Stand Up Comedy

[Baby Lee]

Being funny in standup is a niche and very particular way of being funny.

It's one person commandeering the attention of the entire audience to consume their creative output with no feedback except laughter.

I still find a good deal of standup enjoyable, but it's increasingly, exponentially increasingly, rare that I find it 'funny.'

Sometimes it's to the point where I search my memory to find and think back on sets I did actually find funny, as opposed to interesting and amusing.

They say of Lorne Michaels that he rarely if ever laughs at anything, which might strike you as odd from the premiere gatekeeper of comedy for half a century. But they also say that if he softly says 'that's funny' in an audition, you likely have the next Ferrell, Belushi, or Hartman on your hands. Since I heard that, I find that's how I actually assess standup most of the time, . . . Maybe 2-3 times a decade a standup set will ACTUALLY make me laugh. More that I quietly note 'that's funny, I need to remember how funny that was.'

I laugh, actually laugh, a lot more at improv or conversation like you find on SuperEgo, Comedy Bang-Bang, Teacher's Lounge or Conan Needs a Friend, than I do with standup these days, and there are plenty of solid contributors in those arenas.

Tina Fey, Andrea Savage, and Jessi Klein are great writers with a great ear for dialogue and absurdity.

Mary Holland, Julie Klausner, Janet Varney, Nicole Byer, Nicole Parker, Lauren Lapkis, . . . there are TONS of funny conversationalists and improv-ers out there,

In standup specifically, Ali Wong, Esther Povitski, Michelle Wolf, Taylor Tomlinson, and occasionally Fortune Feimster seem to me the current best at 'the craft.' That is focusing on the timing and phrasing calculated to elicit laughs. . . ie, and working travelling live standup like one would expect when going to the local Chuckle Hut for an evening of laughs.

[Pepe Silvia]

Never been a big stand up guy other than Carlin or Burr. However there was a couple acts by John Leguizamo that I enjoyed. Dana Gould was pretty good the one time I watched him HBO as well.

[scho63]

Tom Segura is really good these days

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by scho63

Tom Segura is really good these days

The best.

For a pretty clean comedian who is surprisingly very good - Nate Bargatze.

[Shag]

Originally Posted by BWillie

The best.

For a pretty clean comedian who is surprisingly very good - Nate Bargatze.

Bargatze really reminds me of Segura, in terms of delivery. Their style is very similar, and definitely works for both - supposed to be seeing Segura here locally soon, which should be awesome.

[Wisconsin_Chief]

Originally Posted by BWillie

The best.

For a pretty clean comedian who is surprisingly very good - Nate Bargatze.

Bargatze is hysterically funny. He was just in town a few weeks ago and had some new material, it was absolutely terrific. Best part is I can watch him with my kids around because he's not raunchy at all. Love that dude.

[BWillie]

I must be sexist because I really don't think any female comics are funny as standup comedians. But yet I defend the female Ghostbusters as not being a bad movie. Who knows.

[Mecca]

Throw out some new comedians, I listen to stand up all the time and I'm looking for some new people to listen to...

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Throw out some new comedians, I listen to stand up all the time and I'm looking for some new people to listen to...

Andi Smith..despite woman comic is pretty funny. Not real well known though

[AdolfOliverBush]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Throw out some new comedians, I listen to stand up all the time and I'm looking for some new people to listen to...

How about Matt Braunger? He's not new, but I think he's underrated.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by AdolfOliverBush

How about Matt Braunger? He's not new, but I think he's underrated.

New to me works honestly, I'm sure I haven't heard everything out there.

[Megatron96]

Been a while since I've really become a fan of a stand-up, but recently Bill Burr has become one for me. He thinks like I do. He just says it in ways that are a lot funnier than what comes out of my mouth most of the time.

As for female stand-ups, well, maybe it's me, but I never saw one that was really that good. I like Whitney Cummings, but she's not on the same level as any of the best male stand-ups.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Been a while since I've really become a fan of a stand-up, but recently Bill Burr has become one for me. He thinks like I do. He just says it in ways that are a lot funnier than what comes out of my mouth most of the time.

As for female stand-ups, well, maybe it's me, but I never saw one that was really that good. I like Whitney Cummings, but she's not on the same level as any of the best male stand-ups.

He has a Monday morning podcast every week, you should give that a look.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

Been a while since I've really become a fan of a stand-up, but recently Bill Burr has become one for me. He thinks like I do. He just says it in ways that are a lot funnier than what comes out of my mouth most of the time.

As for female stand-ups, well, maybe it's me, but I never saw one that was really that good. I like Whitney Cummings, but she's not on the same level as any of the best male stand-ups.

I think just like music you gotta get out of the mainstream. The mainstream wants to push comedians who are over the top. And that’s especially true I feel for female comedians. There are several who are more subtle like Taylor Tomlinson who are pretty good.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

I'm going to see David Koechner, Anchor Man fame, tomorrow night in Des Moines. Don't know what to expect.