Looking for clean Comedy...

June 4, 2007 5:49 AM

Looking for good, clean comedians.

My kids love to listen to comedians on CD or on their iPods, but I'm running out of choices for them. We like & have Bill Cosby, Jeff Allen, Chonda Pierce, Weird Al, and "some" Bill Engvall/Jeff Foxworthy.

Criteria: Must be clean & funny. Bonus points for those available on iTunes and for Christian artists.

posted by Mrs. Smith to society & culture (35 comments total)

"some" Eddie Izzard
posted by anastasiav at 5:57 AM on June 4, 2007

Both clean and funny are in the eye of the beholder (if more people answer this question, I expect that will become abundantly clear).

Here are some of my favorite comedians: Dick Gregory, Paul Mooney, Steven Wright, Spalding Gray (more a monologist, but a very funny guy).
posted by box at 5:59 AM on June 4, 2007

I think that most of Demetri Martin's jokes qualify for this.
posted by nuclear_soup at 6:11 AM on June 4, 2007

Brian Regan. Hilarious and clean.
posted by softlord at 6:17 AM on June 4, 2007 [2 favorites]

Also, you might want to check out some of the old-time radio shows lke Burns and Allen, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, etc... available from radiospirits.com

And I wouldn't exactly call Mooney's comedy Christian.
posted by softlord at 6:18 AM on June 4, 2007

Just to be clear, I don't mean to imply that any of those folks I mentioned are Christian. The only Christian comedian I can think of offhand is Mike Warnke, and I don't think he's very funny. Though, come to think of it, 'Christian' is pretty much in the eye of the beholder (or the self-identifier) too.

Mrs. Smith, you might check out performers who appear, or have appeared, in Branson, Missouri. I've never been, but I understand that Branson attracts family-friendly acts.
posted by box at 6:24 AM on June 4, 2007

Seinfeld's stand up is clean and on iTunes, and in the light of softlord's old-time radio suggestion, the Goons are worth a try.
posted by Jakey at 6:28 AM on June 4, 2007

Rob Paravonian's rant on Canon in D

It might require some musical knowledge, but he's /funny/. The clips I've seen, he's pretty clean.
posted by Comrade_robot at 6:37 AM on June 4, 2007

There is only one answer... Brian Regan. One time in an interview he said that "pissed off" was the worst thing he has ever used in a routine. All of his stuff is rated PG or even G. And to top it off, his is one of the funniest comedians I have ever seen. You can check out some of these videos for a taste. Enjoy!
posted by coolin86 at 6:40 AM on June 4, 2007 [2 favorites]

Nth-ing Brian Regan. I'm also under the impression that Jim Gaffigan, who's pretty damned funny, is also family friendly. I certainly can't think of any dirty jokes he's told, off-hand.
posted by saladin at 6:52 AM on June 4, 2007

I second Demetri Martin and Jim Gaffigan.

And, of course, try Steven Wright.

But I've introduced my 14-year-old daughter to Mitch Hedberg. There is some swearing but you coach them about the context and Hedberg's brain just makes it worthwhile. She understood and we just spent a vacation where she sat on the beach with her ipod laughing to the point people were looking at her funny.

But come to think of it, there's a lot of swearing. Nix that thought.
posted by lpsguy at 7:07 AM on June 4, 2007

Why not Ellen Degeneres? Her older stuff, "Taste This," or her most recent, "Here and Now" I believe are clean; "The Beginning" may tip the meter a little bit, but not much. Seinfeld's "I'm Telling You for the Last Time" is one of my favorites.

So glad you have them listening to Bill Cosby; I grew up listening to "Himself"... "Dad is great... gives us the chocolate cake!" Yes.
posted by atayah at 7:17 AM on June 4, 2007

Gaffigan's stuff does have some swearing in it (which I edit on the fly as I drive three Jewish kids in a carpool in the morning). Brian Regan as well. Even iTunes recommends him as "Kid-Friendly." The kids absolutely love Steven Wright too. You may also like Kiddie Records which has full downloadable old-timey radio shows for kids.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 7:22 AM on June 4, 2007

Some great suggestions here...keep 'em comin'! :o)

I forgot to mention Brad Stine & Mark Lowry in my initial post. He's pretty funny.

I'm already doing some research on the comedians that were suggested. Some of them look really good.

I also found lists of comedians on my search & links on those sites--for anyone who is also following this thread.

It's a shame that more of them aren't on iTunes, though. There are a couple of good, clean comedy podcasts there, which I already subscribe to: peasinapodcast w/ Jeff Gaffigan, Christian Comedy Podcast, Chaotic Christians podcast, and Lighten Up! with Ken Davis.

