Comedy For Comedy's Sake

[seanmalone 0]

What do you guys think about Birbiglia? From the couple clips i've seen his is not bad.

[Swift_Psycho 1]

What do you guys think about Birbiglia? From the couple clips i've seen his is not bad.

He just had a special out on comedy central not too long ago. He's a pretty funny guy overall, definitely worth a view.edit: That link isn't some of his best stuff.

[FARGOpokerND 22]

No one like Nick Swardson? Demitri Martin?

[ShakeZuma 585]

No one like Nick Swardson? Demitri Martin?

I enjoy him.i'm listening to mike birbiglia right now. dudes funny.I also like zach galafinakis or whatever. don't think he did a whole lot of stand up, but what I saw was great.

[El Guapo 8]

Demitri Martin

zach galafinakis

These are two I forgot about that I really like.

[sealster 0]

What do you guys think about Birbiglia? From the couple clips i've seen his is not bad.

After seeing his special I downloaded all of his stuff that I could find I think he's awesome. I agree with a lot that other people have put up but how about Daniel Tosh and Jim Gaffigan. Both killer with very different deliveries. I used to be a big Dane fan but his new stuff really blows imo

[SlapStick 0]

A lot of the above.Serious question, do you guys see much of Billy Connolly or Peter Kay etc? It seems to be just American Comedians in the group, maybe the accents are a problem?Obviously shocked LB the scotsman didnt mention Billy.Billy Connolly would easily be in my top 3, so I expected to see one mention of him here.

Hes 63 in that one, his earlier stuff and dress sense is much better

[lvpro 0]

I didn't read the whole thread, but I didn't see Eddie Izzard mentioned. I enjoy his stuff.

[Swift_Psycho 1]

I've never seen him do stand-up before, but John Oliver had a special that came out this past Sunday which was pretty darn hilarious. I'll throw in my recommendation for that.

[keith crime 8]

if you don't know or understand bill hicks this is a pretty good doc - he was fearless and right and is widely stolen from todayhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAnjWHP7KActhe latest pope issue with Bill Maher is another line cribbed from bill

[Dirtydutch 8]

I don't know that Bill and Doug really even fit in this thread. It's hard to go back and forth between them and all the wacky-type shit that's popular. I think if you get it, you don't really give a shit about Demitri Martin or Zach Galafinakis, and probably aren't watching Premium Blend every week and whatnot. I know when I first watched all of Stanhope's stuff, I deleted most of my other comedy like two weeks later, because it all just seemed so lame and repetitive. Plus, Hicks' genius is partially lost without context; the trouble with being "ahead of one's time" is that once everyone catches up, you're just an interesting history lesson; an exercise in nostalgia. Perhaps no one whips themselves into the same impassioned, fevered froth that he did, and the message seems a lot less...pure...but that's kinda it: the whole Chomskian anti-consumerism thing has become a trite fashion statement.

[El Guapo 8]

I think that is a little elitist there Dutch.Just because Doug Stanhope is funny, does not mean that Dimitri Martin is not.Also it is possible to like both.

[freak2304 0]

Due to all the kudos given to Stanhope for his standup, I guess I'll have to not judge him by his drunken involvement w/ one of the Girls Gone Wild installments and maybe check him out. TY.

[keith crime 8]

Due to all the kudos given to Stanhope for his standup, I guess I'll have to not judge him by his drunken involvement w/ one of the Girls Gone Wild installments and maybe check him out. TY.

he needed some cash and was aghast at how often they played those commercialshe has a funny routine about it where after Joe Francis was arrested people thought it was him"I wasn't the guy who committed the rape I was just paid to make the rape funny"his output the last five years is immensely better than his early material - after trying to fit into the mainstream he decided to move out of LA live cheaply and not sell outhe also has some great material about how bad the man show was when he was on it

[Dirtydutch 8]

I think that is a little elitist there Dutch.Just because Doug Stanhope is funny, does not mean that Dimitri Martin is not.Also it is possible to like both.

