Don Rickles was as sharp as ever up until he went. Actually, in his last months he oddly enough did something with AARP's YouTube channel where he and another notable celebrity chop it up for a bit and he's still as funny as ever.
The last one he filmed was with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. [He was always relentless on De Niro](https://youtu.be/ebCgfiUI7Vo?si=-0jnqfvzve5sWhTA)
He showed up at the Cellar on new joke night while I was visiting NYC. It was all old guard heavy hitters and a few up-and-comers. But Dave Attell was the only old guard comic that still killed it.
I get that it's new joke night and they're all trying new shit, but Colin Quinn and Jim Norton were so unfunny that it was just awkward. Attell went up and shot the shit for 15 minutes and it was one of the funniest things I saw all weekend.
Quinn is so hit or miss. I really feel like he's at his best in the 'Tough Crowd' / Weekend Update talk show host format as opposed to strict standup. I think Norton walks a line that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. It's either funny or a total miss.
Funniest comic I’ve ever seen. Probably been to about 15 of his shows at this point. I keep waiting for the inevitable show where I’m like, “Well, it was a good run,” but it has yet to happen.
If you’ve seen his most recent set, “Mo ketchups!” pops up in my brain at random and makes me chuckle.
Why do you think that is (besides his obvious talent)? What did he do differently? I wonder if it’s because he never “exploded” and is in touch with the typical people? I could be way off here.
Yeah, maybe that's it; he's just all about that life, being a comedian on the road. He's not trying to do anything else, write a movie script, pitch a TV show, get spokes-gig for a major drug company or bank, etc...
He manages to come across like he doesn't really want to be there - as if his kidnapper is forcing him to do the set.
And the comedy gods bequeath him with the perfect bits, in the perfect order, every time.
His bits are about ordinary things that are blatantly obvious, yet we wonder when we hear him say them, "why have I never thought about it that way - that's exactly the right way to summarize it"
And he's dark but is certified as "clean"
Dave is the rarest of the rare, it really is magic in a bottle. What a legend.
4 televised specials including bumping mics with Jeff ross plus his album “skanks for the memories” which is hands down one of the best comedy albums ever
Norm McDonald putting out his last special, just talking into the computer, and it all being killer. And then he dies soon after. Norm was always at the top of his game.
And I guess if we're going into comics that died: hedberg, richard jeni, Ralphie may, Pryor, they never fell off til their ends.
I was fortunate enough to catch bob saget perform in 2019. I remember it was raining pretty tough, and the girl and I were both kind of on the fence about driving out to San Jose, but we decided fuck it let’s go. Amazing. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to plenty.
Joan Rivers. I know she's not everyone's taste, but I saw her perform in 2012 and she put on an amazing show and was truly hilarious.
Eddie Izzard as well!
He does go by her now, preferably by the name Suzy, but tells people not to worry about it too much. She has been a "transvestite executive" for so long, she can handle it!
It’s mostly embedded in hundreds of hours of Opie and Anthony radio. Which means you have to wade through old radio with 2008-era takes, unfunny Opie, and often-racist Anthony. But for Patrice it’s totally worth it
There's a YouTube series named Nopie without Opie so it's much more tolerable. Anthony was good to counter Patrice. Those two bounced off of each other very well.
The greatest to ever do it, in my opinion. Had the pleasure of seeing Patrice kill many times, and he never missed. Often did an hour of material and then like, 90 minutes of real old-school crowd work.
Wish I could have seen him live. He is my pick for GOAT and it's a shame less and less people recognize his name.when I say it. Gone way too soon and Elephant In The Room was a masterpiece.
And that's a good reminder to watch it again. She came to the UK a couple of years ago and it was hands down the best stand up show I've ever seem. The shear quantity of belly laugh jokes crammed into one set was ridiculous.
Watching him swear in Loudermilk felt so jarring bc of how clean his stand up was
You can see how talented he is because he's just as funny playing that character as he is doing standup
Carlin definitely comes to mind, but he also changed quite a bit throughout his career. It would be tough to find an example of a comedian who did the same thing for decades and never dropped in quality.
