Funny haha or Funny Strange?

June 2, 2012 5:34 PM

I'd like to find some more stand-up comedians that have the kind of humor I like. Preferably people who are currently developing material.

So, for a while, I was really plumbing the depths to find good comedy. But now, I don't want to spend a bunch of time doing that, so I thought metafilter could help. Maria Bamford is hands-down my favorite comedian. I also really like pre-fame Zach Galifianakis, all Louie C.K., David Cross, Tig Notaro, Daniel Tosh (despite myself), Wanda Sykes sometimes. I like Patton Oswald, but sometimes I find him kind of boring ("here's another thing I hate about fucking hipsters"). Older comedians I like: Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg, Emo Phillips, Richard Pryor (duh), John Leguizamo (that HBO monologue he did back in the 90s was incredible). Some lesser-known comedians I like: Jen Kirkman, Eddie Pepitone (depressed 40+ yo Brooklynite, more bleak than Louie C.K., even). So whatever you can add to this list would be appreciated. I love finding hidden gems, so if you stumbled across somebody great on effinfunny.com, let me know.

posted by outlandishmarxist to Media & Arts (40 answers total)

I think there is a alt-comedy out there, but to be honest everything I know about the comedy scene I learn from Chris Hardwick and his "Nerdist" podcast. It's not all nerdy-topics-- sometimes the show is just about comedy, and he has to co-hosts who do comedy along those lines as well. Check out the Nerdist empire and look at an episode guide-- you'll see a lot of familiar comedy names intermixed with the SF actors, Astronomers, Comicon Panels, etc. You can always go with the "hostful" shows (read: guest-less) which are just the three hosts bantering-- comedy is always on-topic.
posted by Sunburnt at 5:40 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I should add, if the comedian is under 30, I'm probably just going to find him/her irritating.
posted by outlandishmarxist at 5:40 PM on June 2, 2012

You don't mention Eddie Izzard - oversight, or do you not like him? Regardless, I suggest him.

Also John Oliver - both his standup special and the 2 Seasons of his stand up show (Maria Bamford appears a couple times).

I like mostly the same comedians as you, so you might also like:
Bo Burnham (young, but funny)
Pete Holmes
Marina Franklin
Aziz Ansari
Christopher Titus (particularly "Love is Evol")
Hal Sparks (Love love his "Charmageddon" special)
Steve Byrne
posted by dotgirl at 5:46 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

I know his podcast gets mentioned a ton these days, but you might want to go back through the Marc Maron podcasts and listen to the comics he's interviewed.
posted by bluespark25 at 5:46 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

He's not developing material anymore, but I still remember some of the jokes from Drake Sather's Late Night appearance in the 1980s. Sather wrote Zoolander with Ben Stiller and wrote for The Larry Sanders Show, SNL, and NewsRadio. Not a whole lot of his standup out there, though...
posted by MegoSteve at 5:51 PM on June 2, 2012

Janeane Garofalo is really funny, and has a new special.
posted by spunweb at 5:52 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

janeane garofalo's new special is fantastic. but after i watched that one on netflix, i watched kathleen madigan's and i was rolling over it for days.

if you're curious, leguizamo has a kickstarter kicking around to fund his next project.
posted by nadawi at 5:57 PM on June 2, 2012

Where's your Margaret Cho? Or is that too obvious? And Chris Rock?

Paul Mooney is also very funny as is the other guy will the longer name who was first up on that advice to young girls video with Jon Ham and Paul Rudd. I know another Mefite will be able to fill in his name.

(And I love Mark and Jez from Peep Show UK and they each have their own projects now I think...).
posted by bquarters at 6:05 PM on June 2, 2012

Try looking up foreign comics. That will give you a whoole new range. Check out youtube for things like 'Live at the Apollo' or any of the British Panel shows to find comedians and look up their acts. I especially like Dara O'Briain. I really like most of the comics on your list so maybe you'll like him as well.
posted by Caravantea at 6:18 PM on June 2, 2012

Seconding Aziz Ansari.
posted by lunasol at 6:19 PM on June 2, 2012

Paul F. Tompkins
Jon Dore
Hannibal Buress
Dana Gould
John Mulaney
Matt Braunger
Morgan Murphy
Dan Mintz
posted by Chenko at 6:48 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

No one's mentioned Paul F. Tompkins yet? Especially considering the Jen Kirkman connection, he's a no brainer. For me, he's the funniest guy on the planet right now.

