I state categorically that the funniest comedy routine of all time is "Who's on First" by Abbott and Costello.

Anybody want to argue the point?

I have a so-so recording of a pretty good performance of it in my empeg (it was recorded off of a live AM radio broadcast in the 1950's) but would be interested in a better one if anybody could point me in the right direction.

tanstaafl.

Not gonna argue with you there...

Another great one (if you don't mind the language) is Chris Rock's "Niggers vs. Black People." It's the only one I have on my empeg....

disclaimer for the uninformed - Chris Rock is a black man. He's allowed to say that word. I am not racist, and if your heiny-hole is not too tight you too will find the routine hilarious.

For me, the two times in my life that I've laughed the hardest at a pre-recorded piece of comedy were in the movies:

- Black knight steadily losing limbs in "Holy Grail".

- Bernie hitting the buoys while being towed behind the speedboat in "Weekend at Bernies".

For standup/sketch comedy, nothing beat the Robin Williams and Rick Overton improv I saw in person a few years ago. But that wasn't a sketch, so doesn't fall into the same category as the WOF bit.

Funny, I just got done watching "A.I.", and was thinking how perfect Chris Rock's cameo was in that film. I was rooting for him to get shot into the rotating blades.

Note: No standup routine about comparing two races, classes, sexes, or species is original if it was done in the last 20 years. Even when Richard Pryor did it, it was old.

I state categorically that the funniest comedy routine of all time is "Who's on First" by Abbott and Costello.

Anybody want to argue the point?

Well, I can't start a proper argument as I haven't heard of that sketch. But it'd have to be pretty good to be funnier than Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's one-legged Tarzan audition sketch...

Peter

Hope fully I don't get shouted down, but I think one of the funniest things I've heard is by Eddie Izzard on President Kennedy's speech in Berlin. I keep a copy on both my empegs. I've got a transcript if anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about.

Yeah, Chris Rock erm....rocks!

At one time I've downloaded as many sketches of him as I could find on the net. This guy is great! His 'bigger and blacker' show (black people vs niggers was a part of that show) is really hilarious.
But he's obviously inspired by Eddy Murphy. Murphy's 'delirious' and 'Raw' shows were so cool. His classic "I had sex with her, but I make love to you routine" really is a classic.

That aside, I'm really a sucker for English comedy too. I really like Monty Python (of course - ministry of silly walks anyone?), Dave Allen (does this guy still perform ?), Jasper Carrot and Hale & Pace. (to name but a few)

You haven't heard of it?? I would think you'd at least hear references to it, it's been referred to all the time

Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know Who's on third....

Who's on first?
Yes.


Hehe, Tony, you're putting down Chris Rock while touting "Weekend at Bernie's"? That's a bold move

My favourite Eddie Izzard bit is "Le Singe et dans l'arbre", hillarous. I don't have it recorded anywhere unfortnately.

I like Bill Hicks' Arizona Bay

"The L.A. Riots" is a good one...
"It's 412F and raining lead down Sunset Blvd, Susie. It's probably a good time to get out of the city."

But "Hooligans" has got to be the best on that album. Poking fun at the English and their "proper crime."

Who's on First definitely has to be the best. I'v got a copy on my empeg as well, 64 bit. Had it for 3 years, don't quite remember where I got it from though. Here is a link to a lot of A&C routines, I just found it so I can't yet verify the quality, but I'll check tomorrow.

First time I remember hearing about it was in the movie Rainman with Tom Cruz and Dustan Hoffman, although I don't believe they actually have the whole skit in there.

For those of you who haven't heard it the full script is here, but it still is much funnier to hear them do it.

Enjoy,
Daniel

George Carlin's bit on naughty words.... the one that ironically got him in jail.

true, that one is up there

.... the one that ironically got him in jail.

I don't think he went to jail, but it became the basis of a dispute over an FCC license. FYI, interesting 1982 Playboy interview with Carlin reprinted here

Bonus trivia points. My cousin was Carlin's partner before Carlin went solo.

Another bonus trivia (but not as cool): My college psych. professor (who has been on the Montel show several times) is from Hawaii and is George's neighbor there....

extra bonus triva points my cousin is one of the mitchel brothers on eastenders

(for our non uk empeggers it is a dull soap opera filmed entirley different shades of grey some people reckons each eposide watched removes a week from your life expectancy)

extra bonus triva points my cousin is one of the mitchel brothers on eastenders

Dang, a temporal trivia trump! I can summon no greater brush with fame to reclaim my points! But wait! Eastenders has little if any comedy content! So your points are cut by one third!

(You'll perhaps be gratified to know that Eastenders can be caught in the U.S. on some PBS stations. I occasionally watch it when I'm in a particularly foul mood...)

Jim

You are kidding aren't you? Which one?

I have a pretty good copy of "Who's on First", if you're interested in checking it out. It's recorded from a record, so there's some slight scratches and pops, but they're barely noticeable. The MP3 is encoded at 64kbps.

It's only 2MB, so if your email account can handle it, I can send it to you. Otherwise, I can probably make it available on my FTP server.

Let me know if you're interested.

the one that is played by steve mcfadgen or how ever you spell his name

<impressed>WOW</impressed>

I'm partial to Larry Miller's 5 levels of drinking personally.

That is a very good bit! "God's flashlight!" hehe

Yeah, I love Larry Miller's material. I'd like to get a chance to see him do standup live sometime. He is hilarious.

my cousin is one of the mitchel brothers on eastenders

(for our non uk empeggers it is a dull soap opera filmed entirley different shades of grey some people reckons each eposide watched removes a week from your life expectancy)

With such a supportive family, it's no wonder he got a part as one of the Mitchells...

Peter

Pete 'n' Dud's "Worst Job I Ever 'Ad" sketch is absolutely superb, but Monty Python's "Cheese Shop Sketch" and "Albatross" get my vote
Billy Connolly's "I'll Take My Hand Aff Yer Face" is pretty hilarious as well.

Hang on, monty python... the four yorkshiremen sketch ("We used to live in a box in middle of t'road" "Cardboard box?" "Aye" "You were lucky" etc) has got to be pretty much up there....

Hugo

Kids today - they don't know they're born.

Agreed...maybe a large percentage of MP stuff could be bagged up as the best sketch ever.

I still like the "otters noses, get 'em while they're hot" bit from the Life Of Brian.

Yeah, picking a Monty Python skit would be hard...

Parrot Sketch?
Spam?
Lumberjack?
The "Idiot" Olypics? (forget the name)

The marathon of the incontinent?
The ministry of silly walks?
The spanish inquisition ?