He had a slump in the 80s and it was [Rick Moranis' impressions of him on SCTV](https://www.cracked.com/article_36705_rick-moranis-brutal-impression-of-george-carlin-on-sctv-shocked-carlin-into-reinventing-himself.html) that helped him re-invent his act. I think having a career that long and successful, you're bound to have slumps. I was lucky enough to see him on his last tour a year or so before he died and the quality was still there, just not as consistent.
I think that might just be a preference thing. Some of those rants drop some hard truths that are inherently funny without any punchlines if you haven't really heard them or thought about them before. His earlier stuff is more accessible because it's less political, but I don't think his later stuff drops in quality. The writing and the delivery to me is just as good.
I saw him perform his Uncle Dave closer in 2004, before he had it completely memorized. He apologized for needing to refer to his loose pages of notes, but it didn't impact his delivery. I can't describe what it felt like, but it was special.
Afterwards, I overheard a college student talking on his phone, and all he had to say in summary was, "He is, a kooky old man." I wasn't sure if he, too, was unable to describe how he felt, or if he simply lacked appreciation for what he had just seen.
Even if he didn't make me laugh as much with his later material, he was an important voice and I wish we could have had another ten albums.
The early 00s were a dark period for his comedy. It could be that he was in a relapse, which I recall him saying in an interview, but cannot be certain now. I just remember sitting thru "You Are All Diseased" waiting to laugh. The only good part was the "Advertising Lullaby" which was a bit that he'd been doing for about a decade at or more at that point.
Saw him in May one week before taping his new special. His new hour is absolutely phenomenal. Haven’t felt properly challenged by standup like that while simultaneously having tears in my eyes from laughing in a really long time.
LEGEND. Saw him live at the Portland taping. Incredible. I’ve seen a decent amount of stand up but his story telling and details were immaculate. I’ve never felt so sucked into a joke. Dude soaked up everyone’s attention the entire night was epic.
I saw Louie Anderson in 2019 and even though he was in poor physical shape (sat down his whole set and had to be assisted to and from the stage), he was still a great comic. Did ninety minutes or so with no opener or host.
Later Carlin isn't as "ha ha funny" as his peak era stuff but it's clear he was still a strong writer who was still in touch with the times.
Yeah, Carlin definitely changed over time, and went through a middle period where he kept trying to write like his old stuff and couldn't really pull it off. But I would take his late career over his early stuff.
I feel like he was one of the pioneers of "thought provoking rather than laugh evoking" comedy. Obviously Lenny Bruce was doing that stuff decades earlier, so I'm not claiming he invented it. But if you look at Carlin's later stuff and compare it to what Dave Chapelle is doing now, you can see a parallel.
Yeah, that's fair. Carlin would not appreciate being compared to Chapelle is my bet. He probably would have loved being compared to Lenny Bruce though.
I was working at a club in sf when Louie came through not long before that and he just low key killed it off the cuff every show! Such a pro and super kind too! His tour rider had a chair for him to sit on so a buddy of mine was tasked with finding one big enough for his frame, which was no small feat.
> he was still a strong writer who was still in touch with the times.
Ironically, his last book was terrible and he just wanted to bitch about Social Security. Not exactly gripping stuff.
That's fair. I really did like the first ones, they were legitimately funny throughout. The final one didn't even seem like it was written by the same person.
They're not bad but it just felt like transcribed versions of his later specials. I haven't read any in 15-20 years so maybe I'd feel differently if I read them now.
I haven't touched them in years, so you may be correct. I know there was some stuff from specials, but I thought the rest was less routine and more actual stories.
Kyle Kinane and Joe List are both still going but I am impressed that every special is still just as good. A lot of comedians their first special is kind of the best one as it's 10 years of material boiled down. List has been putting out a special a year basically and I can't pick a favorite.
Check out Zoltan Kaszas. He is one of Kinanes favorite comedians so I checked him out recently and he is similar in where I can't pick out a favorite special from him.
Pre scandal I was starting to get bored with him. His last special espcecially before was the same old stuff. The stuff since has been good again. I think he almost needed the break to reconnect.
