Wow, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve come up with a blog post title that long. Can I just get a round of applause for that? Thank you!
You don’t need to stand up.
Which segues nicely into today’s post.
Recently, I found this graphic:
Mike and I were watching Eddie Murphy’s Delirious on Netflix a few weeks ago, and we realized that his stand-up comedy is not, in fact, timeless.
This sent us on a lovely tangent about how we love watching stand-up comedy, and how it is probably good for us because it helps us with our endorphins because of laughter (see chart above).
Who knew that watching Eddie Murphy say the word shit, fu**, and dammit repeatedly, was actually good for us?
We both decided that watching stand-up comedy regularly might actually be healthy for us, me in particular, because of menopause and serotonin. There is a serotonin-estrogen connection that I discovered while researching for my book, and it is honestly kind of mind-blowing.
Laughing helps with those endorphins though, and we can use all the help we can get right now because of:
PANDEMIC
ELECTION
PEOPLE BEING STUPID DAILY
INCREASING DARKNESS
PEOPLE BEING STUPID DAILY
You need endorphins.
Hell, you need serotonin, oxytocin, AND dopamine too.
I am here to help.
I found a list of the “50 Best Standup Comics of All Time” from three years ago written by Rolling Stone magazine and yet, it is completely outdated.
I will let you figure out why.
How our country has changed so drastically in even three years used to be preposterous to me.
Then 2020 happened and now, change in such a short amount of time will never EVER be preposterous to me.
But on that list, Louis CK is #4 and Bill Cosby is #8 and that’s all I will say. Also, the ratio of women to men on the list is preposterous as well.
I also found an article, Funniest Female Comedians of All-Time, which is a good read too, but it lumps both standup comics and comedic actors together, which doesn’t seem quite fair. At any rate, I thought I would include it in this post to give you some fun reading and distraction for winter (bookmark this for one of those days when you need a respite from all the madness).
So I made a list, assuming that I like most of who is on the Rolling Stones’ list.
Except for #4 and #8.
Oh, and #30 can go the hell away too.
Also #10.
Just read my list.
Comedians I Think You Might Like
Tig Notaro
I like Tig but watch this documentary about her life first, please.
Janeane Garafalo
Janeane is my all-time favorite comedian. Hands down.
Margaret Cho
I have been a fan of Margaret’s since she had a sitcom in the 90s, so I am old-school Cho.
And yes, I am the nerd who found the pilot of that show, All-American Girl. It was so bad. SO bad. Yet another thing to watch when you have nothing to do.
Patton Oswalt
I loved him on the television show King of Queens, but his standup is really good too. He’s also hilarious on Twitter. Unless you’re a Trump supporter, then you won’t like him.
Wanda Sykes
I just watched this special the night before Election Day and it was just what I needed. I laughed so hard and so long at this one that Ella came down to see if I was okay. That is a sad statement about how little I have been laughing as of late.
Why she was only #50 on Rolling Stone’s list is shameful.
Fortune Feimster
I just shared her Netflix special a few posts ago, but I am adding her again anyway because she is so funny. Any time a comedian makes me laugh OUT LOUD EVEN, I am in love.
Jim Gaffigan
I LOVE this bit:
Christina P.
I just found her a few weeks ago and had never even heard of her. Of course, I had heard of her husband, Tom Segura, who is also funny.
Amy Schumer
Amy Schumer is NOT for everyone, but this is one of my favorite stand-up specials of hers, and it’s not only because they filmed it at the Chicago Theatre.
Who are some of your most favorite comedians?
A Grace Full Life 
I agree with you on most of those..but not Tig. For some reason she just doesn’t do it for me…
Now about this serotonin-estrogen connection you mentioned. I’m too lazy to research it, what gives?
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The Tig documentary is better than the stand up, I’ll give you that.
So obviously when you lose estrogen your serotonin levels fluctuate in your body. But serotonin supplements will help with hot flashes which is life changing, at least for me. I didn’t know this until I was on an antidepressant for my migraines and was doing research for the book and saw a blurb for it buried in a Harvard study. At this point I had been on my antidepressant for two months and I sat there and thought about how I hadn’t had a hot flash in a while. I guess they’re right. 😂
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When my hot flashes I tried everything and still felt like I was standing on the surface of the sun. Went on an estrogen patch which I didn’t initially want…. no one mentioned serotonin.
😕
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RIGHT? Life. Changing. I’m happier AND cooler!
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I do enjoy Wanda and Cho and Schumer. As a family we are CRAZY about Jim Gaffigan. So relatable. Another comedian I like is an Italian guy who does the bit about how in recent years we take cover when the doorbell rings vs the days when we were growing up and if the doorbell rang we would get excited to have visitors. “Ma would have a little Entenmans set aside just in case.” Here is a link below (who even I am acting all capable of sharing a link?). His name I cannot pronounce let alone spell: Sebastian Moscar(no idea)
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Mike LOVES him. He’s from Chicago too! I can’t pronounce his name either! 😂
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I love your list. I used to listen to a comedy radio station and there were some people on there that I really liked. Kathleen Madigan was one of them. John Pinette (RIP) was another.
Deb
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Yes to both of them! That’s a great radio station to have if you’re in a blah mood. 🌈
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Hot flashes and women of humor. What a perfect blog post. Well, PO isn’t a woman but I like his humor so he can be an honorary woman. Gotta keep on laughing.
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He is just wonderful, isn’t he? Gotta keep on laughing to keep from crying. 🙂
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Yep. I think that every day anymore.
