The problem with comedy – and this really is a problem – is that while one member of a steamy love affair is rolling on the floor, begging for the jokes to stop, yelling that it hurts. It bloody hurts. Arrrggggh! The other one is silent, arms folded, almost angry because they’re not laughing.
These jokers can actually destroy relationships. Hence, you might as well completely ignore the title of this piece, because, frankly, you might hate it. Others of you might love it. But some of you will definitely hate it. No one knows. It’s all just so deliciously subjective.
Even so, in the spirit of blowing away those January Blues using something made-up called a ‘laughter bomb’ (or ‘joke grenade’, or ‘funny gun’ – your choice), below are eight men and women who you might find funny… or not. The point about the subjectivity of this has pretty much been hammered home.Tony Law
With a big womanly thumb jammed into the ‘absurdist comedy’ pie, Tony Law splits the consensus. Some people like their jokes to reflect real life, others will enjoy this weird bit about a bear and a shark.
Tom Stade
Not a great deal is known about this Tom Stade chap, aside from that he’s Canadian - or American or something - and apparently he now lives in sunny England. Funny guy.
Zach Galifianakis
Don’t be ashamed to board big trendy bandwagons, be comfortable declaring that you like the comedy work of the bearded man from The Hangover. He has a beard, damn it, and beards are good. They make you look a bit like a wolf.
Kristen Schaal
Fans of the deadpan New Zealand music and comedy romp, Flight of the Conchords, will recognise Schaal as the band’s one and only fan. She’s great in that, and she’s pretty nifty at stand up as well.
Joe Wilkinson
A relatively new name on the English comedy circuit, Wilkinson is another man who likes to let his facial hair run amock. One to watch.
Stewart Lee
The kind of people who willingly use words like “cerebral” in everyday chit chat are fans of Stewart Lee. That’s just a fact. He’s cerebral, you see.
Sarah Silverman
Silverman can be a little bit hard to like, especially a year or so ago when she turned up in London to put on a rather lazy performance to a very disgruntled audience. But the lady has got funny bones.
Jim Gaffigan
Jokes about food can be funny. Above is the proof of that.
Josh Burt is one of the brains behind Interestment Comedy.
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d substitute Brian Regan for Sarah Silverman, but that’s because I find Sarah Silverman to be tiresome. Other than that, well done!
Where’s Stanhope and Rogan????
What, no Daniel Kitson? not that the scant available footage of him does him justice…
What about Lee Evans??
Or is that last year?
Sarah Silverman is not funny, and Kathy Griffin is funnier than all of those people combined.
Nooo.. Tom Stade is annoying!
looks like hecklerspray is getting paid to promote unfunny people.
Im surprised you didn’t list Jay Leno as #1, followed by Jimmy Fallon(lonny donnegan per letterman)
It’s all about Tom Stade!
I find it funny that all of the GREATEST living comedians are white lol I watch stand up Everyday, pretty much all day & find your list ridiculous. I dont “Hate it” as you say because I completely understand stand up is a “To each their own” kind of thing. However, considering the amount of money GREAT Stand up comedians make with selling out shows and what not, and to leave out the REAL greats like Lopez, Cheppelle, Rock, All comedians that sell out anywhere they go, yet happen to not be white. Plus, lets not forget are SO FUNNY they’ve been given their own shows, is simply ludicrous. I’m not going to call your list racist but I am going to say its suspicious. I love great white stand up too like Louis CK, Seinfield, Gaffigan (the only person on your list that deserves to be there) but lets be honest. To say the Greatest living comedians are all white is very questionable.
I disagree with comedy being subjective! It has it’s audience variables but it is a finite science. I realize what makes one person laugh may leave on completely unmoved, but either you’re funny or you are not! The same bit performed by a comedian that understands what it is to BE funny can kill while another “comedian” falls on his/her face. And then of course some shit just aint funny and no matter how good you are it will always blow.
TONY LAW: no matter how funny the story may be, (it wasn’t) he has not understanding of timing, or story telling for that matter. He should be selling shoes in Haiti.
Tom Stade: Wow, sorry, i thought maybe someone called a cab and the driver accidentally wandered on stage. This guy hasn’t even thought his act through. Did he forget that he was in front of an audience?
Zack Galifianakis has been around for a very long time and he has honed his comedy talent to perfection. He is never not funny.
Kristen Schaal: She gets it, she’s always been funny even when her jokes are bad, she still makes them work.
Joe Wilkinson: He needs a chance. I don’t think it’s funny, but I see that he understands what funny is and that’s a lot.
Stewart Lee: Funny through and through.
Sarah Silverman: NEVER BEEN FUNNY. She is where jokes go to die. The funny people she knows in her life, are less funny for knowing her.
Jim Gaffigan: I have no opinion. I fell asleep.
In my overbearing, yet humble opinion, the funniest living people are not mentioned here.(except Galifianakis)
Doug Stanhope
Patton Oswalt
Louis C.K.
Eddie Izzard
Jim Norton
Dave Atell
Don’t think any of those people are that great. Think you’re missing some of the basic greats. Instead you have the far gone greats!
Thanks none the less. Was good to see the videos.
coff coff
Bill hicks?
Ed Byrne?
jimmy carr?
Ricky gervaise..
They all made me laugh
your list..well ,didnt.
and the black guy screaming racism…you do realize that those comedians you name are the biggest rassists ever.Every other joke is about black poeple eating chicken and white folks that cant dance..
if you watch theyr dvd releases look at the audience..shure there is a white bloke here and there, but the targe audience is black…your the only ones making jokes about differents between races their main focus..
excuse my bad english im swiss..
uu.. that reminds me Bill maher
ur missing Katt Williams, Dane Cook, Russel Peters, my three favorite by far
Damn………..
How could you miss Fluffy………
Gabriel Iglesias
where is tosh??????????????????????????
Totally!! Tosh is definatly one of the best!
Where is so and so and such and such? Why didn’t you name blah-de-blah? He/she/it should have been on that list! Not those other guys!
Lol, you people replying just piss me off. Go to some other site with their top ten list if you don’t like this one. The author knows some people won’t like it and he’s still not gonna change it.
It’s a waste of time asking about why they didn’t include ‘your favorite all-time 5 comedians’. Just like my own reply. I doubt any of you will check back to see if anyone said anything different. If you’re that disgruntled and you want your voice heard, make your own little blog and post your own list. I would rather see encouraging comments to the author, and on that note:
Well done. Very informative read and great work on embedding those videos. It was a plentiful sampling to see what I like.
You are the gayest, stupidist motherfucker on the planet, not to mention racist. How do I know? Where the fuck is Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor, you stupid cunt?
The list is lame and VERY white. Substitute Rock, Chappelle, Williams??? Underground LA stand up STEVEN LOLLI…just bought dvd “A Thinker Who Loves Pussy”…funnier than anyone on this list(or any stand up I have seen in quite a while). Why are all the great artists underground like this?
You have to be shitting me, what about David Cross?