Of course I'm being a tad elitist. I'm being a lot elitist, actually. But I'm still correct; maybe you find them both pretty funny, but if you consider them to be even remotely the some type of thing, you don't fully understand what you're seeing.

[keith crime 8]

the problem is the brilliant guys usually can't get good work because the mindless dudes are safe and comedy club friendlyalthough most people deserve carrot top and Bill hicks gets censored from lettermanits like jerry seinfeld who is amusing enough but never challenged or made anyone think in all 10,000 of his performancesthere's a great quote in Cynthia True's Hick's biography from a screenplay Hicks was writing about a guy that went around killing bad comedians out of love for the artform

[Dirtydutch 8]

Yeah, Seinfeld is a perfect example. Or at least was, before the whole observational thing became so horrific and played out. Great, funny comedian. But if you really loveed him, you probably weren't looking for someone as philosophical as Hicks, and if you thought Hicks was brilliant, you probably found that whole movement empty. I think Patton Oswalt once referred to that genre as "dogs-are-different-that-cats-because...-type material." It can be funny on some level, but I know at least I'm looking for more than that.

[LJB723 0]

Obviously shocked LB the scotsman didnt mention Billy.

Too cliche for me to mention him . He is the best thing Britain has ever produced, but his stuff has waned recently, as most folk do with age, and he's mellowed. Plus the idiotic joke about the guy who was facing a beheading in Iraq (for my shame his name escapes me).But the thing with comedians like Billy and Peter Kay, their stuff isn't transferable everywhere. I don't think Americans would relate to Kay's observational humour about life in Northern England.

I didn't read the whole thread, but I didn't see Eddie Izzard mentioned. I enjoy his stuff.

Read the first reply, you lazy sod!

[LJB723 0]

there's a great quote in Cynthia True's Hick's biography from a screenplay Hicks was writing about a guy that went around killing bad comedians out of love for the artform

Great biography, definately worth a read for those who haven't. My favourite part is when he's ranting about the Vietnam war and some women shouts out to him, "My husband died for your freedom" to which Bill retorts "He didn't die for my fucking freedom!"Not funny per se, but so ballsy that it completely defined his rebellious style. Also, dealing with hecklers as they should be dealt with.

[bigkg 0]

I watched some videos of Stanhope after reading this, and I don't think I can listen to anybody else, it's all just so tame.I'll have to give Bill Hicks a listen, too.

[hblask 1]

I watched some videos of Stanhope after reading this, and I don't think I can listen to anybody else, it's all just so tame.I'll have to give Bill Hicks a listen, too.

There used to be a full hour-long video of Stanhope, I thought on YouTube, but I've been unable to find it. Can anyone provide a link? It was sort of dark, in a small club. It was classic, all his popular bits and political views in one package.

[keith crime 8]

There used to be a full hour-long video of Stanhope, I thought on YouTube, but I've been unable to find it. Can anyone provide a link? It was sort of dark, in a small club. It was classic, all his popular bits and political views in one package.

his web site has a lot of dvdsthe latest no refunds is amazing

[tuckermitchell 1]

I can't believe Daniel Tosh hasn't at least recieved an honorable mention.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z41FXduP9AA

[Dan The Man 0]

George CarlinDemetri MartinMitch HedbergRichard PryorJerry SeinfeldChris RockLouis C.K.Andy KaufmanDavid CrossDave Chapelle

[hank213 1,823]

When I was quite a bit younger I saw a special about Lenny Bruce. The stuff he did, at the time, was amazingly ground breaking. He really paved the way for modern comics. Bill Hicks (mentioned many times here). I'm disappointed in myself that I hadn't heard him when he was still going strong. It's a damn shame he was so under appreciated here in the states during his lifetime.Andy Kaufman I think was closer to a performance artist than a comedian. He was so far outside the mold with a lot of his stuff that he almost creates a new genre for himself.I always enjoy Carlin's examination of the use of language and cynical view of human nature and civilization.Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, and Brian Posehn have some really good bits. I really liked the series they did on comedy central. I think, Zach has the potential to really get big. He has a biting insight and quirky delivery.