Some stuff I found
What is your "walk score?" This website uses a patent-pending algorithm to determine how "walkable" your home is to nearby stores, restaurants, parks, etc. My new place tallied an 85.---
I know you've been watching it-- "Scott Baio is 45... and Single."
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Superblogger Ken Levine recalls the comedian born Benjamin Kubelsky, one of my choices for the Mount Rushmore of Comedy. The floor is open for nominations. I go with Benny, Groucho, Don Rickles, and Richard Pryor.
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Comedy Central matches "The Simpsons" character to the corresponding presidential candidate.
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Nothing funny about this. Mitt Romney wants to put a V-Chip in every computer.
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In marking "The Muppets" Season 2 DVD release, Miss Piggy grants an email interview to the LA Times.
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The Onion's letters policy:
The Onion neither publishes nor accepts letters from its readers. The Onion's editorial policy is that its readers shall have no voice whatsoever and that The Onion shall be solely a one-way conduit of information. The editorial page is reserved for the exclusive use of the newspaper staff to advance whatever opinions or agenda it sees fit, or, in certain cases, for paid advertorials by the business community.
posted by CM @ 9:01 PM
7 Comments:
I'll go with Jonathan Winters, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, and Steven Wright.
Very different styles, but all of them make me laugh. If I were flipping though the channels and came across one of them, I would stop flipping.
OK, a Comedy Mount Rushmore is a great topic. I've got a lot to say.
I actually am having a really hard time narrowing it down, not knowing if I should be acknowledging the earlier groundbreakers and originators of the form or my own latter day personal favorites. I can't argue with either of your two lists. Chris' list is heaviest on the originators which I can't argue with, but Dave's list would probably be closer to my own.
I think the combination of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld makes the closest thing we have to a perfect comedian. The yin/yang dichotomy of the light/dark, observational/misanthropic and skeptical outlook. If that is the ideal blueprint then, I think the single best comedian who fits that is George Carlin. Throw in the fact that he probably has the most impressive sheer output of all comedians.
Bob Newhart is definitely worthy of the conversation for having moved comedy away from the yuk yuk, corny jokes and one-liner era that was so mainstream in the 50s and Lenny Bruce HAS to be mentioned. Woody Allen too is a titanic figure for not just his standup but for making the best comedy movies and serving as the bridge between Groucho and Seinfeld.
As far as women go, Phyllis Diller is probably the archetype, but Roseanne is the funniest. I haven't yet investigated him enough yet, but eventually I'll check out the best work of Bill Hicks and I suspect I'll sing his praises. He's from that Lenny Bruce school, as is my favorite political comedian, Bill Maher. Other personal faves include Todd Barry and Wendy Liebman, and the late great Mitch Hedberg, who might be even more of a twisted logic genius than Steven Wright.
Also: I love Garry Shandling and his genius moves beyond the standup arena, as does Bill Cosby and Eddie Murphy, who seemed to bookend comedy in the 80s, its most important era. Cosby, Carlin and Lenny Bruce are the three main names that are inarguable giants even if they're not on my personal list.
As far as the best performances go, I also want to mention two other legendary comics for a similar reason and point them out as perhaps my two personal favorites. The two single best standup specials ever made, in my opinion, are "Bring the Pain" by Chris Rock and "I'm Exhausted" by Richard Lewis. Check 'em out, they're definitive.
Blogmaster Chris is also in possession of some Johnny Carson DVDs that contain an early 80s show visit by Rodney Dangerfield that is probably the funniest 10-12 minutes I've ever seen - the textbook example of a comedian who is absolutely killing.
Also, I only saw it once, but 3-4 years ago, Robin Williams had a standup special on HBO which I recall as being absolute dynamite and was one of the great examples of a legendary comedian triumphantly reclaiming his title and rediscovering his standup voice.
I saw the Robin Williams standup bit on HBO too, which is one of the main reasons I put him on my list. I'd seen him do stuff with Comic Relief, but that was the first time I had actually seem him do a full stand-up show by himself. It was hilarious.
I also considered Seinfeld, Roseanne, Cosby, and Carlin for my list. I didn't really put much weight on Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock because they just seem to be loud and vulgar. I suppose the same applies to Carlin, but I think his was a more intelligent vulgarity. Don't get me wrong, I would gladly sit and watch a stand-up routine of either of those guys, as long as my wife or child are not in the room.
I might be tempted to replace Groucho, despite his rapid-fire wisecracks, with Jonathan Winters-- he of the varied and hilarious voices and characters, but Benny's certainly the George Washington on Mount Yuk-more. (No good?)
He's at least the most widely-copied comic mind. His radio show was the prototype for the modern sitcom.
Bill Hicks
"You know, I consider myself a fairly open-minded person, but speaking of homosexuality, something has come to my attention that has shocked even me. Have you heard about these new grade school books for children they're trying to add to the curriculum, to help children understand the gay lifestyle? One's called Heather's Two Mommies, the other one is called Daddy's New Roommate.
Folks, I gotta draw the line here and say this is absolutely disgusting. It is grotesque, and it is pure evil. (Pause) I'm talking, of course, about Daddy's New Roommate
Can't forget Jeffrey Ross too. And Jim Gaffigan. Funny guys.
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