This is a topic that keeps coming back, and it's always tough to answer, most popular? most influential? most important? just plain funniest? personal favourite I guess is the usual question however, and I don't mind this thread repeating every few months as comedy changes all the time.
I'd like to add an extra question to the top 5 tho, who's someone relatively unknown you wish got more fame? Just in the interests of spreading some new talent around.
For me, Andrew Lawrence is currently having a short run of 15 minute shows on Radio 4, called 'What to do if you're not like everyone else' and I think he's got a fairly unique style.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/tt68z/
He also has an uncanny resemblance to the main character in the 'Red Meat' web comic, Bug Eyed Earl.
As for important, it's tough to narrow it down to 5, but maybe, not in order, so as not to induce flaming:
Lenny Bruce
Bill Hicks
George Carlin
Stewart Lee
Eddie Izzard
Tho I could add many more...
As for personal faves, currently, I'd go with
Andrew Lawrence (above)
Milton Jones (for bringing light silliness to 'Mock the Week', which can be kind of dark and nasty at times, and for being a devout Christian who doesn't feel the need to force it on people)
Louis CK (for breaking the taboo of 'aren't children special and we all love our kids unconditionally' in such a funny way)
Stewart Lee (partly for sheer endurance, partly for not changing his style to gain mass appeal, and for breaking the taboo of not criticising other comedians, and for baiting the Daily Mail on a regular basis)
Tim Minchin (for being such a talented musician yet sticking to being funny when he probably could have made it as some wanky 'heartfelt' pop act if he'd wanted the money, and for giving me a reason to post his 'Pope' song while the Pope's using £14 million of UK Tax money for free advertising of his cult)
Now as I mentioned it, and as he's in the country, here's both mine and Tim's opinion on the papal visit to the UK:
Warning: might be slightly sweary.
I'd like to add an extra question to the top 5 tho, who's someone relatively unknown you wish got more fame? Just in the interests of spreading some new talent around.
For me, Andrew Lawrence is currently having a short run of 15 minute shows on Radio 4, called 'What to do if you're not like everyone else' and I think he's got a fairly unique style.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/tt68z/
He also has an uncanny resemblance to the main character in the 'Red Meat' web comic, Bug Eyed Earl.
As for important, it's tough to narrow it down to 5, but maybe, not in order, so as not to induce flaming:
Lenny Bruce
Bill Hicks
George Carlin
Stewart Lee
Eddie Izzard
Tho I could add many more...
As for personal faves, currently, I'd go with
Andrew Lawrence (above)
Milton Jones (for bringing light silliness to 'Mock the Week', which can be kind of dark and nasty at times, and for being a devout Christian who doesn't feel the need to force it on people)
Louis CK (for breaking the taboo of 'aren't children special and we all love our kids unconditionally' in such a funny way)
Stewart Lee (partly for sheer endurance, partly for not changing his style to gain mass appeal, and for breaking the taboo of not criticising other comedians, and for baiting the Daily Mail on a regular basis)
Tim Minchin (for being such a talented musician yet sticking to being funny when he probably could have made it as some wanky 'heartfelt' pop act if he'd wanted the money, and for giving me a reason to post his 'Pope' song while the Pope's using £14 million of UK Tax money for free advertising of his cult)
Now as I mentioned it, and as he's in the country, here's both mine and Tim's opinion on the papal visit to the UK:
Warning: might be slightly sweary.