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Same, friend.
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My husband and I love stand up comedy! We listen to it on Pandora all the time and have been to see so many comics in person (yet we have never ever been to a concert)– that’s how much we like comedy. And don’t hate me… but I tend to much prefer male comics over female. I have listened to most of the ones you listed above and I like them just fine but I have never belly laughed with any one of them like I have with several of the men. My favorites do include Patten Oswald, Jim Gaffigan, John Pinnette, Bill Engvall, Jim Jefferies, Jeff Dunham… OK I could go on and on but I won’t. I do love to laugh and find that it hugely improves my mood.
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I love male comics too! I know my list doesn’t seem to reflect that but I really do, lol.
I’ve been to comedy clubs all around Chicago especially in the 90s when they were popping up everywhere.
Thankfully now we have Netflix to watch stand up and it has saved us over the past several months.
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I love funny TV shows, series and movies, but for whatever reason, I don’t like stand up comedy. Never did. Just can’t get into it, no matter who it is. Don’t shoot me.
We’re almost done watching Schitts Creek and I’m dreading it ending. That show is my happy show every evening. What next that’s just as funny, heartwarming and good?
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LOL, I won’t shoot you! I am just trying to find goodness to share. 🙂
We just began season five and I felt the exact same way! I don’t want it to end either. I can’t think of anything offhand but I will keep looking. I just started The Crown but that isn’t funny or heartwarming but it is good. Mike doesn’t really get into the English royalty shows, so I am watching alone but I do love it.
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I just thought of one! I am sharing it in January’s tater tot post but I wanted to share it here too so you had something to watch. Queer Eye. Not sure if you’ve ever watched it but it is filled with SO much goodness. There are four or five seasons of just happiness. 🙂
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I really like Tig. I loved Nannette (I can’t remember the name of the comedian who did that special but both that one and her most recent specials were on Netflix and they’re comedy, but not, and exactly what I think the world needs right now. I love Chapelle. I don’t always agree with him but I like him all the more because he makes me think. The woman who is the main writer for The Duchess (which I didn’t love) has some really raunchy but funny stuff on Netflix (but I don’t know her name either and I’m too lazy to look them up).
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Janeane Garafalo stand-up but I love her so I’ll have to find some. And Patton Oswald and Jim Gaffigan forever.
I love that you made this list!! All the things with the newspaper on fire made me laugh out loud.
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We love all of the same things! I had so much fun researching for this post. I have watched so much standup in the past two weeks alone and it has definitely improved my moods. ❤️
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I think Tig is hilarious. Also, I love me some Jim Gaffigan.
Coach and I saw Eddie Murphey DO Dilarious IN person way back in the day. Yeah, we’re old.
I’ve always loved Steven Wright and I can take some of Ron White. We saw Tommy Chong a million years ago too and he was so darn funny.
We used to frequent the Comedy Corner in our town a million moons ago, we love stand up comedy, but for the life of me, I can’t think of anyone that stands out.
Lets keep up with the serotonin, dopamine, oxywhathave you, meletonin, you know, all the tonins.
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Steven Wright was on my list! He didn’t made the cut though because I couldn’t find any good videos. But I do like him.
I feel like by the end of the pandemic, I will need to be on a street corner selling serotonin, dopamine, and the like. I could make a killing. 😂
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I could hug you for that list. I am in desperate need of some laughs these days. (So, goal of your post is accomplished lol.)
Wanda Sykes is so damn funny. Have you ever watched Pooty Tang? The movie is not…great…but, she has one of the funniest lines ever. I actually like Amy Schumer. She gets a shit ton of hate, but most of her stuff makes me laugh. Bernie Mac’s old stuff is great, too.
Try out some of Carrie Fisher’s shows if you get a chance. Fantastic as Leia, of course, but she is a brilliant writer and absolutely hilarious. (And maybe check out her books.) A lot of her content is on personal life shit, so it gets a bit dark at times, but she has a wonderful ability to take even the darkest situation and put a humorous spin on it. I miss her.
A couple years ago, I was working on my own standup, hoping to do one of those open mic nights in a city nearby. That didn’t happen lol. Pushed it to my 40 bucket list 😀
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I’m so glad you can use this list!
I’ve never seen that! I’ll have to look for it. Wanda is a gift. I love her so.
I love Carrie Fisher too! I remember when Anna and I went to California, we took one of those Hollywood tours and they drove right by her former home and her mom’s former home which was right next door. I literally teared up. Sigh.
Oh that would be AMAZING. If you do that, we need video!!
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Have you seen One Mississippi on Amazon? If you haven’t, you must, it’s excellent Tig. Also she had a podcast called Professor Blastoff that was also amazing. I am huge Tig fan. Also yeah, eff that list of dudes, questionable dudes! I love Amy Schumer too. I’m going to check out of the rest of the folks on your list. I need to laugh more these days!
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I haven’t seen that one! Professor Blastoff I have heard of though!
Questionable dudes…SO MANY. There are probably more that have really good PR. 🙄
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Do you know the story behind Hannibal Buress and Bill Cosby? We went to see HB the week after the story broke and it was amazing. The first words out of his mouth were, “well I’ve had quite a week.” It was such a moment in history. Still baffled that it took a comedian to actually make the story spread as opposed to the 50+ who reported him…
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I knew that he was the comedian who broke the story but I cannot imagine seeing him after that! It irritates me that it took a man to say something 30 plus years after the fact but you and I both know this isn’t surprising.
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