The Funniest American Stand-Up Comedy


   

The laughDB database is dedicated to the funniest comedy movies, stand-up comedy and TV series.

This section is for stand-up comedy sets from the USA. By default they are presented starting with the ones ranking highest on the laugh-o-meter, but you can also sort them by year, title or IMDB rating.


Funniest American Comedies sorted by Laugh-o-meter (descending) / page 2 of 10


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Jim Gaffigan: Mr Universe posterJim Gaffigan: Mr Universe
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 7.8 | imdb: 7.8
      wikipedia

Stand-up comedians often lose inspiration as their career advances, so it was a great surprise to discover that six years after Beyond the Pale, Jim Gaffigan defied the usual trend by creating a far stronger show. The language was clean, the topics fairly mundane, but I found myself chuckling and laughing more than during some sets by comedians whose work I prefer on artistic (!), intellectual (!!) or ideological (!!!) grounds. Jim's shows might seem like fast-food (a topic he covers in this set)—they are enjoyable yet not very nourishing… but there is no guilt afterwards. So treat yourself to Mr Universe without giving it a second thought. (Last viewed: December 2013)

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Whoopi: Back to Broadway posterWhoopi: Back to Broadway
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 7.7 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.9
      

Taken as a piece of theatrical performance, as a monologue, that show was enjoyable for me. As stand-up comedy, it was a waste of time.

Incarnating various characters, Whoopi reminisces on some times of her life — some personal, some public, such as the war in Irak — and invents others. It has historical value, it's often touching, but it's not the kind of material that can trigger laughter, at least not for me: in the case of Irak, not that long after the events.

Some of the personal topics include waxing, menopause and depression: maybe some of you all will be curious about Whoopi's experience or find something you can relate to.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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Louis C.K.: One Night Stand DVDLouis C.K.: One Night Stand
      2005 | USA | Laughs: 7.6 | imdb: 7.9
      

This short show is really good value. The adult portion of the set might be a bit long, but there are really good segments about marriage and kids, with material that feels like it came out of an original mind, rather than from the big pot of stale material so many comedians seem to be dipping into. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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George Carlin: What Am I Doing in New Jersey? DVDGeorge Carlin: What Am I Doing in New Jersey?
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 7.5 | imdb: 8.2
      wikipedia

The show starts with a long boring introduction where George gets lost in a cab to New Jersey, then with a rather crass, long warm-up. But then George launches into several routines that had me laughing pretty hard: one where he develops the theme that "America is a great country but a strange culture", and one about tricks to keep clerks on their toes. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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Eddie Murphy: Delirious DVDEddie Murphy: Delirious
      1983 | USA | Laughs: 7.5 | imdb: 8.2
      wikipedia

Starts in the gutter, stays in the gutter, but dog-gum… it's funny, and you can't help laughing even if you cringe. (Last viewed: September 2009)

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Bill Burr: Comedy Central Season 7, Episode 2Bill Burr: Comedy Central Season 7, Episode 2
      2003 | USA | Laughs: 7.2 | imdb: 8.0
      

Discovering this set fourteen years later was a good surprise. A stand-up comedian's powers often decline as they get more settled in life and exhaust their themes, so I was curious to study some ancient material, when Bill was presumably near his peak. This Comedy Central special didn't disappoint. Sometimes old shows age poorly, but most of the material here is of the imperishable kind—universal subjects such as differences between men and women, always a good theme for Bill. Sure there was a short piece about George W. Bush, but I could handle it, I still remember who W is. The only bummer was that the show only lasted twenty minutes. If you can get your hands on this tape, it's a fun short watch. (Last viewed: June 2017)

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Louis C.K.: Comedy Central PresentsLouis C.K.: Comedy Central Presents
      2001 | USA | Laughs: 7.2 | imdb: 7.5
      

A nice short set with material that mostly works—a good introduction to Louis CK's clever thinking, devoid of adult themes for a (welcome) change. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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Bill Burr: You People Are All The Same DVDBill Burr: You People Are All The Same
      2012 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 | imdb: 8.3
      

Bill goes further than other comedians I've seen in exploring imbalances in the male-female equation, and he does a great job of presenting the (or perhaps a) male perspective. This set also has a segment about dogs, which I always like. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth DVDDave Chappelle: For What It's Worth
      2004 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.6
      wikipedia

