favourite comedians?

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned, except one - Bo Burnham.  Everyone should check this young fellow out.

A great Canadian comedian passed away yesterday - Roger Abbott.  Royal Canadian Air Farce is quite possibly the most revered comedy series in my country's history, and this is the man who started it all - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLXtpTN95Us

Sir GH wrote: A great Canadian comedian passed away yesterday - Roger Abbott.  Royal Canadian Air Farce is quite possibly the most revered comedy series in my country's history, and this is the man who started it all - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLXtpTN95Us
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Air Farce was so unfunny.  Awkward and lame and knee jerk anti-American at every chance.  I found the whole thing kind of embarrassing.  Now Rick Mercer?  That's another story. ;)

Russel Peters,
Ed Byrne,
Hugh Laurie,
John Cleese,
Mr. Bean

Robert Schimmel, etc etc etc

catqueen wrote: Mr. Bean
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Rowan Atkinson or his character?

I think currently I'd have to go with Miranda Hart.

Also have a soft spot for Russell Brand, Jake Whitehall and Sammy J.

GratefulFan wrote:

Air Farce was so unfunny.  Awkward and lame and knee jerk anti-American at every chance.  I found the whole thing kind of embarrassing.  Now Rick Mercer?  That's another story. ;)

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To each their own !  But yes, Rick Mercer is an absolutely brilliant man.  He has probably done more to educate Canadians about their country than anyone else.  Can't wait to see his next rant about Harper smugly ignoring the fact that he was held in contempt.

YannickJoker wrote:

Rowan Atkinson or his character?

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I'd say both.  The Rowan Atkinson live DVD is one of the brilliant things I've ever seen, and his character in Black Adder was stellar as well.

Freddie was a great comedian, I loves how he played with expectations.

He was gay, so people thought he must have had AIDS. But then they thought he didn't, cause he didn't say he had. And the band also denied it. And just when people were thinking he was alright BAM!!! he announced he had AIDS. and then BAM! he died the next day.

What a character! :D

George Carlin
Bob Hope
Richard Pryor
Steve Martin
Rodney Dangerfield
Russell Peters
Billy Crystal
Wanda Sykes
Robin Williams
Johnny Carson
George Burns

Sir GH wrote: GratefulFan wrote: Air Farce was so unfunny.  Awkward and lame and knee jerk anti-American at every chance.  I found the whole thing kind of embarrassing.  Now Rick Mercer?  That's another story. ;) ======================= To each their own !  But yes, Rick Mercer is an absolutely brilliant man.  He has probably done more to educate Canadians about their country than anyone else.  Can't wait to see his next rant about Harper smugly ignoring the fact that he was held in contempt. ========================= When the wikileaks diplomatic documents were released Americans expressed dismay at the extent of anti-Americanism embedded in Canadian popular culture.  And boy do they have a point.  How can something like this (lame!) Air Farce skit, funded on a public network (!) by public money (!), be in any way OK?  Like I said, absolutely embarrassing. 

Jeez, lighten up !  It's just comedy.  Of course they're exaggerating, but that's often the point of comedy.

American border officials can be brutal, and there certainly is racial profiling in the US.  Ever been to Arizona?

And the strip search thing is actually no longer a joke, as they do that in airports now (electronically), and there have been plenty of stories of people enjoying the images - like the one guy in Colorado who was caught jerking off to the images and dragged by the police through the airport with his pants down.  There's plenty of truth in that clip.

Sir GH wrote: Jeez, lighten up !  It's just comedy.  Of course they're exaggerating, but that's often the point of comedy.

American border officials can be brutal, and there certainly is racial profiling in the US.  Ever been to Arizona?

And the strip search thing is actually no longer a joke, as they do that in airports now (electronically), and there have been plenty of stories of people enjoying the images - like the one guy in Colorado who was caught jerking off to the images and dragged by the police through the airport with his pants down.  There's plenty of truth in that clip.
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I don't think of myself as somebody who typically struggles to find the humor in things. There is nothing funny about the blatant use of the word 'bigotry', particularly when it's reinforced as 'truth' and used as an opening salvo that sets the tone for the entire stupid, crass skit.  By defending the clip as having 'plenty of truth' you both miss and strengthen the point.  It's precisely because the US overreaches at times that this skit is not funny and reeks of that peculiarly Canadian smugness one sees around American issues here that I find really grating.  When was this produced anyway?  Probably some time around the time we were knee deep in shared responsibility for the Maher Arar debacle.

Bottom line: The Canadian government should not be giving public money to produce entertainment that seriously belittles and insults a neighbouring country under the guise of comedy.  This was not some back alley Yuk Yuks, it was the CBC. It's possible to do poking fun at the US right.  See 'Talking to Americans' for example.  Hilarious and totally wrong in a very right way. This was not that. If it was just this one thing I'd call it bad judgement and move on, but as the leaked diplomatic cables pointed out, it's not just one thing.  It's become an increasingly unflattering facet of the shared Canadian character.

George Carlin
Eddie Murphy
Chris Rock
Ricky Gervais
Russel Brand
Jim Carrey
Richard Pryor
Dane Cook
among others :D