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Your top 3 comedians of all time


Chantry

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I doubt we'll ever see anybody as talented as the following three ever again.

 

#1 Robin Williams:  A very good stand up comedian, an even better dramatic & comedic actor and no one better at improving & riffing.  It's always fun to watch Robin on a talk show as he goes off to the races as the talk show host loses all control of the interview.   Robin also went on numerous USO tours in Iraq & Afghanistan and it was clear he truly cared about the troops.  Go buy 'Inside the Actor's Studio w/Robin Williams and there are plenty of YouTube videos out there.

 

#2 Don Rickles:  Being an insult comic is hard, being the best insult comic in the world for almost 70 years is incredible.

 

#3 Dean Martin:  A talented singer and actor who doesn't get nearly enough credit as a comedian. 

 

Honorable mention:  Craig Ferguson, one of the few people who could keep up with Robin Williams and probably the best late night talk show host after Johnny Carson.

 

I don't know how many hours I've wasted on YouTube laughing at the above individuals.

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Robin Williams, hands down. 

 

Scripts were mere suggestions to him and the directors and producers were smart enough to just shut up and keep the cameras rolling.

 

Buster Keaton.

 

Red Skelton.

 

On a side note, I think that the most underrated comedian of the last 25 years was Jaleel White.  His success was his own downfall and he was typecast before he was old enough to drive.  He was a better physical comedian at 15 than most adults ever achieve.  If him and a coat tree are in the same room, and you'd swear it was either a Vaudevillian skit reenacted or a series of CGI tricks.

 

On another side note, I think that the most overrated comedians today are Sasha Baron Cohen and Will Farrell.  Both rely on perpetuating stereotypes to an extreme level in an attempt to make it funny- and fail more often than not, as far as I'm concerned.

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Really, there's Robin Williams, then there is everyone else. He could do it all. His dramatic work also stands on its own merits.

If I'm judging merely based upon those who have made me personally laugh the hardest over time, I have gotten tremendous mileage out of Eddie Murphy and 'Raw' and 'Delirious' over the years.

 

Third would have to be Jonathan Winters.

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Red Skelton - saw him live and laughed so hard my girlfriend thought I was going to die.

Robin Williams

Eddy Izzard

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There's comedy, and there's comedy - not all is stand-up.

 

One example would be John Belushi - sadly, his common sense did not match his talent.

 

I knew a fella once who had a high-ranking position with the city of Aspen.  He told of being in a nightclub one evening when Robin Williams came in with Belushi - patrons, not hired entertainment.  Nevertheless, he said they figuratively brought the house down.  I can only imagine...!  :lol:

 

Another name from the past ~ Bob Hope!  Funny both in stand-up and performing cast roles.   ^_^

 

 

 

 

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George Carlin

Don Rickles

Jeff Foxworthy

 

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No argument with any so far;  

 

add Tim Conway to the list.

 

(edited to change "lust" to "list".  All the comedians would have had fun with that!)

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What, no respect for Rodney Dangerfield??? :blink:

 

Bill Cosby was always my favorite, but unfortunately he proved to be a lot less funny in real life. <_<

 

I always liked Jay Leno's jokes on the Tonight Show, especially the "Headines" segment.

 

 

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42 minutes ago, Joke &#x27;um said:

Gracie Allen

Jack Benny

Steven Wright

 

On a good day, me.  I crack me up.

I crack me up too.

It’s a gift. 

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38 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I crack me up too.

It’s a gift. 

Yeah Pat, how many times is it now you've cracked yourself up on a bike?

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10 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Yeah Pat, how many times is it now you've cracked yourself up on a bike?

Not the same thing. :P

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Have to agree with Robin Williams, 

Don Rickles, (saw him just a few years before he died. Still loved him, but would have liked to see him in his prime.)

George Carlin. I got to see him live when I was 18 or 19 and I just about died laughing. 

And because I can't only mention 3,

Jonathan Winters, Flip Wilson, and yes, Red Skelton.

 

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No way I would even try to make a list. One thing I am grateful for is satellite radio, There are  or 5 comedy channels that I have tuned in and there are some very funny young comedians around. One that comes instantly to mind for me is Joy Koy. Another one that I have enjoyed on youtube is Rodney Carrington.

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Groucho Marx

 

Jerry Lewis

 

George Carlin

 

Honorable mention: Robin

Williams, Don Rickles, Sid Ceasar.

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Ask me tomorrow and I'd have a different list.  And likely a different one two days after that.  For me it's subjective and mood dependent.

Don Knotts (except for his 
Disney work)

Buddy Hackett (sp?)

Zero Mostel

or

 

Alan King

Mort Saul

Henny Youngman

 

or 
The entire Carol Burnette Show cast


 

 

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Howdy Pards 

I gotta tell ya three aintagonnagit it.

Gotta have S A N F O R D period.

And what no Sammy Davis Jr....really?

Add in ones already named...maybe top Dozen..

Top Twelve has a nice ring to it.

And Johnnie carson....ya gonna leave him off??

Letterman? Whold different humor launching watermelons.

Fill a microwave oven with light bulbs......and turn it on...with the 

company help lady pleading for him to stop.....

Best

CR

 

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Hey!!  Don’t forget Lenny Bruce,  Milton Berle, and Jack Benny!!

 

OR!! Jerry Clower, Red Foxx, and Joey Bishop!!

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Jerry Clower

 

A Coon Huntin' Story is probably the single funniest piece of comedy I've ever heard.

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