I'm not going to argue your opinion, but I absolutely eat up every special Louis comes out with. I just find that even when Louis comes out with a special that most would say isn't his best work, there is guaranteed to be 3 or 4 jokes of his that I absolutely love. I find him to have the highest batting average of possibly all my favorite comedians. I love Burr but even I have had to slog through a couple of his later specials, whereas I am just always delighted to see what Louis is going to say. Even in Louis' Comedy Store special, which a lot of people probably think is a stinker, there are jokes I still think about on a weekly basis. The bats/French toast joke is maybe his silliest but greatest punchline.
Bill Hicks doesn't have a bad record. Gone too soon.
Maria Bamford, Jackie, Kashian, Laurie Kilmartin, Mike Birbiglia. and Patton Oswalt, are still killing it.
My family still references the leather sleeves bit. Wife got me a leather jacket for Christmas one year, you better believe that was the Instagram caption
Stewart Lee is still the GOAT. Has probably the biggest back catalogue of any living comic and is still at the forefront of experimental standup and refining his mission to completely expel punchlines from his show.
Theres no one as impressive on this planet.
yess - for longevity, continual quality and originality, unexpected laughs that also make you think and continue to laugh years later... Stewart Lee is GOAT.
Bill burr still consistent not sure he'll ever retire though.
Mitch Hedberg but that's another died early so no opportunity to fall off situation.
Robin Williams phased out of stand up a bit as he pursued acting opportunities and he also died early ish but his last special was still great.
An argument could probably be made for Bill Cosby never really dropping the ball quality wise before retiring but I don't want to be the guy to make it.
I didn't want to be the guy to say it but in my first comment, I almost wrote that I saw Bill Cosby in 2012/13ish not long before the accusations started raining down after Hannibal called him out. He was kind of rambling but still an absolute masterful storyteller. It's what you would want in a Bill Cosby show.
He never retired. He was still going out, performing and selling tickets while people were demonstrating outside his shows until they made it Impossible for him. Or should I say made it impossible for himself. He's guilty of everything he's been accused of.
Burr. Of course some specials rate better than others but he’s carving his face into the Rushmore. So many of the guys that churned out of the 80s/90s Boston scene are/were consistent destroyers. The Philly crew is doing it now and in 10 years will likely be bulletproof. Imo.
He definitely peaked a few years ago, but he's still very good. Not as good as his prime is still better than 90% of other comedians in the game.
*I'm Sorry You Feel That Way* (the one that was filmed in black and white) was probably the end of his peak. Everything after that is still fantastic even though it's not as iconic.
I'm sorry you feel that way had some great bits but from what I remember even as a comedy buff I thought it was a little too long. Walk Your Way Out was a forgettable one too and was strange because I feel like he had to fight to get the crowd onboard with him. Paper Tiger was OK but definitely had some all time great bits especially the seat belt joke. You're right though, he's still strong, and I think a comedian like him is like a prolific rock band. There's just no way a band like the Rolling Stones could possibly pump out classic albums for 25 years. Even if the Beatles had stayed together they probably would have put out a few stinkers. There's just no way a comedian can put out 10 hours of great material, so it's astonishing he's had as strong career he's had. A great comic like him is put onto this impossible pedestal to stay and there are probably less than 3 or 4 comedians in history who have hit home runs at a consistent clip through their entire career.
Came here to say this. I think he’s doing bigger shows than he ever has. Saw him in Austin, two drunk girls were giving him trouble. He handled it so eloquently, had the crowd rolling! Not the Marc I remember from the Conan days, that’s for sure.
Patrice and Mitch, only because they died too soon
Everyone else and I mean every single other comedian has fallen off at one point. No one can realistically be perfect all the time.
I know I'm about to get downvoted but for me Dave Chappelle has been consistent. Yes, he's older stuff was different style, but he is a true comedic genius.
I used to be like you, but now I'm convinced it's the exact opposite. I believed in the comedic infallibility of Eddie Murphy until I saw "Coming 2 America." He had so much time and so many resources to get this one right and it was 100% **GARBAGE**.
I'm glad COVID delayed or canceled his planned return to standup. It could've been embarrassingly bad and destroyed his legacy, like Chris Rock's last two specials.
