Comments on: Universal Humor

By: brian c

brian c — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:09:54 +0000

This may get lost if a new episode is posted in the next hour, but I just saw on Chortle the list of the top 10 earners in stand-up comedy. My €20 didn’t make the top 10.

Here’s the list:

1. Jerry Seinfeld: $85 million

2. Chris Rock: $42 million

3. Jeff Dunham: $30 million. His Achmed The Dead Terrorist YouTube clip has attracted 89million views, making his tours and DVD release hugely lucrative

4. Dane Cook: $20 million from movies and a stand-up tour

4=. George Lopez. $20 million. Mainly from the road, but also syndication fees from his own sitcom, which ended in 2007.

6. Howie Mandel. $15million. Touring, hosting the US Deal Or No Deal and as spokesman for buy.com

7. Larry the Cable Guy: $13million. Big money from touring and associated merchandising

8. Jeff Foxworthy: $11million. Another Blue Comedy Comedy Tour stand-up still making millions from the road, and as host of Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?

9=.. Terry Fator. $10million. Impressionist/ventriloquist who won America’s Got Talent.

9=. Russell Peters. $10million. Race-based tour remains immensely popular, he sold out London’s O2 Arena in just one day.

By: Matt Drufke

Matt Drufke — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:38:46 +0000

Okay, let’s give this a try. If the criteria are comedians who became popular in the last two decades (for doing comedy) as well as being my favorite comedians, my list would have to include Chris Rock, Lewis Black, Mitch Hedberg and David Cross.

By: Dan Tessitore

Dan Tessitore — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:56:28 +0000

ditto Colin Quinn.

By: Leonardo Lugnut

Leonardo Lugnut — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:29:14 +0000

All 4 guys on Mt. Rushmore had people who voted against them, but made a huge impact on the nation. In that spirit, wouldn’t you have to consider Jeff Foxworthy for the last 20 years? I’m no fan, but he has quite a resume and launched a few careers…

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:24:58 +0000

Haven’t decided my comedy Mount Rushmore yet, but regarding King of Universal Humor, I’d have to say Benny Hill has a claim to that weird-shaped crown.

I grew up with Benny Hill, and loved him as a kid. Then I hit my teens and got into Monty Python and found Hill frankly embarrassing and passe’.

But looking back at him now, I realise what a grat clown he was, and how universally loved he is – from Paris to Tokyo. Weirdest of all is his respect and love within the African American community – Snoop Doggy Dogg being a massive fan of Hill (as well as Michael Jackson too)

Plus bitchslapping a short bald-headed guy is as funny as it gets…

By: Dan Tessitore

Dan Tessitore — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:56:24 +0000

Brian/Comics: have any of you found a tried and true method of squashing that person at the club who wants to tell you street jokes?

They invariably open the conversation by complimenting the comic before starting that shit, which makes it even harder to nip it without looking like the asshole.

Besides, they’re never hot single women.

By: Dominic

Dominic — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:12:24 +0000

Ok here goes my list.

1. Dave Attel
2. Zach Gallifanakis
3. Chris Rock
4. Lois CK

By: Dan Tessitore

Dan Tessitore — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:40:37 +0000

Oh, one last thing on topical humor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdFJ-hFFdI8

By: Dan Tessitore

Dan Tessitore — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:52:25 +0000

Shit, forgot about the time constraint, so I guess I have to scratch Paul Mooney.

Oh well, no biggie – I’m giving the entire mountain to Stanhope anyway.

By: Dan Tessitore

Dan Tessitore — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 03:34:02 +0000

That’s the thing whenever there’s an attempt to create a “top” list of anything – defining exactly what the parameters are. Time Mag did a Top 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century list in 1999. Einstein was #1, but there’s an argument to be made for Hitler (especially when you consider the fact that Hitler was the reason Einstein pulled up stakes in the first place).

It’s admittedly not a great analogy for comedy, of course, because Dane Cook is not Hitler and Doug Stanhope is not Einstein.

But as far as a Rushmore of Comedy – just four measly comics – it’s probably impossible and certainly totally subjective. I don’t think anyone has produced quite the signature style/bits that captured large public attention like Lenny Bruce’s tackling of social mores in the 50’s, Pryor’s auto-biographic honesty, or Carlin’s “7 Words…” The only possible contender I can think of is Chris Rock’s “Black People vs. Niggers” bit, but even then, Chris Rock is not under contract to do an hour for HBO every 18 months.

I could – and probably will – write a lengthy and boring blog post on this, but I’ll just leave off with why certain people DON’T make my personal Rushmore:

HEDBERG: Two CD’s, one of them posthumous, doesn’t cut it. Sorry. Yeah – good writing and great delivery. Comics who remember him will always admire him, but there is little if any broader cultural impact.

GAFFIGAN: I may be a snot, but I’m with Hicks on this one: “You do a commercial, you’re off the artistic roll call. Forever. Everything you say is suspect, and every word out of your mouth is like a turd falling into my drink.” Gaffigan’s a good comic, but he’s not so good that I forget he shilled for Sierra Mist, of all things.

Anyway, like I said I could eat up all of Brian’s bandwidth with this subject, and to no avail, because we all have our personal loves and opinions. But there’s one guy I failed to think of in my first post, who it could be argued tops them all:

PAUL MOONEY

I am, however, in favor of having this discussion at great length, just so Brian has to read 472 posts in a week