in your face aggressiveness simply
excites me. There are so many funny things in this world and when someone
brings these to life, there is nothing funnier. Many people in the industry
(clearing pretending to know people in the industry) always claim that standup
is the hardest form of comedy because the content and delivery is so focused on
that you need to be on point to completely captivate your audience.
There have been some amazing comics throughout the years. I
have heard some of the oldies but not all of them so my list here is my
favorite comedians. This is my personal list and it may contain some surprises.
Without further delay, I give you my favorite standup comics ever.
15. Jon
Stewart
Best Bit: Political Rants
Best known
for his The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (which I watch every day) and for
hosting the Oscars twice, Stewart got his start as a standup comic. Often over
the top but always funny, Stewart built up a following with his rants on every
topic, the seeds for the Daily Show were clearly planted very early.
14. Frank
Caliendo
Best Bit:
Impersonation of John Madden and President Bush
Without a
doubt the best impersonator ever, Caliendo cannot only imitate any single voice
with exact precision; he also transforms his face to look like those he
impersonates. If you don’t believe me and doubt impersonators, simply watch his
work from the Letterman Show on youtube and close your eyes. You can apologize
later.
13. Robin
Williams
Best Bit:
Cocaine (live at The Met)
I grew up on
Robin Williams. After watching Mrs. Doubtfire, Williams was really the first
comic that I ever followed. He takes the word eccentric and blows it out of the
water. His specialty is going over the top and his Cocaine bit is a perfect
example. Arguably the quickest and wittiest comic ever, Williams will forever
be a great.
12. Mitch
Hedberg
Best Bit:
One Liners
Mitch
Hedberg is sort of a mythical creature at this point. The 20th
century king of one liners, Hedberg is known for his strange humoristic style
and amazing delivery. Before his unfortunate drug overdose, Hedberg thrilled
audiences with his astonishing ability to perfectly deliver even the simplest
of knock-knock and one line jokes. If he has a cult, I am a member.
11. Zack
Galifianakis
Best Bit:
The Hangover
I know it
seems strange to use a movie as his best standup bit but the reasons I said
that is because the character that Zack plays on stage is eerily similar to his
role from the Hangover franchise. Zack plays the drunk, fat, and disgusting
card better than anyone and has astonishing delivery with insane body and face
control. Try watching him and you will find yourself dying of laughter and just
begging him to break character which he never will. Also recommended, Zack
Galifianakis in the Purple Room.
10. Jim
Carrey
Best Bit:
Saint Bearnard
Best known
for his hilarious comedies and film roles, Jim Carrey also got his start in
standup. At only the age of 19 he was already headlining tours and was signed
very early on by Rodney Dangerfield. After being denied by SNL, Carrey made a
name for himself on In Living Color but he will always be known in certain
circles for his amazing standup. If you watch his early work you can really see
how his future characters came to be.
9. George
Carlin
Best Bit:
“Seven Dirty Words”
The king of
modern day dirty comedy, the late Carlin paved the way with Richard Pryor for
all modern day comics. With his death in 2008, Carlin left a record amount of
comedy specials and best selling CDs. Unafraid to approach topics such as
politics, religion, race and other taboo subjects, Carlin broke boundaries that
others refused to. He influenced many comics after him including the amazing
Lewis Black, Jerry Seinfeld and Jon Stewart and Denis Leary.
8. Louis
C.K.
Best Bit:
Kids
Widely
considered the best standup comic today, Louis may just be the best self
deprivation comic of all time. There is
no one out there that can stand on a stage and just hold his stomach fat and be
funnier than Louis. His rants on his depressing and sad family existence are so
realistic and just touches at home. With sparks of Seinfeld’s, day to day
observations, Louis C.K. adds such a realistic touch to it, one that is not
found in any other comic today.
7. Will Ferrell
Best Bit: Harry Caray and Robert Goulet
Will Ferrell may be one the funniest film stars ever but he is also one
of the best standup and sketch comedians ever. Bringing SNL to heights never
seen before, Ferrell became the first major star of the 21st
century. Ferrell start also came in standup. I had the pleasure of seeing him
on one of his Funny Or Die tours and I peed my pants. Ferrell’s standup is
often revolving around impersonations and sketches but that doesn’t take away
from his amazing characters and hilarious personas.
6. Blue
Collar Comedy Group
Best Bit:
“You Might be a Redneck”
The group of
Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy from the
funniest group of comedians we have ever seen. These mid-American (hick) comics
rip on each other and the American way of life better than anyone. Each one
with a different yet familiar style makes this the perfect group.
5. Jerry
Seinfeld
Best Bit:
Olympics
Very few
people can claim to have changed comedy in the 20th-21st
century. Jerry Seinfeld is one of those. With the most successful and arguably
the best sitcom of all time, Seinfeld revolutionized comedy with his hilarious
yet mundane observations. No one can make the simplest thing funnier than this
guy. Read his books, watch his show, watch his standup and I promise you that
you will fall in love with him. Without a doubt the most financially successful
comedian of all time, Seinfeld changed how every comedian and every person saw
the world.
4. Chris
Rock
Best Bit:
Ni**ers vs Blacks
Chris Rock
was the first inappropriate comedian I had ever heard in my life and I fell in
love. His classic over the top delivery just works for his material. Unafraid
to rip on anyone or anything, Rock created a name for himself and has headlined
many HBO specialist and even hosted the Oscars. Rock has excellent material and
an even better delivery. His rant on two types of Black People may be my
favorite bit of all time.
3. Lewis
Black
Best Bit:
Water/Politics
Often
considered a living Legend, Lewis Black is one of my favorite comics ever. Well
known for his role in the emergence of Political comedy and his many movie
roles, Black is the best senile comic ever. Angry at pretty much everything he
has ever encountered in his life, many people have said the F-word was created
for Black. There is no comic, and I mean no comic that utilizes curse words
better. I saw Lewis live earlier this year and could not stop laughing from
start to finish.
2. Jeff
Dunham
Best Bid:
Walter
I am sure I
will get some flack for having a ventriloquist so high on this list but Jeff
Dunham may not only be one of the best ventriloquist of all-time, he is one of
the best comics as well. His puppets and the characters he has created are
amazing. Walter and Achmed the Dead Terrorist are such great acts. With the
ability to bring in different characters, Dunham pulls off such a good back and
forth with his characters. I have shown his work to many people over the years
and every single one of them has laughed so hard they needed to pause the
video. Trust me on this one.
1. Eddie
Murphy
Best Bid:
Delirious and Raw
Drop
whatever you are doing and immediately watch Delirious and Raw. These are
without a doubt the two funniest comedy specials I have ever seen. I laughed
from start to finish and can listen over and over again these hilarious bits.
From his impersonations to childhood stories, Murphy wouldn’t shy away from any
topic which helped him become so so successful. With his mouth often getting
him in trouble, Murphy had audiences dying of laughter and are two of the best
selling comedy albums ever. To me, he is the king of standup.
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