I discovered Dave Chappelle in the movie Half-Baked, which I hadn't expect to like, but did. I'm a bit sad because I really would like to give Chappelle four stars. When he's good, I love him. He's obviously really bright (good comedians have to be), and it shows in his style, the style of an independent thinker. But why does Dave have to spend half the show talking about the contents of his underpants? Is it to reach a broader audience, or does he really like smut talk? Anyway, for me, if you have such a hard time getting out of your underpants, I don't know if you can get four stars. (Last viewed: March 2011)

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Doug Stanhope: Oslo: Burning the Bridge to Nowhere DVDDoug Stanhope: Oslo: Burning the Bridge to Nowhere
      2011 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 | imdb: 7.5
      wikipedia

At the beginning of the DVD, Doug apologizes that the show was filmed at the inspiration of his producer without much notice and issues a number of disclaimers. Nevertheless, I found the first half to be the best of his that I'd seen in a while. Comparing it with his other releases, much of the material was fresh, and Doug didn't dwell much in the gross-out or obscene departments. Sure, the set didn't feel nearly as tuned or polished as that of an Eddie Izzard show, but that didn't matter. It was nice to hear Doug share his thoughts in front of a non-Anglo audience, outside of the US context. It sounds like Doug has reached the "give up and just live" stage of his life, and that produces a different voice, perhaps as valuable, one that isn't as angry, one that is resigned to the overall scarcity of critical thinking among the human animal.

What about the second half? Apart from the boring encore, it was good too. This is when Doug rolled out the "adult" material. Once again, the material was fresh, and when graphic language was used, it usually felt like there was a point—unlike the gratuitously obscene rampage in the more drunken sections on some of his other sets.

Not laugh-out-loud comedy, but a very good show for fans of Doug's and probably also for a good many people who haven't come across him yet. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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George Carlin: Carlin on Campus DVDGeorge Carlin: Carlin on Campus
      1984 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 | imdb: 8.1
      wikipedia

Some of Carlin's show repeat old material. I like that most of the material here is original. There is a long and effective segment on driving. And even though I'm not a sports head, I love Carlin's upbeat-downbeat comparison of baseball and football. (Last viewed: October 2010)

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Louis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store posterLouis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store
      2015 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 | imdb: 7.9
      

After a while, most stand-up comedians naturally peter out as they exhaust their source of material. In his past shows Louis CK seemed well-engaged on this down slope, but this set firmly reverses the trend, and features Louis at his funniest I had seen him in a long time. The setting is intimate, and the camera captures facial expressions that greatly enhance the performance. If you don't mind a little crudeness, this is an entertaining set. (Last viewed: February 2015)

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Mark Normand: Out to Lunch posterMark Normand: Out To Lunch
      2020 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 | imdb: 8.1
      

This was my favorite set by a comedian so far unknown to me in a long time.

Mark speaks well-formed English at breakneck speed, a first sign of the intelligence that permeates his comedy. When I started listening, his accent reminded me of my partner's, a Southerner who has lived a long time away from the South: it turns out that he too grew up in Louisiana. For a primer on the Louisiana accents, see this page.

The humor tends to hinge on bringing to light the logical flaws that underlie positions and behaviors often taken for granted in our society, a vein that resonates with my own mental make-up.

I can't say that I laughed hard, but I sure grinned a lot, and, more than anything, savored the show from start to finish, despite the nod to more vulgar themes towards the end.

Truly thrilled to have discovered Mark — all thanks to a reader of this website. Looking forward to seeing more of his material.

(Last viewed: January 2021)

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Ralphie May: Austin-Tatious DVDRalphie May: Austin-Tatious
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 7.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.7
      

Stand-up comedy show recorded in Texas. I watched this by mistake while looking for material by an Australian comedian who, I was told, went by the stage name "Austin Tatious" (I later learned it was spelled Austen Tayshus). I usually don't like comedians who spend most of their time below the belt, but Ralphie really made me laugh. Coarse language and adult themes. (Last viewed: July 2010)

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Brian Regan: The Epitome of Hyperbole DVDBrian Regan: The Epitome of Hyperbole
      2008 | USA | Laughs: 6.8 | imdb: 7.8
      wikipedia

This is not one of these shows that makes you think, nor is it one of these shows that leaves you panting from having jumped around the world from theme to theme. But it's clean—so clean in fact that kids could watch it—and it's funny. I smiled for most of the show and laughed quite a few times. There was nothing memorable, but I was entertained for an hour and that's all that matters. (Last viewed: December 2012)

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(This section: Funniest American Comedies)


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