Looking forward to more suggestions! Thanks!
posted by Mrs. Smith at 7:34 AM on June 4, 2007

As others have said, Brian Regan is your best bet, and I just saw that he will have a new stand up special on Comedy Central this Sunday..

Gaffigan is very funny, but does do some material which could be construed as anti-Christian or more specifically anti-Catholic (even though he is a Catholic). I edit all of that out for my kids.
posted by genefinder at 7:34 AM on June 4, 2007

Rita Rudner, Victor Borge, Moms Mabley, Larry Miller, definitely Steven Wright.
posted by Amy NM at 7:35 AM on June 4, 2007

Tim Vine, all clean jokes as far as I can tell. Your kids may find it a bit childish, though.
posted by liquidindian at 7:40 AM on June 4, 2007

< href="http://www.amazon.com/Something-Like-This-Newhart-Anthology/dp/B000059Z84/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-5668353-2180825?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1180968850&sr=8-2">Bob Newhart. Some of the funniest stuff I've heard.
posted by voxpop at 7:54 AM on June 4, 2007

Bob Newhart. Some of the funniest stuff I've heard. Sorry, got overexcited with the last link.
posted by voxpop at 7:56 AM on June 4, 2007

Steve Wright? I remember cracking up listening to him when I was younger because of how bizarre his stuff was.
posted by cadge at 8:17 AM on June 4, 2007

Kevin James (from King of Queens) has a DVD which is very funny.

John Pinette is quite good with a couple DVDs and at least one CD out.

I'll second Jim Gaffigan as well (though as KevinSkomsvold points out, there's some sweating I seem to have forgotten about ... if you buy the Comedy Central DVDs, it's usually the "no swearing" version of a Comedian's act they do for TV).
posted by Gary at 8:41 AM on June 4, 2007

Try some Vince Morris.
posted by cashman at 8:47 AM on June 4, 2007

Jim Gaffigan is mostly family friendly and he's outrageously funny.

Bil Dwyer is great as well and mostly good for kids to listen to (I seem to remember him saying something about being a Christian but I may just be confused).

Steven Wright fans and Demetri Martin fans might appreciate Mitch Hedberg's Comedy Central routines (which consist of hysterically funny, mostly clean non sequiturs), but his albums have unnecessary F-Bombs dropped all over the place (which I think add nothing and diminish the comedy, making it almost unlistenable).

Sample Hedberg, deadpanned: "I have not slept for twelve hours (pause) because that is a very long time."
posted by ostranenie at 9:29 AM on June 4, 2007

Henry Cho
posted by puritycontrol at 9:48 AM on June 4, 2007

Bob Newhart ALWAYS tops my list of the best and cleanest, his style, timing and delivery are impecable.
posted by Cosine at 10:19 AM on June 4, 2007

Lenny Breau certainy doesn't get the credit he deserves, amazing sound, rare fingerpicking style and a true musicians musician. I found him after Django and a few others and his smooth flowing licks grabbed me right away.
posted by Cosine at 10:29 AM on June 4, 2007

HAHAHA... now I just need to go tell those Jazzers about the great Bob Newhart, BRB!
posted by Cosine at 10:38 AM on June 4, 2007

Jerry Clower

He died in 1998 but he was one of the funniest, clean comedians I've ever heard.
posted by SuzySmith at 10:40 AM on June 4, 2007

Hasn't Wayne Brady pretty much based his career on being a clean comedian?
posted by quadog at 12:17 PM on June 4, 2007

Old Paula Poundstone was clean as I recall; I haven't heard her newer stuff.

You could also try the Prairie Home Companion Joke Show, which they do once a year.
posted by LobsterMitten at 1:07 PM on June 4, 2007

Wasn't Sinbad known for his clean comedy?
posted by bach at 3:11 PM on June 4, 2007

Bob Newhart, Abbott & Costello, Burns & Allen, Jack Benny, Bob Elliott & Ray Goulding, the Goon Show, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Fred Allen. Tom Lehrer. Not all have aged as well as others, but you never know.
posted by IndigoJones at 5:30 PM on June 4, 2007

Tom Lehrer is great, but not all Tom Lehrer is clean (eg The Old Dope Peddler, or Be Prepared)
posted by LobsterMitten at 6:00 PM on June 4, 2007

Gary Gulman had a lot of good clean jokes when he was on Last Comic Standing, but I haven't seen much of his work since.
posted by concrete at 1:09 AM on June 5, 2007

Radio friendly: Scharpling and Wurster (Recent collection reviewed and where to start)
posted by boost ventilator at 5:27 AM on June 9, 2007