Who's the Funniest Person in America?

[robertb]

Following the death of Rodney Dangerfield, a year or so ago, we need to come up with a new person to hold this title.

But there can be no agreement on this question. Sense of humor changes from person to person. But it's always fun and light to talk about the people you think really are funny.

The other night, for example, Bill Murray was on Letterman, and those 2 guys are in my top five, and when they are together, they are funnier than apart.
It's that droll, smart-aleck sense of humor that appeals to me.

Now I can appreciate Jay Leno as a hard worker and a comedian, but he's more of the class clown type who wouldn't break any rules and would kiss up to the principal to save his hide.

Murray and Letterman, on the other hand, are the kinds of guys who would question authority and do cool stuff and maybe not even take credit for it. Just leave people wondering

Other people on my top ten list of funniest people around?

• Albert Brooks and his brother, Super Dave Osborne.
• Chris Elliott (are you seeing a thread here?)
• Frank Caliendo, the impressionist from FOX Football and Mad TV.
• Bob Newhart and Jonathan Winters.
• George Carlin, although he has taken a very dark turn in his later years.

[james_t]

Robin Williams
Bill Cosby - The other day my son had a school project where he came up with a mock budget, and the "Cosby Show" episode where Theo has all the stuff taken out of his room and has to pay for it with his play money "salary" kept running through my mind
The comedians on "Whose line is it anyway?", except for Drew Carey

Definitely NOT Chris Elliott. I've yet to see him do anything that got me laughing.

[Eric_H]

I also love Letterman and Murray. Too bad I missed that the other day, it would have been good. I love Carlin and Will Ferrell, although I don't know that Ferrell writes a lot of his own stuff. As far as writers go, Trey Parker and Matt Stone ("South Park") are pretty good.

[mattg]

1. Robin Williams
2. Robin Williams
3. Robin Williams
4. Bill Cosby
5. Charlie Sheen
6. Steven Wright
7. Jim Carey

[LuciusBeebe]

Top 5:

Jim Gaffigan
Lewis Black
Jefferey Ross
Ron White
Billy Connolly

[graceh]

Robin Williams is definitely the funniest man (and woman - Mrs. Doubtfire!)

[LuciusBeebe]

If you've ever seen Robin Williams on any sort of panel format talk show, you'd change your tune.

I loved his stand-up special on HBO, but honestly, that man needs to curb his AD/HD from time to time.

[matt_s]

Robin Williams
Bill Engval
Pat Godwin (best live act I've ever seen)

There are a lot of people in the running for 4th

[robertb]

Lewis Black does some of the best political stuff these days. His one-man show from Washington DC was on HBO and was excellent, especially a bit about how VP Cheney could have shot his hunting partner.

Steve Wright is funny but I haven't seen him in years, or so it seems.

Robin Williams, of course is very funny and probably should have been on my original list but I prefer the more subduded stuff like Bill Murray.

Charlie Sheen's character on two and a half men is hilarious. It's a combination of someone else's writing and his very good delivery.

I really appreciate Stephen Colbert and John Stewart and their unique brand of humor.

[LuciusBeebe]

If not for his fairly recent death, i'd have said Mitch Hedberg.

And if not for his recent turn toward blatant jaded griping in lieu of actual jokes... George Carlin.

[Mike_Walter]

If he were still living, Auburn's own Will Cuppy (Auburn High School, Class of 1902) would get my vote. Check out his humor at http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Will_Cuppy .

[mattg]

Can't believe I forgot Ron White and Bill Engval and Larry the Cable Guy. OK, Foxworthy too, if to a lesser extent.

[LuciusBeebe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCJ7ESnjvHk

After I found out a little bit about Larry the Cable Guy, I just couldn't stomach his act anymore. Its like the Blue Collar Tour is 3 good ol' boys, and 1 guy pretending to be a good ol' boy.

[mattg]

It's not a character reference. The funniest people, tragically, always seem to have the most messed-up lives. With the exception of Bill Cosby, perhaps, who graduated from Temple and seems to have lived a pretty clean life (unfounded accusations notwithstanding)

[LuciusBeebe]

What does that have to do with anything?

[mattg]

Ooops, misunderstood your inference. I'm not sure how much of a "red neck" Ron White is, or for that matter, Ingval or Foxworthy.

[LuciusBeebe]

Well, I wouldn't call them a Redneck... and I guess the definition of "good ol' boy" depends on who you're asking. But of the four, the dude from a prep school in Nebraska definitely doesn't seem to fit the mold of what they're going for.

Its just very annoying to me to know that Larry the Cable Guy is all an act, when Engval, White and Foxworthy seem to be rather genuine guys.

Also, if you want some fun, do some YouTubing on Joe Rogan giving the business to Carlos Mencia for his joke-theiving ways. I love it when people are put in their place, but because its Mencia, its that much sweeter. Can't stand that guy.

[Hawk-64]

Does it have to be real to be funny? Larry the cable guy's humor can get old from time to time but the man does have some great material. If you base the quality of the humor on whether or not the guy is real, you might as well not even watch comedy or anything on television for that matter. Are they not actors, acting? If you ask most people what the definition of a redneck is, you will find that the term is described by many as a "working person". Is that not what Larry the cable guy is? Carlos Mencia is another one that has some good stuff but can get old from time to time. Mencia rides a fine line of ethnic and racial jokes that most people shy away from. In fact due to our over exagerated politically correctness today, some people will laugh or egree with his material inside yet will not laugh out loud for fear of ridicule or being labeled. If a person takes his material seriously then that is a person that probably should not watch comedy at all. Its just comedy that is meant to be just that. I do not see anything racial about his comedy at all and the reason is becuase he makes fun of everyone, not just one group. Just because he uses the material in his act, certainly does not mean that he believes or lives it. To these actors, its not about what they are or what they believe, its about how much money they can make.Yet because we see it, therefor we believe it? Perception is reality to most people I guess.
Alot of people find the comedy of South Park offensive and stupid. These guys are still on the air today because nothing is safe in their comedy. They will poke fun at everyone and everything. I will admit, some of their episodes I can not relate to at all and they to me are not real funny. On the other hand, several of their episodes are downright hilarious. I am with Mencia on his statement at the end of his show. "If you aint laughing, you aint living".

[LuciusBeebe]

I don't like Mencia because he's not funny. Not because of his shtick, which is nothing new. Also no surprise, since Mencia is known for stealing other comedians' material.

The problem with Larry the Cable guy is that he is making fun of the people he is pretending to be, by pretending to be them to get their money.

South Park, Mencia, Chappelle... its all the same drek. There's nothing hip, fresh or edgy about shock. Shock is played out. Shock was rode into the ground by Eddie and Andrew. Woopty dang doo. I'll take intelligent humor over that **** any day of the week and twice on sunday.

[Hawk-64]

I guess I am not that smart then. When I watch comedy, I want to be entertained and I want it to be on the surface. I call it "watching something mind numbing". Usually I want this when I have had a long day that has my mind drained. Thinking about it to much would take the fun right out of it.
I guess I see the point of Larry the Cable Guy acting like someone he is not but as I said earlier, they are all actors. Isn't that what actors do, act like people they are not? Therefor to me, I am unable to take it seriously and have no desire to look into the background of the comedian. I get enough of that with our national media as they examine political candidates. To me the funniest person in comedy is the one that tells a story that I can relate to that I think is funny. I could care less what the real story is behind the "actor". I reserve that for my viewings of the biography channel when I am in my serious mode.