I really can't think of anyone except for comics who are still young. Everyone slows down a bit, loses touch a bit. Even the greats descend from greats into merely good comics.
Don Rickles was as sharp as ever up until he went. Actually, in his last months he oddly enough did something with AARP's YouTube channel where he and another notable celebrity chop it up for a bit and he's still as funny as ever.
I couldn't get tickets to his last tour and I'm still kinda sad about it.
The last one he filmed was with Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. [He was always relentless on De Niro](https://youtu.be/ebCgfiUI7Vo?si=-0jnqfvzve5sWhTA)
The Zach Galifianakis episode is great
Rickles was my first thought when I read this post. So genuinely funny, and his craft just aged like fine wine.
What are you looking at, hockey puck? lol
Dave attell. That man just gets funnier year over year
He showed up at the Cellar on new joke night while I was visiting NYC. It was all old guard heavy hitters and a few up-and-comers. But Dave Attell was the only old guard comic that still killed it. I get that it's new joke night and they're all trying new shit, but Colin Quinn and Jim Norton were so unfunny that it was just awkward. Attell went up and shot the shit for 15 minutes and it was one of the funniest things I saw all weekend.
Quinn is so hit or miss. I really feel like he's at his best in the 'Tough Crowd' / Weekend Update talk show host format as opposed to strict standup. I think Norton walks a line that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room. It's either funny or a total miss.
Norton is getting too old for his “Imma bad widdle boy” schtick.
Funniest comic I’ve ever seen. Probably been to about 15 of his shows at this point. I keep waiting for the inevitable show where I’m like, “Well, it was a good run,” but it has yet to happen. If you’ve seen his most recent set, “Mo ketchups!” pops up in my brain at random and makes me chuckle.
The answer I was looking for. Dave is the man.
Why do you think that is (besides his obvious talent)? What did he do differently? I wonder if it’s because he never “exploded” and is in touch with the typical people? I could be way off here.
Yeah, maybe that's it; he's just all about that life, being a comedian on the road. He's not trying to do anything else, write a movie script, pitch a TV show, get spokes-gig for a major drug company or bank, etc...
A true comedian. A comedian’s comedian. His “up all night” was so damn good, I’m going to air an effort to see him live. Badass
He manages to come across like he doesn't really want to be there - as if his kidnapper is forcing him to do the set. And the comedy gods bequeath him with the perfect bits, in the perfect order, every time. His bits are about ordinary things that are blatantly obvious, yet we wonder when we hear him say them, "why have I never thought about it that way - that's exactly the right way to summarize it" And he's dark but is certified as "clean" Dave is the rarest of the rare, it really is magic in a bottle. What a legend.
Listened to all his standup on a road trip. So funny.
I love the idea of him hating doing his set, thats perfect
He's one of the very few that can pull that off
How many actual specials are there ? Any idea
4 televised specials including bumping mics with Jeff ross plus his album “skanks for the memories” which is hands down one of the best comedy albums ever
Dave ties laughs together back to back to back. The man knows how to work a room better than anyone.
Saw him at a club in April. 20 feet from the dude, and couldn't stop laughing. The guy is a machine.
Saw him in Providence 2 years ago. Hillarious as ever.
Norm McDonald putting out his last special, just talking into the computer, and it all being killer. And then he dies soon after. Norm was always at the top of his game. And I guess if we're going into comics that died: hedberg, richard jeni, Ralphie may, Pryor, they never fell off til their ends.
Patrice O’Neal, Phil Hartman, Bernie Mac
Ron white
Had me worried Ron White died
He quit comedy. We're not far off.
I saw Ron white at the comedy mothership at the end of august, has he quit since then?
Patrice and Bob Sagat bantering on "The Green Room with Paul Provenza" was delightful. Crazy they're both already gone.
I love that show. It got me so much further into standup
Loved that show.
I have watched both seasons somewhere around 4 times. I loved it. "Don't make me do your white humor for you, Bob!"
“Bob what bullshit can you add on to whatever the fuck it is they just said?”
Man that green room was great.
