When my friends, family, coworkers find out that I'm doing Stand Up, the first question they ask (after, Really?!, or Tell me a joke!) is who my favorite comedians are, who influenced me. That's a tough question to answer. I'm not sure why. If you ask me my favorite band, I easily rattle off Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and the grunge group. But when it comes to comedy, there are just so many. I got hooked when I was, what 15 years old, on Eddie Murphy's Delirious. I still sing, "Put a nickle...in your butt" and I rewound that tape so many times to hear him backing up over that bump in the road or to hear him say, "Yo man, somebody stole your batt'ry!"
I've been a fan of comedy ever since, and, now, I'm jumping up on stage to become one of them. Below are a few lists, including comedians who inspired me, those I (surprisingly) don't really care for, those that make me want to drop my mic and walk away from an inferiority complex, and those local guys I aspire to perform with.
Feel free to comment.
Comedians who inspired me
Comedians you'd be surprised to know I don't like much
Comedians so good they make me want to drop the mic and walk away
Local Comedians you gotta see: Coming Soon!
I've been a fan of comedy ever since, and, now, I'm jumping up on stage to become one of them. Below are a few lists, including comedians who inspired me, those I (surprisingly) don't really care for, those that make me want to drop my mic and walk away from an inferiority complex, and those local guys I aspire to perform with.
Feel free to comment.
Comedians who inspired me
- Eddie Murphy: Thanks, Eddie. Nothing touches your material and it truly inspired me.
- George Carlin: His football/baseball bit will always be with me, but I truly appreciate his intelligent humor. So much so, that he made two lists here.
- Jon Pinnette: what a master, anther comic gone too soon.
- Kathleen Madigan
- Joan Rivers: just before she fell into critical condition, I listed her as one of my favorites to somebody who'd asked. Even I was surprised by my including her, but she was just such a master and hard worker.
- Bill Burr: I've seriously NEVER heard a Burr bit and want, 'meh.'
- Sarah Silverman: god, she scares me to death, but so freaking funny (and my wife says I can leave her for Sarah, saying, "You two'd just kill each other, anyway."
- Lachlan Patterson: he's new (on our TVs), but if I had to say I'd like to model my stuff after one person, yes, it'd be Lachlan. I like his depth of smarts and his delivery.
- Alanzo Boden
- Maria Bamford
- Richard Pryor: holy crap, what timing and twists. What a master.
- Mitch Hedberg
- Chris Rock
- Jerry Seinfeld: I used to watch Johnny Carson while I was in college just hoping he'd have Jerry on.
- Ron White: his humor is so self-deprecating, outrageous, and hilarious.
- Lewis Black
- Joe Rogan
- George Lopez
- Aziz Ansari
Comedians you'd be surprised to know I don't like much
- Robin Williams: Sorry, I know this isn't popular. I love Williams' acting and who he seemed to be as a person; but I just don't like zany improv comedy.
- Bill Cosby: loved his early stuff, but his shtick just wears on me now.
- Emo Phillips: that voice...
- Dennis Miller: his arrogance turns me off
Comedians so good they make me want to drop the mic and walk away
- Patton Oswalt: turns out we are from the same area (DC suburbs in VA), and I also fancy myself a geek. But this guy is just way to deep and intelligent. And his jokes...man, way too good.
- George Carlin
Local Comedians you gotta see: Coming Soon!
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