Stand Up Comedy

Stand Up

In the last few years we've lost Bernie Mac and George Carlin.

Bernie Mac was pretty powerful as a comedian who could be seen as a great spokesperson or icon for black people. I don't mean that he should only be liked by black people; his comedy is significantly based on his experiences as an African-American.

George Carlin was an icon for comedy in general. I don't remember any of his humor dealing with race. He did a lot of comedy about swearing and religion.

We will miss both Bernie Mac and George Carlin. Check out my pages on them. You might learn some new things about them.



Stand Up Comedy



Is anyone here from out of town?

I'm sure lots of you.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Knock knock.

Did you hear the one about?

There are many comedians. Some are brilliant. Some are okay.

Stand up comedy can deal with politics, driving, NEWS, situations, religion, background, gender, intelligence, sex, relationships, environment, growing up, and much more. Here I have a few examples of all of that. I will add more as I go. I can already think of many other names that should get added.

Tell me who you think should be on this list and why. Enjoy. I like most types of humor. Simple insults are okay but when you are being racist, abusive, or using your subject as a whipping dummy to entertain your "friends" that's not comedy or humor. You might want to get a personality or become a stronger person rather than use people who either can't defend themselves or aren't there to defend themselves.

Who is your favorite? Who do you hate? How do you feel about comedy that is aimed at a particular person? By that I mean what do you think of comedians who make fun of people to the point of being hurtful?



Stand Up
Stand-Up Comedian Richard Jeni Dies In Apparent Suicide

Monday March 12, 2007

CityNews.ca

You may not know his name, but Richard Jeni has probably made you laugh at least once or twice.

He was a frequent guest on the Tonight Show. He was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

His girlfriend, Norma Eisenman called the police and told them, "My boyfriend shot himself in the face."

He was alive but seriously injured when officers arrived, and he died shortly thereafter in hospital.

According to Jeni's girlfriend police had not officially confirmed the death as a suicide.

One of his HBO comedy specials was "A Big Steaming Pile of Me."



A previous special, Platypus Man, won a Cable ACE award and was the basis for a UPN sitcom, which ran for only one season.

Jeni also made regular Tonight Show appearances when Johnny Carson was host, and continued the tradition after Jay Leno took over.

Born in Brooklyn, he was first noticed in 1990 for his special Richard Jeni: Boy From New York City, following that up with the immensely popular Crazy From the Heat.

Fellow comedian Frazer Smith said up-and-coming comedians were inspired by him.

"He was probably one of the best standup comedians in the last 50 years," he said. "He had tons and tons of material. He was looked up to by all the young comedians, a total pro."

Jeni appeared in films including The Mask, The Aristocrats, and National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off. He also wrote material for Chris Rock's turn hosting the Academy Awards in 2005.

Image credit: Scott Gries, Getty Images Entertainment

Click here to see a great Stand Up video clip



Wafik Nazrella





Russell Peters





Sarah Silverman





Ray Ramano





Ellen Degeneres



Wafik Nazrella

Shaun Majumder

Russell Peters

Brent Butt

Sarah Silverman

Tim Allen

George Lopez

Brett Butler

Jeff Foxworthy

Ray Romano