His podcast is Amazing. That's capitalized on purpose.

He also has two albums of standup, "Impersonal" and "Freak Wharf," and two DVDs, "You Should Have Told Me," and "Laboring Under Delusions."
posted by ronofthedead at 6:48 PM on June 2, 2012

I was going to mention Paul F. Tompkins, but Chenko and ronofthedead beat me to it, so I'm going to recommend Mike Birbiglia instead.
posted by infinitywaltz at 7:09 PM on June 2, 2012 [3 favorites]

A couple of my favorite comedy albums don't fall into the "stand-up" category, because the bits are entirely fictional characters. I like the collected Scharpling and Wurster albums and Andy Daly's Nine Sweaters. Scharpling (and Wurster) are on the radio (500th episode coming up soon) and Andy Daly appears on some podcasts (SuperEgo, Improv4humans, ComedyBangBang) so each are currently developing material.
posted by cnanderson at 7:12 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

Lots of good suggestions, to which I'll add Todd Barry. If you dig his understated vibe, he has quite a few solid albums and seems to be perpetually working / developing new stuff.
posted by Lorin at 7:13 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

I like all the comedians you mentioned! You might try Kyle Kinane, Matt Braunger, and Jackie Kashian. (Also, I totally hear you on thinking Tosh is funny against your better judgement. In my defense, his standup isn't as appalling as his show.)

I heard them for the first time on The Nerdist podcast's "Comedians You Should Know" episode. My boyfriend and I have listened to it at least half a dozen times because everyone on it is so fucking funny and we obnoxiously quote it at each other constantly.

I second Maron's WTF podcast (Um. I fast-forward the first 10 minutes so I don't have to listen to him go on and on about how fat he is. Save it for your therapist, dude), he gets really interesting interviews from great comedians. You might find some new people that way. And The Nerdist podcast. And the Sklar Brothers podcast.
posted by Aquifer at 7:14 PM on June 2, 2012

Check out Todd Glass. He's got a podcast which is frequently batshit crazy and a lot of fun. Also his appearances in the documentary "I Am Comic" (which if you haven't seen, it's worth watching and on Netflix streaming) are some of the best parts of the film.
posted by evisceratordeath at 7:15 PM on June 2, 2012

The recent Norm MacDonald special is incredible. You hint that you like "bleak" comics. Watching it, I'm laughing my ass off and I realize he's just done ten minutes on his depression after the death of his father.

Todd Barry?
posted by cmoj at 7:32 PM on June 2, 2012

Doug Stanhope is frequently compared to Bill Hicks... they're both generally libertarian in outlook, and both reveled in outraging segments of their audiences (usually ppl who didn't know what they were in for). Plenty of differences between them too (Hicks was probably more optimistic than Stanhope).
posted by BobbyVan at 7:50 PM on June 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

If you're looking for bleak and smart, I'd suggest Doug Stanhope.
posted by donnagirl at 7:51 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

Listen to the archives of Never Not Funny.
posted by rhizome at 7:53 PM on June 2, 2012

I always suggest Paul F. Tompkins in these threads.

I think you'd enjoy listening to the Comedy Death Ray and Comedy Bang Bang archives, given the names you already mentioned. Since I know you in real life I feel confident you wouldn't have much patience for Nerdist.
posted by gerryblog at 7:54 PM on June 2, 2012 [3 favorites]

I'm a big fan of the most of the comedians you've listed. Here's some more...

