Top Picks for Underrated and Overrated Comedians

[Brownski]

I miss Norm McDonald

 

[Woodski12]

I don't think one can over rate George Carlin. Of all professions, a comedian - comedian! set policy for all broadcast media as to the words you can't say over the air. Now that's influential.

Those with a clean act, like Kathleen Madigan, really impress me. When I first heard Ron White's routine about how he got to the venue in a small plane, I was laughing so hard that I had a hard time breathing (it was live).

I think Rodney Dangerfield has the best joke I've ever heard....."My dad's an alcoholic....you mention work and he gets drunk." Clean, quick, a little bit of edge, somewhat self deprecating, widely understood and funny.

I have a ton of respect for George because of his ability to do long long sets and do lots and lots of them and it was all very original material. Rodney was the man. A completely different type of comedian from George. I'd have to probably take Rodney if I was going to bring one of them back for 30 minutes. If they were going to get another 30 years free, I'd have to bring back the George.

 

[Woodski12]

Overated are the late night hacks. Kimmel, Colbert, Maher, sadly, Jon Stewart lately, but the top prize goes to Fallon.

Underated? Me! Getting material ready to kill them at Thanksgiving dinner! Captive audience.

I think Jimmy Kimmel is actually funny someplace deep inside, but I really hate his show and the whole Tonight Show version of Jimmy. Give me back Man Show Jimmy and I'm for it.

Colbert, I think the character he did for the Daily Show was great. I don't blame the execs for giving him a show. I remember watching his first show on his own and wondering if he was being serious or sarcastic and thinking he would eventually go one way or the other but maybe 20 years later I still haven't figured out if he is kidding or not... in general, and also probably with any particular joke.

 

[Woodski12]

I miss Norm McDonald

I'll tell you how much l move Norm and how genius he was very easily. I recently pulled the transcription of the 4-hour compilation of blue card jokes from one of his Youtube shows. The idea was to get the jokes printed onto blue cards and give them as Christmas gifts to some people that I love. I used chatGPT to try and parse the transcript into jokes. It didn't work great, but I was making progress. After the first 30 were done, I realized not a single one of them was funny as it was just written on the piece of paper. They just looked stupid. That is because they had to be performed by Norm or set up how he and Adam wanted to set them up etc... that is how genius he was. Not a single one of those jokes worked on it's own without Norm doing them.

 

[Woodski12]

Overrated = Jerry Seinfeld. Despite Seinfeld being one of the best shows of all-time. Plus the real genius behind the Seinfeld show was really Larry David anyway.

I was listening to Eddie Murphy Delirious a couple of months ago, still hilarious 40 years later.

I think the more of Larry David you watch the more you realize how much of Seinfeld came from him. Jerry has never denied him that.

 

[Woodski12]

It's a shame Bill Cosby turned out to be sexual predator. His routines were always clean. I would play his albums on long car trips when my kids were young and they would laugh like crazy and the time would go by fast.
One I think is underrated is Greg Warren
Overrated; Jim Gaffigan. IMO I don't think he's that funny and his voice is whiney.

I saw Greg Warren on Youtube for the first time maybe 1 year ago or less. He is great. He has two long standup specials on Youtube that I recommend everyone watch.

 

[Benny Profane]

I miss funny Steve Martin. Gawd, that guy was a riot.

 

[Ripitz]

Weird Al - committed to the craft.

 

[Woodski12]

After I have agreed that I love George Carlin and Norm, it's worth arguing that guys like George Carlin and Norm Macdonald are not underrated... I think they are both pretty highly rated in general by the media and their peers while alive and afterwards.

 

[Sbob]

My favorite comedian co op was Rodney Dangerfield and Sam Kinison . Gold !