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The category is Greatest HUMORIST, not comedian or Stand Up Comic.  Those are very different categories. If the category were stand up, Chris Rock would be Number 1 and Eddie Murphy would be up there.  A humorist is someone who consistently mirrors American society through all forms of humor across many platforms: books, short stories, live audience, film, TV, radio, etc. 

You might be right about Joan Rivers though… good point.

Comment by Rob Eshman on 6/24/11 at 8:38 am

Rob,

The fact is guys like Rock & Murphy are observational comics….a lot of stand-up comedy IS observation. That’s what made George Carlin so great. Rock, esp, is just brutal when he mirrors American society in his routines. Also, when it comes to versatility, Jeff Foxworthy is an outstanding humorist : he is an author, he has performed in music videos, he is a stand-up, he has been an awards show host, he is a very astute observer of male-female dynamics vis a vis marriage and/or relationships, he is a successful game show host, he used to host a weekly country music countdown show (probably still does), he has been a star of a sitcom and sketch comedy series. He may not appeal to the tastes of those of you on the coasts (and I get it…) but that does not mean he is not funny and it very much qualifies your definition of mirroring American society in different media. If I recollect, he has sold the maximum # of comedy albums in history (even more than Dr Cosby…). But, because he is from the South, he immediately gets tagged as “backward” from coastal types (which frustrates me…case in point, Howard dissing country music..he just paints it with a broad brush without taking time to understand it and absorb it). It reminds me of a time when Steve Martin came out with his banjo CD one or two years ago and two of my progressive buddies were going ga ga. I said to them,“Guys, how come you never appreciated bluegrass when I mentioned greats like Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs & Ricky Skaggs, to name a few?” They could not even fathom the disconnect that I was pointing them to. Steve Martin was “cool” in their liberal minds and hence, anything he did, was kosher. Grrrrr….

If your criterion is observation, then what about Dave Barry or Dennis Miller or P J O’Rourke or Scott Adams or Albert Brooks or Seth MacFarlane? What about Robin Williams or Jonathan Winters or Billy Crystal? I just felt your list was not comprehensive enough i.e. you just jotted down 10 names that you liked & proclaimed them to be the greatest…your list is good (don’t get me wrong)...I just felt you had not thought through this enough and you should have been more specific as to your criteria.

Please keep writing this column of yours. As a Stern fan, I love the fact that someone has dedicated some thought into critiquing Howard and his show in a fair and even-handed manner.

Comment by JonHeinisBooey'sGayLover on 6/24/11 at 10:58 am

hehe..有去下晝果場ar 不過我係Hall 2睇電視ar..即係電視播既就係您地整既 好正wor..(其實要多謝阿湯..因為d飛係佢醒比我地既..所以果日就同李姑娘&組員入去聽law..really GOOOD sharing!! Thx God!!^^)wow..您地既事工今個月真係好多有服事ar .add oil ar..您地』在主裡的勞苦不是徒然的』!!!^^祝福您地ar~~

Comment by Christian on 3/23/12 at 6:58 pm

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