Aziz Ansari
Mike Birbiglia
Wyatt Cenac
David Cross
Dan Cummins
Jim Gaffigan
Pete Holmes
Anthony Jeselnik
Eugene Mirman
John Mulaney
Brian Posehn
Amy Schumer

Promise me, I'm not just listing a bunch of comedians. :-)
posted by dgeiser13 at 7:57 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

I discovered that Pandora does comedy. Just set up a new station with your favorite comedians and you will then get suggestions for other comedy you might like. This is how I discovered Hannibal Burress who is hilarious.
posted by nestor_makhno at 8:00 PM on June 2, 2012 [2 favorites]

I like the comedy that you like. The funniest comedian not on this list is Andy Kindler. He's sort of a meta-comedian, he does the annual State of the Industry address at the Montreal Just for Laughs festival. I'd also suggest listening to some of the Maron WTF podcasts where he does live shows and you'll hear a bunch of comedians all for about ten minutes each and you can see if any of them stick with you. I like Anthony Jeselnik sort of despite myself [same as Daniel Tosh] really offensive at times but a very masterful joke teller (though warning: may be under 30). Also seconding Posehn and Ansari and maybe Stanhope though he's an acquired taste.
posted by jessamyn at 8:11 PM on June 2, 2012

Try a little Dylan Moran.
posted by flabdablet at 10:21 PM on June 2, 2012

Kyle Kinane?
posted by wobh at 10:52 PM on June 2, 2012

Response by poster: There's some awesome stuff here! i won't close this post for a couple days, so keep em coming.
posted by outlandishmarxist at 10:57 PM on June 2, 2012

Hannibal Buress, Mulaney, Kinane, and Pete Holmes are great suggestions above.
I'll add:
Chelsea Peretti, Joe Mande, Nick Kroll

on the older & wiser (and amazingly funny) tip:
Dana Gould

(always good to see a fellow Eddie Pepitone fan around these parts)
posted by FeralHat at 3:03 AM on June 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Neal Brennan is on fire lately, too.
posted by FeralHat at 3:05 AM on June 3, 2012

My husband does stand-up (I am not here to tell you to watch YouTube clups of my husband), and a lot of the people you're talking about and who have been suggested here are his big influences. A favorite up and comer of his is James Adomian (who also does impressions, including George W. Bush in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo, but don't hold that against him).
posted by hydropsyche at 5:43 AM on June 3, 2012

Hannibal Burress was the name I couldn't think of- I knew people here would know it!
posted by bquarters at 6:35 AM on June 3, 2012

Greg Giraldo should be mentioned here as well...
posted by lilboo at 8:24 AM on June 3, 2012

Seconding Todd Barry - his sketch about being offered a 'cherry' gig to open for Sugar Ray at a casino puts tears in my eyes.
posted by porn in the woods at 8:34 AM on June 3, 2012

Julie Klausner runs with some of the big guns you mentioned and has a fantastic weekly podcast
posted by Queen of Spreadable Fats at 2:04 PM on June 3, 2012

Hydropsyche, please do plug your husband here--where else are we going to hear about upandcoming young comics? Besides aspecialthing.com of course.

Its only to link friends in answes when appropriate, so u should! And I shall too

Hampton Yount (who just released a free CD)
Brooke Van Popplen
Lucas Molandes
Aparna Nannencharla
Ben Kronberg
And Seaton Smith

All I love personally.

I love these folks even though I don't know them personally:
Max Silvestri
Kumali Nanjiani
Rory Scovel
Nick Thune
Nikki Glaser
Daniel Kitson
Josie Long
James Fritz

All Really great smart comics. All around 30 (though maybe not since that restriction is kinda dumb in my opinion).

Sorry for lack of links, but I'm on my phone!
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2012

Christian Finnegan, Myq Kaplan and Mike Lawrence are all super smart comedians.
posted by thisisnotkatrina at 8:28 AM on June 4, 2012

Lewis Black FTW!

Bill Burr's Monday Morning Podcast is reliably acerbic and funny.

Some others I can suggest:
Jimmy Carr
Russell Peters
Kathleen Madigan
Al Madrigal
posted by poolsidemuse at 1:06 PM on June 4, 2012

Almost all my favorites are on here, but I want to plug some local favorites (I'm in Portland) who are moving toward national recognition. Ron Funches is as good as almost anyone on this list, and you can find a clip of his set on Conan from a few months ago. Ian Karmel is also great, and while his best material doesn't seem to be on YouTube, he's worth looking up.

If you really wanted to get into funny strange, I suggest Brent Weinbach and Mary Van Note. They're hilarious oddballs from the Bay Area who often perform on the same bill.
posted by Zach Powers at 2:04 PM on June 5, 2012

Sean Cullen
posted by dgeiser13 at 8:16 PM on June 29, 2012