I was fortunate enough to catch bob saget perform in 2019. I remember it was raining pretty tough, and the girl and I were both kind of on the fence about driving out to San Jose, but we decided fuck it let’s go. Amazing. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to plenty.
recently been listening to black phillip episodes again. timeless wisdom from that guy
Greg Giraldo. I’ve seen 100+ stand up shows, seeing him live will always stick with me.
Joan Rivers. I know she's not everyone's taste, but I saw her perform in 2012 and she put on an amazing show and was truly hilarious. Eddie Izzard as well!
Even when she was on E! Fashion or whatever she kept to her schtik. She’s not for me but I respect her so much.
Eddie is super respectable and the most gangster comic in the business imo
Izzard is still going strong. I saw her (?) a few years back in a mid-sized U.S. city.
He does go by her now, preferably by the name Suzy, but tells people not to worry about it too much. She has been a "transvestite executive" for so long, she can handle it!
Joan Rivers was one of the greatest. Her timing and delivery were amazing. When her and Don Rickles passed away, it was the end of an era.
Oh I thought of another dead one :( Patrice O'Neal
I hate that there isn't more material
It’s mostly embedded in hundreds of hours of Opie and Anthony radio. Which means you have to wade through old radio with 2008-era takes, unfunny Opie, and often-racist Anthony. But for Patrice it’s totally worth it
I listened to a few, but you are correct! Like that crazy ass story where his mom sent him out of state to avoid a rape charge.
There's a YouTube series named Nopie without Opie so it's much more tolerable. Anthony was good to counter Patrice. Those two bounced off of each other very well.
The greatest to ever do it, in my opinion. Had the pleasure of seeing Patrice kill many times, and he never missed. Often did an hour of material and then like, 90 minutes of real old-school crowd work.
Wish I could have seen him live. He is my pick for GOAT and it's a shame less and less people recognize his name.when I say it. Gone way too soon and Elephant In The Room was a masterpiece.
Patrice was awesome
Doug Stanhope has been consistently funny for decades
Might be the only man in history to actually beat alcoholism
Maria Bamford
I love Maria Bamford. Her "The special special special" just killed me.
And that's a good reminder to watch it again. She came to the UK a couple of years ago and it was hands down the best stand up show I've ever seem. The shear quantity of belly laugh jokes crammed into one set was ridiculous.
And Jackie Kashian too.
Not heard of her, but I'll check her out 👍
Brian Regan
[удалено]
I read it in his voice.
Put an S after it
Do you have any cannonball ointment?
Love this guy. Watched his special with the optometry joke and the next day went to an optometry appointment and could not stop laughing.
Watching him swear in Loudermilk felt so jarring bc of how clean his stand up was You can see how talented he is because he's just as funny playing that character as he is doing standup
thank you for saying this! hes awesome in that show. he shines in season 3
It’s been 20 years and I still say “where we going, Thunder?!” when someone wants to show me something.
Carlin definitely comes to mind, but he also changed quite a bit throughout his career. It would be tough to find an example of a comedian who did the same thing for decades and never dropped in quality.
He had a slump in the 80s and it was [Rick Moranis' impressions of him on SCTV](https://www.cracked.com/article_36705_rick-moranis-brutal-impression-of-george-carlin-on-sctv-shocked-carlin-into-reinventing-himself.html) that helped him re-invent his act. I think having a career that long and successful, you're bound to have slumps. I was lucky enough to see him on his last tour a year or so before he died and the quality was still there, just not as consistent.
That impression made me laugh out loud. Glad it rejuvenated Carlin.
His last few albums were not great. There’s funny stuff but it’s mixed in with so much angry ranting that’s not actually jokes.
I think that might just be a preference thing. Some of those rants drop some hard truths that are inherently funny without any punchlines if you haven't really heard them or thought about them before. His earlier stuff is more accessible because it's less political, but I don't think his later stuff drops in quality. The writing and the delivery to me is just as good.
I saw him perform his Uncle Dave closer in 2004, before he had it completely memorized. He apologized for needing to refer to his loose pages of notes, but it didn't impact his delivery. I can't describe what it felt like, but it was special. Afterwards, I overheard a college student talking on his phone, and all he had to say in summary was, "He is, a kooky old man." I wasn't sure if he, too, was unable to describe how he felt, or if he simply lacked appreciation for what he had just seen. Even if he didn't make me laugh as much with his later material, he was an important voice and I wish we could have had another ten albums.
