My five greatest comedians list

[Hokie]

Bob Hope was the one of the last of a group of comedians that I grew up laughing with. They are almost gone now. Here is my list of the top five - not necessarily in order except for Jack Benny at the top:

1. Jack Benny
2. Bob Hope
3. Burns and Allen (counted as one)
4. Red Skelton
5. Jonathan Winters

Except for Winters, all of these started in radio or vaudville. Winters is the only one left now. I am sure your list will be different depending upon your age and taste for comedy. I left out the likes of Lucielle Ball, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, and the modern comedians who came on the seen when I was in adulthood like Robin Williams. Had he not tragially died so young I think Ernie Kovacs would have made my top five.

[molly]

1. My list exactly except I would replace Jonathan

with Lucy - these people were funny. I do like Robin Williams also. Lucille Ball was ahead of her time and watching the "I LOVE LUCY" reruns, I still laugh.

[ugarte]

3. 1.Richard Pryor

2.Richard Pryor
3.Richard Pryor
4.Richard Pryor
5.Robin Williams

[mac56]

2. I will put Ernie Kovacs on the list.

He was a genius, and came out of the same tradition as his contemporaries.

1. Jack Benny
2. Ernie Kovacs
3. George Carlin
4. Richard Pryor
5. Bill Hicks

[trof]

8. same here

For reasons I don't understand AT ALL, the Nairobi Trio still cracks me up.

[ps1074]

4. Benny Hill anyone?

Benny Hill is my favorite one :bounce:

[bocadem]

11. Love(d) him!

I still love his show.

[HEyHEY]

5. I'm glad to see Jack Benny up there

I'd go with

Jack Benny
Rodney Dangerfield
Bob Hope
Don Rickles
Johnny Carson

[phillybri]

6. My list....

1. Bill Hicks
2. Dave Attell
3. Lewis Black
4. George Carlin
5. Steven Wright

[SweetZombieJesus]

13. Best list on this thread

And you put Bill at number one, as it should be.

Man, I didn't know there was such reverence for sub-Vaudeville quality hack comedians around here until I saw all these other lists. You guys do realize there were comedians AFTER the 50s and 60s, right?

[mac56]

16. Interesting comment -

right next to a Jimi Hendrix avatar.

You do realize there were guitarists AFTER the 60s, right?

;-)

[SweetZombieJesus]

17. Yeah, but there's no Greg Sage avatar, so I'm stuck with Jimi ;-)

n/t

[jonnyblitz]

19. I agree!!! Bill Hicks IS number 1.

I have no use for the aptly described sub-Vaudeville quality hack comedians either.

[midnitemoleman]

7. Bob Hope was my American Idol

Bob Hope
Abbot & Costelo
Martin & Lewis
Jack Benny

[whirlygigspin]

9. in no order

the Marx brothers
Lucille Ball
Buddy Hacket
Judy Tenuda
Whoopi Goldberg

[morstyranni]

18. Buddy Hacket!

[morningglory]

10. George Gobel

He always said he was born the year they invented rope.

[underpants]

12. Cosby/Pryor/Carlin/Buddy Hackett....and Jake Johanson

A lady came up to me on the street and pointed to my suede jacket. "You know a cow was murdered for that jacket?" she sneered. I replied in a psychotic tone, "I didn't know there were any witnesses. Now I'll have to kill you too."

[NashVegas]

14. Bill Hicks

:)

[SweetZombieJesus]

15. Another vote for the Goatboy!

Good to see more Hicks fans around here.

[BigMcLargehuge]

20. Mine are more modern

George Carlin in all his incarnations including bitter old bastard...
Bill Hicks, a man who truly died tooooo young.
Eddie Izzard
Bob Newhart
Bill Cosby

[morstyranni]

21. Good choices

Nobody wants to say 'seinfeld' because he is so popular, taht guy is the funniest muthaF**er alive. Izzard is hilarious, his HBO special is classic. That bit about conquering continents with teh clever use of flags was great. who could forget "Hey, I'm a fuckin' donut".

[BigMcLargehuge]

22. the whole bit in phrasebook french nearly killed me

I laughed for days at that... and still have residual giggles every now and then.

Seinfeld never really did it for me to be honest. I always liked Steven Wright's skewed observational humor more.

Another guy to add to the list, Lewis Black.

[morstyranni]

35. Lewis Black is funny as hell.

He started late didn't he? I like his rage.

[ForrestGump]

23. My five, in no particular order

Robin Williams
Bill Cosby
Andy Kaufman
Billy Connolly
Steve Martin

[beanball]

24. The top five comics

1.Flip Wilson 2.Robin Williams 3.Bob Hope 4.The Marx Brothers 5.Mom Mabley ,#1,000,000,000,000,000,000 Dennis Miller,oh my Dennis is not a comic he is the Kings fool.

[beanball]

25. Comics and court jesters

1.court jester Dennis Miller 2.Rush 3.Sean 4.Bill O 5.Tweety.

[dragonquest8]

26. My take

Jay Leno
Conan O'Brien

[catpower2000]

27. My list, based on who makes ME laugh the hardest...

1. Chris Rock
2. David Letterman
3. Snoop Dogg
4. David Cross
5. Dave Chappelle

[anti_shrub]

28. My top 5

1. George Carlin

2. Bill Hicks (would be #1 if he was still around)

3. Richard Pryor

4. Robin Williams

5. Bill Cosby

[SEAburb]

29. Jonathan Winters is the father of modern comedy

1. Jonathan Winters
2. Jack Benny - revolutionized comedy by becoming the butt of the joke
3. Redd Foxx - king of dirty jokes
4. Don Rickles
5. W.C. Fields

[ArkDem]

30. Not even one of the Monty Python Troop?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kat45]

31. My list:

George Carlin
Stephen Wright
Sinbad
Eddie Murphy (in his stand-up days)
Three Stooges

[Kat45]

32. My list:

George Carlin
Stephen Wright
Sinbad
Eddie Murphy (in his stand-up days)
Three Stooges

[moez]

33. where's Andrew Dice Clay?

eom

[hotphlash]

34. Andy Kaufman

Bruce
Carlin
Pryor
Williams/Whoopi Goldberg tie.