Your Comedian Mount Rushmore

First four that popped into my mind:

Carlin, Chappelle, Burr, & Black

Others worth consideration, depending on mood:

Louis C.K., Attell, Gaffigan, Rock, Tosh, Patton Oswald, Jim Jefferies....
 
How many other comedians named "Leary" are there? Honestly, I thought I would have been questioned on Gabriel Iglesias.

No idea, but I'd bet there are some. Denis Leary ripped off his jokes, act, and pretty much his entire persona from Bill Hicks. This is well known.
 
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This was really an interesting read. I love shows like "Comedians in Cars" that really examine the art of humor. Anyway:

Older comedians (in no order):
Richard Pryor
Joan Rivers
Jerry Seinfeld
Rodney Dangerfield
Garry Shandling

Newer comedians (in no order):
Patton Oswald
Eddie Izzard
Bill Burr
Louis CK (even though he's had bad behavior)
Mulaney is my jam

I also have several I do NOT like, including Louis Black
 
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They really should be sorted into categories. For the Family Friendly category, ie being funny without dropping the "f" bomb, I would nominate (in no particular order)

Dmitri Martin
Jeff Dunham
Greg Hahn

I have seen all three of these live so that probably factors in as well.

For Dirty old man...no one can top the Benny Hill Show!
I appreciated Cosby for being funny and keeping it clean. Pryor got laughs for his foul mouth, which I didn't find funny.
 
Old School
Pryor
Carlin
Dangerfield
Flip Wilson

New School
Rock
Burr
Chapelle

And my bigger sleeper folks sleep on...Sinbad
 
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For me it is about impact in my social circles in life. So people like Pryor and Carlin, while funny aren't here. My memory of Carlin was him as a conductor and I had almost no Pryor exposure until later in life. I'm also not including funny primarily in movies (Farley, Belushi) or this gets complicated.

As such

Hedberg - freshman and sophomore year of college were all about Dane Cook and Mitch Hedberg. I leaned heavily Hedberg and his stuff still makes me laugh.
Chapelle - the show was great but his stand up was quotable and funny before and after his retirement.
Gaffigan - two specials that are up there with some of the funniest stuff I've heard.
Burr - earlier specials were amazing, pod caste is a good laugh but most recent special was a turd.

Upcoming - Bert Kreischer - I legit hadn't laughed so hard since my first watch of Hedberg. Second show was funny and if a third one comes out just as funny he's replacing Burr on my list.

Missed the cut.
Steven Lynch - I still enjoy this album and relisten yearly.
Mullany this show for kids thing was so bad I suspect he's out of material which is a bummer because his earlier stuff was on point.
 
For me it is about impact in my social circles in life. So people like Pryor and Carlin, while funny aren't here. My memory of Carlin was him as a conductor and I had almost no Pryor exposure until later in life. I'm also not including funny primarily in movies (Farley, Belushi) or this gets complicated.

As such

Hedberg - freshman and sophomore year of college were all about Dane Cook and Mitch Hedberg. I leaned heavily Hedberg and his stuff still makes me laugh.
Chapelle - the show was great but his stand up was quotable and funny before and after his retirement.
Gaffigan - two specials that are up there with some of the funniest stuff I've heard.
Burr - earlier specials were amazing, pod caste is a good laugh but most recent special was a turd.

Upcoming - Bert Kreischer - I legit hadn't laughed so hard since my first watch of Hedberg. Second show was funny and if a third one comes out just as funny he's replacing Burr on my list.

Missed the cut.
Steven Lynch - I still enjoy this album and relisten yearly.
Mullany this show for kids thing was so bad I suspect he's out of material which is a bummer because his earlier stuff was on point.
Dane Cook? Really? He is terrible!
 
Of the people I've seen in Iowa (4 or 5), Robin Williams is the hands down winner, not manic and not particularly blue.

Lew Black probably is last and he's good.
 
Dave Chapelle is a comedic savant and clearly the funniest man alive then Richard Pryor,George Carlin then for me Daniel Tosh.
 
Some of my favorite comedians are not famous. I worked at a comedy club years ago and got to see a lot of good ones..... Troy Baxley is hilarious. If you ever get the chance to see him, do it! J.R. Brow and Jeff Burghart are a couple others that are really funny. And of course my brother, Curt Fletcher.

 
No idea, but I'd bet there are some. Denis Leary ripped off his jokes, act, and pretty much his entire persona from Bill Hicks. This is well known.
Interesting, I'd never heard this. I love Bill Hicks, really a waste that he died young. I have never seen enough of Leary and Hicks I suppose to notice. Bigger thing for me would be the sound of their voices. Leary is a New York loud mouth, and Hicks is a psychedelic cowboy from Texas. Would be hard for me to ever mistake Leary as a copy without more familiarity.
 

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