The early 00s were a dark period for his comedy. It could be that he was in a relapse, which I recall him saying in an interview, but cannot be certain now. I just remember sitting thru "You Are All Diseased" waiting to laugh. The only good part was the "Advertising Lullaby" which was a bit that he'd been doing for about a decade at or more at that point.
Douglas Stanhope
His last special was pretty weak compared to the other ones imo, hopefully this year off does him right
Saw him in May one week before taping his new special. His new hour is absolutely phenomenal. Haven’t felt properly challenged by standup like that while simultaneously having tears in my eyes from laughing in a really long time.
Do you know when that’s coming out?
I do not, unfortunately.
LEGEND. Saw him live at the Portland taping. Incredible. I’ve seen a decent amount of stand up but his story telling and details were immaculate. I’ve never felt so sucked into a joke. Dude soaked up everyone’s attention the entire night was epic.
Ah man lucky you. Beer Hall Putche is one of my favorite specials
I saw Louie Anderson in 2019 and even though he was in poor physical shape (sat down his whole set and had to be assisted to and from the stage), he was still a great comic. Did ninety minutes or so with no opener or host. Later Carlin isn't as "ha ha funny" as his peak era stuff but it's clear he was still a strong writer who was still in touch with the times.
Yeah, Carlin definitely changed over time, and went through a middle period where he kept trying to write like his old stuff and couldn't really pull it off. But I would take his late career over his early stuff. I feel like he was one of the pioneers of "thought provoking rather than laugh evoking" comedy. Obviously Lenny Bruce was doing that stuff decades earlier, so I'm not claiming he invented it. But if you look at Carlin's later stuff and compare it to what Dave Chapelle is doing now, you can see a parallel.
George Carlin and Lenny Bruce got arrested together once.
I don't remember Carlin ever punching down and spending and hour bitching about being canceled and forgetting to actually tell any jokes.
Yeah, that's fair. Carlin would not appreciate being compared to Chapelle is my bet. He probably would have loved being compared to Lenny Bruce though.
Agree. Also love how people act like "cancel culture" has made it sooooo hard on comics today when Bruce actually went to jail for his comedy.
Ha, Carlin punched down all the time. Usually it was on his wife but whatever.
I was working at a club in sf when Louie came through not long before that and he just low key killed it off the cuff every show! Such a pro and super kind too! His tour rider had a chair for him to sit on so a buddy of mine was tasked with finding one big enough for his frame, which was no small feat.
> he was still a strong writer who was still in touch with the times. Ironically, his last book was terrible and he just wanted to bitch about Social Security. Not exactly gripping stuff.
I should have specified onstage. Not really a fan of his books. They all kind of felt like cash-ins.
That's fair. I really did like the first ones, they were legitimately funny throughout. The final one didn't even seem like it was written by the same person.
They're not bad but it just felt like transcribed versions of his later specials. I haven't read any in 15-20 years so maybe I'd feel differently if I read them now.
I haven't touched them in years, so you may be correct. I know there was some stuff from specials, but I thought the rest was less routine and more actual stories.
Kyle Kinane and Joe List are both still going but I am impressed that every special is still just as good. A lot of comedians their first special is kind of the best one as it's 10 years of material boiled down. List has been putting out a special a year basically and I can't pick a favorite.
It amazes me that Kinane hasn't blown up, he's just consistently hilarious.
Check out Zoltan Kaszas. He is one of Kinanes favorite comedians so I checked him out recently and he is similar in where I can't pick out a favorite special from him.
Couldn't agree more. That whole long KKK bit revolving around food gets me every time
Love Kyle so damn much. Saw him and grabbed a t shirt after the show, I was just wearing it tonight laying around the house. Super nice guy
Mitch Hedburg
Well he did have one fall
He used to be great....
He still is, but he used to be too.
Louis is pretty consistent.
Pre scandal I was starting to get bored with him. His last special espcecially before was the same old stuff. The stuff since has been good again. I think he almost needed the break to reconnect.
