Top 5 Standup Comics

This is My List for the Top 5 Stand-up Comics and what I think are some of there best bits. Many of you would swap out some or even all of these choices but I don't care....this is my list! nah! nah! nah!

These are in no particular order.

Richard Pryor

Richard Pryor began doing comedy while in the U.S. Army and continued touring local clubs after his discharge. He performed in New York, Las Vegas and Hollywood before becoming famous thanks to appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show .

Extremely obscene -- after all, he was raised in a whorehouse -- he competently uses four-letter words in a style that borders on art. He talks about the pimps and hookers of his childhood as well as his life in the fast lane. Pryor has had a distinguished film career but he is known as every comedian's favorite comic.

Hunting in the woods



Chris Rock

Growing up in a poor neighborhood and being confronted with racism at an early age inspired Rock to turn toward comedy. At 18, he was already a stand-up comic, and that is when Eddie Murphy discovered him and helped him launch his career. Rock has gone from writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live , to actor in movies like Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and Head of State (2003). He also served as head writer, producer and star of The Chris Rock Show , which has picked up several Emmy awards and nominations.

Rock is totally uninhibited and whenever he has the microphone, political correctness is nowhere to be found. As seen on his two critically-acclaimed cable TV specials, Bring the Pain and Bigger & Blacker , Rock will rant about topics like crack, alimony, O.J., racism, and even Colin Powell. What makes him so funny is that his observations on life are so brutally accurate. This loud comedian never holds back, which is why people can't get enough of him.

Blacks vs Niggas




Bill Cosby

While a student at Temple University, Bill Cosby worked as a bartender to support himself. That's when people suggested that he become a comedian. While he continued his education, which resulted in a Ph.D. in education, he took his routine to comedy clubs and eventually got discovered by Carl Reiner.

He became a star on television with shows like I Spy, The Bill Cosby Show and the astoundingly successful The Cosby Show . However, Cosby's place in history remains tightly linked to his stand-up persona. Whether he's talking about how a man behaves when his wife is delivering a baby or enumerating the virtues of drinking on the weekends, Cosby is a master. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he doesn't fall back on the use of profanity much and he's one of the first comics to use a storytelling style to deliver jokes. He's definitely one of the greatest.

Dentists




Eddie Murphy

Comedy was always an important part of Eddie Murphy's childhood. In fact, he spent more time doing impressions and writing routines than doing schoolwork. Inspired by Richard Pryor, he was working the comedy club circuit by the age of 15 and when he was only 19, he joined Saturday Night Live . At first he was only a featured player but by the end of the first year, he had become a bona fide star.

Extremely raunchy, he focuses on his childhood (remember the "Ice Cream Man"?), the quirkiness of relationships, and is known for his dead-on impersonations (his rendition of James Brown from his SNL days is enough to induce hysterical laughter). His enormous success went on to make him one of the most popular movie stars in America, in films like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America , but his talent as a stand-up comic will forever be remembered thanks to classic shows like Raw and Delirious . There are few things funnier than his observation on how every Italian-American thought he was Rocky when the movie came out.

Ice Cream




George Carlin

George Carlin got his start on radio in the late '50s. After taking his act to Los Angeles, Lenny Bruce helped him get more exposure with gigs on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . Following a stint in Las Vegas, he reinvented his image in the '70s and embraced vulgarity.

He pushed the government's envelope with his routine on the seven dirty words you can't say on television and he became passionate about promoting free speech. Carlin is one of the most prolific comedians of our time because he manages to present social commentary in an extremely hilarious fashion. He is a comic with substance.


Seven Words