When you think of funny people in America, who do you immediately think of? Stephen Colbert? Robin Williams? Chris Rock? Matt Stone and Trey Parker? How about David Letterman or Dane Cook?
Some of the people above are on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 25 funniest people in America (two of the people above aren't on the list, nor should they be!). Some of the choices are downright baffling (as usual for these lists): Augustun Burroughs? Please. Diablo Cody? Good writer, but one of the funniest in the country based on Juno? But it's good to see the Sedarises on there (both David and Amy), as well as people like Tina Fey and Demetri Martin. There are even two current cast members of Saturday Night Live on the list. Can you guess who they are?
Once you read the list, you can go into the comments and say "why the hell is _________ on the list?!?"












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-06-2008 @ 12:22PM
Josh said...
I guess I agree with most of them, with a few glaring exceptions. I'm just really glad that neither Jay Leno nor Dane Cook are on there.
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6-06-2008 @ 1:39PM
Rocketboy said...
I'm ok with most as well. I really don't expect People to praise the real 'edgy' comics, just the safe/well known edgy comics. So there are some that could/should be dropped for the likes of Patrice O'Neal, Patton Oswald, Louis CK, and Jimmy Norton, but I would not expect People to look that far away from Prime Time TV to seek out funny.
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6-06-2008 @ 2:12PM
mike m said...
Letterman and Conan should be way lower, and Gervais should be way higher.
the Seth Rogan crew should also include Jason Segal, who masterfully wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall
And if you include him, why wasn't Bays and Thomas on that list?
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6-06-2008 @ 2:50PM
Wintermute said...
And even if you leave out Bays & Thomas (who *should* be on the list), where's NPH??? He steals almost every scene he's in, both on HIMYM and in the Harold & Kumar movies.
And of the late-night talk show hosts, that Scottish guy is the funniest! (Yeah, I know Craig Ferguson is on the list, but he should be higher than any of the others.)
'mute
6-06-2008 @ 2:59PM
MERVE-THE-PERVE said...
I think Richard Pryor will be the funniest man to ever live. It's a shame his career and life was cut short by discease and addictions.
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6-06-2008 @ 2:59PM
GL said...
As long as there is no Dane Cook, my mind is at ease.
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6-06-2008 @ 3:00PM
AC said...
I always thought Albert Brooks was pretty hilarious.
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6-06-2008 @ 3:04PM
mayorjimmy said...
the real top 5 (in no particular order)
- Dave Chappelle
- Conan O'Brian
- Matt Stone/Trey Parker
- Steven Colbert
- Chris Rock
i can't really understand having Jack Black AND Will Farrell both on there. I mean, they pretty much do the same thing. To take it a step further, if you're going to put 2 one-trick ponies like then on there then i argue you should put Jim Carrey on there in BOTH their places since he got started before them and does the "wacky" thing so much better.
Aside from not having to listen to hollywood cry like little girls the only other reason I look forward to Bush leaving office is the vindication of watching Jon Stewart's career begin a slow painful death. I mean seriously, if he didn't have W around is there any reason to believe he wouldn't be taking bit parts in Adam Sandler's movies or doing the news desk on SNL?
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6-06-2008 @ 3:40PM
ShadowGod said...
Howard Stern
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6-06-2008 @ 4:00PM
Rocketboy said...
That's a joke, right?
6-06-2008 @ 3:46PM
Suzy said...
flight of the conchords bret mckenzie & jemaine clement!!!
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6-06-2008 @ 11:52PM
Stigmata said...
david letterman? REALLY? WTF ppl!!!
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6-07-2008 @ 1:13PM
Lois said...
This is a list done by people in their 20s. The list of who is missing to way too long to write in here.
Funny is subjective but the funniest people are those that make us laugh out loud, big belly laughs and more than once in a half hour.
Letterman? He likes to hear himself talk.
Go rent Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Tim Allen, Seinfeld. Concerts, not sitcoms. Then make a list.
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