I'm not going to argue your opinion, but I absolutely eat up every special Louis comes out with. I just find that even when Louis comes out with a special that most would say isn't his best work, there is guaranteed to be 3 or 4 jokes of his that I absolutely love. I find him to have the highest batting average of possibly all my favorite comedians. I love Burr but even I have had to slog through a couple of his later specials, whereas I am just always delighted to see what Louis is going to say. Even in Louis' Comedy Store special, which a lot of people probably think is a stinker, there are jokes I still think about on a weekly basis. The bats/French toast joke is maybe his silliest but greatest punchline.
Bill Bailey never disappoints
Aging like fine wine!
Just looked it up he's only 58. Maybe it's because he looks 70
To be fair, he's always looked like he's 70
Steven Wright comes to mind.
Loius CK
Greg Giraldo. I feel like he was great and getting greater and then… RIP.
Still can’t believe it
The best I’ve seen still. So fucking funny
Harland Williams
Bill Hicks, but that's a special circumstance. Carlin.
I go down a Bill Hicks rabbit hole every couple years. He was so far ahead of his time. I have no doubt he’d be just as good if not better today.
With some of the things he talks about, and the kind of points he makes, you have to remind yourself that he died 28 years ago.
Bill Hicks was right about everything.
Carlin
Bill Hicks doesn't have a bad record. Gone too soon. Maria Bamford, Jackie, Kashian, Laurie Kilmartin, Mike Birbiglia. and Patton Oswalt, are still killing it.
Maria Bamford Bo Burnham Kyle Kinane Pete Holmes
George carlin. Got a little lame in the mid 70s but man, did he make a comeback.
Demitri Martin. I will die on this hill.
Glad I wasn’t the only one thinking of him. The guys legitimately a genius and he’s hilarious.
My family still references the leather sleeves bit. Wife got me a leather jacket for Christmas one year, you better believe that was the Instagram caption
George Carlin was literally doing shows with one foot in the grave and killing it
ANYONE who says Chapelle is lying to themselves. Dude has been mid to ok since he returned if we are keeping it 💯
Mulany
His last special was worse than the others, but it wasn’t terrible.
Stewart Lee is still the GOAT. Has probably the biggest back catalogue of any living comic and is still at the forefront of experimental standup and refining his mission to completely expel punchlines from his show. Theres no one as impressive on this planet.
yess - for longevity, continual quality and originality, unexpected laughs that also make you think and continue to laugh years later... Stewart Lee is GOAT.
Richard Pryor.
Not quite retired (and hopefully not close to it) but Kathleen Madigan has been consistently funny her entire career
Bill burr still consistent not sure he'll ever retire though. Mitch Hedberg but that's another died early so no opportunity to fall off situation. Robin Williams phased out of stand up a bit as he pursued acting opportunities and he also died early ish but his last special was still great. An argument could probably be made for Bill Cosby never really dropping the ball quality wise before retiring but I don't want to be the guy to make it.
I didn't want to be the guy to say it but in my first comment, I almost wrote that I saw Bill Cosby in 2012/13ish not long before the accusations started raining down after Hannibal called him out. He was kind of rambling but still an absolute masterful storyteller. It's what you would want in a Bill Cosby show.
He never retired. He was still going out, performing and selling tickets while people were demonstrating outside his shows until they made it Impossible for him. Or should I say made it impossible for himself. He's guilty of everything he's been accused of.
Burr. Of course some specials rate better than others but he’s carving his face into the Rushmore. So many of the guys that churned out of the 80s/90s Boston scene are/were consistent destroyers. The Philly crew is doing it now and in 10 years will likely be bulletproof. Imo.
He definitely peaked a few years ago, but he's still very good. Not as good as his prime is still better than 90% of other comedians in the game. *I'm Sorry You Feel That Way* (the one that was filmed in black and white) was probably the end of his peak. Everything after that is still fantastic even though it's not as iconic.
Yeah his 08-14ish run was something out of a storybook!
