Best Stand up TV special

[Hazardous]

After watching 12h straight of Stand up comedy TV specials, I noticed a very different type of crowd at each show. Dane Cook had a lot of younger people (go figure) Russel Peters had a lot of minorities, The Blue Collar guys had a lot of middle aged ones.

So since the IWC, and WZ specifically being very diverse age/maturity wise, I thought I would do a poll on who everyone thinks is the "King of the Stand up special"

So please make your choice, and give the reason you picked said choice.

Mine is a tie.. George Carlin, and Richard Pryor. Both men revolutionized comedy as we know it today. Guys like Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock credit them as being their inspiration, and without them, I don't believe that comedy would be as good as it is now.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I absolutely love Eddie Murphy's Raw. I've been watching this stand-up special since I was in my teens, and I still laugh hard when I watch it now a days. I liked Eddie Murphy, but I would have to go with Martin Lawrence as my favorite stand up comedian. His stuff during his days on Def Comedy Jam was hilarious, and I'm also a huge fan of his stand-up special Runteldat. I also like Chris Rock, but I enjoy his stuff(mainly the HBO specials) from the 90's more than I do his most recent stuff. And I know he might not be a big name like some of the others in this thread, but Bill Maher's stand-up specials always amuse me.

On a side note, The Original Kings Of Comedy was a real treat. Seeing Bernie Mac, D.L. Hughley, and Steve Harvey all on one show was just great. Oh, and I guess I have to throw Cedric The Entertainer in there to. I'm sorry, but I just don't put him on the same level as the other guys.

 

[Whatsinaname696]

had to go with George, love Richard, and he is prolly the best comic of all time, but George has something I really love, he can...uhh could be lyrical with his comedy and make it so fast and so perfectly constructed that in a five min period he could drop a five megaton bomb of a joke on your ass, when other comedians might need a whole hour to even touch him, from the smothers bros. till he died... he was a damn genius, and so was Pryor, RIP to both

 

[Spidey Revivey]

I was about to vote George Carlin, cuz the dude was such the intellectual, but then I was reminded of Lewis Black. I can't get enough of that guy. He's like a restrained Sam Kinneson (some of you may have no clue who the hell that is) and I can't help but laugh at his discussions of politics. I don't even like political cartoons or any of that shit, but I dig some Red, White, & Screwed. Lewis Black gets my vote in Other.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I love Richard Pyror: Live in Concert from 1979. That show was really funny and one of the best I have seen. I have to pick any stand up special from George Carlin on HBO as my favorites too. Carlin was too smart to be a comedian in my opinion. He always told a great message that wasn't politically correct. Some other favorites of mine are Sam Kinison and Chris Rock. Bring the Pain and Bigger and Blacker are some of my favorites of Rock. Pryor and Carlin are the kings when it comes to stand up.

 

[Wolf Pac]

Would have to go with Omid Djalili & Lee Evans. They'd always spice up their specials by making hilarious accents & do some funny acting while telling jokes.

 

[Attitude]

I chose other because there are three guys that you didn't put on there that I felt deserved to be on there. Here they are:

Jim Gaffigan-Beyond the Pale this guys is just hilarious. He can take the smallest things you never think about and make them funny.

Brian Regan-Very great comedian. Awesome personality. What makes him funny is the way he acts or reacts during his jokes.

Demetri Martin-I don't know. This guy is just funny.

 

[Fire Marshall Bill]

I put up Robin Williams because some of his really old stuff was absolutely hilarious from start to finish. Also, his Live on Broadway was funny as hell. His skit on golf has to be one of my favorite all time.

An honorable mention that you didn't have on the poll I have to say is Denis Leary. He did some really funny stand up from time to time. I have some clips that are frickin hilarious.

 

[TNAtion4Life]

Nick Swardson's - Seriously, who farted?
Jim Gaffigan- King Baby

Everybody know's Nick Swardson as Terry the roller skating gay hooker from Reno 911 lol. He's fucking hysterical at stand up. Jim Gaffigan is just pure comedic talent.

 

[SorgFamily]

Demetri Martin-I don't know. This guy is just funny.

I totally agree with this, his special was on Netflix recently and I laughed more than I had in a long time. "They say people in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. My rule is never throw rocks. It's just bad behavior. In fact the only time you should throw a rock is if your stuck in a glass house." Great stuff.

My "other" pick was Dave Chappelle. He's probably regarded as a little overrated since his hiatus but I still find him very funny. I have two of his live dvd's and just the way he talks is enough to make him funny. His material doesn't even have to be very funny because he performs it very well.

Both of these two rely largely of being a showman and they both do it very well.