Wake Up Call

Ah, morning! And by "morning", I mean "almost noon." Like my mother, I am nocturnal. I think I should live on the East Coast, and work for a company based on the West Coast. That would be perfect.

But of course, I live on the West Coast, and work for a company based in Indiana. So, I am screwed on that front.

My gf mentioned that some intrepid scientist should clone Mitch Hedberg, and while I agree in principle, I would surmise that the clone, too, would die of multiple drug toxicity. So she and I share a love of Mitch Hedberg.

Which got me to thinking about my earlier reference, a couple of posts ago, to the true geniuses of comedy that walk amongst us today. Or, like Mitch, did so until recently. I believe that the comedy today is as good or better than comedy from any era.

[1] Highest Order [almost literary quality to their work]: Stephen Colbert, David Sedaris, Dave Chappelle, Ricky Gervais [oddly, he's maybe the best straight man since Jack Benny or Stan Laurel.]

[2] Outrageously Talented [original, intelligent]: Jim Gaffigan, Mitch Hedberg, Wendy Liebman, Bob Saget, Eddie Izzard, Sacha Baron Cohen, talented homophobe Norm MacDonald, Chris Rock

[3] Notably Talented: Gilbert Gottfried, Margaret Smith, Jimmy Carr, remarkably petulant David Cross, Ben Stiller, Steven Wright

I have a soft spot for Emo Phillips, but wouldn't require others to watch him. He's a good writer, but maybe an acquired taste as a performer. Rita Rudner was very good before she got married, but like Paul McCartney, married life has dulled her edge.

Keep in mind, the ability to thrill a live audience is but one aspect of my analysis [otherwise Cedric the Entertainer would be at the top]. The ability to write new, novel and creative material is perhaps the most important. And a certain "rawness" is important as well [The first time gf and I saw Norm MacDonald live will be indelibly etched in my memory until I die. Incredibly edgy.]

That's my list and I'm sticking to it. Mitch is the only dead guy on the list, and in my perfect world, he isn't dead, he's just sleeping in.