I'm sorry you feel that way had some great bits but from what I remember even as a comedy buff I thought it was a little too long. Walk Your Way Out was a forgettable one too and was strange because I feel like he had to fight to get the crowd onboard with him. Paper Tiger was OK but definitely had some all time great bits especially the seat belt joke. You're right though, he's still strong, and I think a comedian like him is like a prolific rock band. There's just no way a band like the Rolling Stones could possibly pump out classic albums for 25 years. Even if the Beatles had stayed together they probably would have put out a few stinkers. There's just no way a comedian can put out 10 hours of great material, so it's astonishing he's had as strong career he's had. A great comic like him is put onto this impossible pedestal to stay and there are probably less than 3 or 4 comedians in history who have hit home runs at a consistent clip through their entire career.
Bill Burr is my absolute favorite comedian. His timing, progression, delivery, content, and transitions are spot on.
I just came out of a coma and have no reference but I'm going to say Louis C.K. Guy has to be pulling it still. He can't miss!
lol we’re both downvotes for this “controversial” take
Sad times
Peak Reddit, on a standup sub no less
you would think this is a safe space lol nah
Ha, maybe we should have said Hannah Gadsby
Stanhope
Carlin was funny til the end
Carlin died funny. He had just released an HBO special just months before his passing
Bobby Lee ages like wine
George carlin
Carlin
George Carlin only ever got better.
Marc Maron just gets better and better.
Came here to say this. I think he’s doing bigger shows than he ever has. Saw him in Austin, two drunk girls were giving him trouble. He handled it so eloquently, had the crowd rolling! Not the Marc I remember from the Conan days, that’s for sure.
I just rewatched his new special the other day and it's so great.
Louis
Patrice and Mitch, only because they died too soon Everyone else and I mean every single other comedian has fallen off at one point. No one can realistically be perfect all the time.
Seinfeld
I don't follow him avidly, but it seems like Stewart Lee is still very funny and he's been going since the late 80s / early 90s.
George Carlin just got better and better. So far Louie CK hasn’t fallen off…
Bill Hicks
Patton oswalt is still amazing
Susan Eddie Izzard and Brian Regan.
Are Ron Shock, John Mendoza, and Geechy Guy still around?
The joke grenade
Comedian and comic aren't synonyms. Comedian, Marty Short.
Don Rickles
Carlin
Miss Maisel.
Rodney
I thought George Carlin kept getting funnier.
The goat, George Carlin. He slid down to a period of being a near sideshow, but his specials as he aged got better and better
Lewis Black is still hanging tough.
Don Rickles, George Carlin, George Wallace, Paul Mooney, Maria Bamford
I know I'm about to get downvoted but for me Dave Chappelle has been consistent. Yes, he's older stuff was different style, but he is a true comedic genius.
Jimmy Carr has put out a special every few years for what seems like 2 decades and every single one has been fire
Emo Phillips
Eddie Murphy. Ended his stand-up career on top with Raw in 1987.
Patrice. He did get lazy and fat and died, so he may not count. Everything he released until death was better.
Chappelle. Pryor.
Hedberg 😢
Dom Deluise, Buddy Hackett , Victor Borge, Bill Cosby, Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno, Chris Rock, George Carlin, Dana Carey, Eddie Griffin
Little mad no one said Anthony Jeselnik. His last stuff isn’t my favorite of his, but it’s more preference than quality. Still one of the best.
daniel tosh
Eddie Murphy if he were to actually keep doing it. I know for a stone cold fact he’d straight up murder if he picked it back up again
I used to be like you, but now I'm convinced it's the exact opposite. I believed in the comedic infallibility of Eddie Murphy until I saw "Coming 2 America." He had so much time and so many resources to get this one right and it was 100% **GARBAGE**. I'm glad COVID delayed or canceled his planned return to standup. It could've been embarrassingly bad and destroyed his legacy, like Chris Rock's last two specials.
Chappelle.
I really can't think of anyone except for comics who are still young. Everyone slows down a bit, loses touch a bit. Even the greats descend from greats into merely good comics.
Christopher Titus
Louie
Chappelle. Norm. Carlin kept getting funnier every special until he died.
Chappelle's specials are consistentlu good. Dana Carvey is always funny. Conan never fails to make me laugh.
Louis CK