Funny or Not Funny?

Tom Wise

Just for kicks, I decided to make a list (abbreviated from Wikipedia) which rates comedians “funny” or “not funny.”

Although there are exceptions, in order to be considered “funny” one must generally speaking: (1) have at least one memorable schtick or show, (2) most of the time, be at least amusing when in public, (3) not be a jerk in one’s private life to the extent that it absolutely overshadows the so-called funny self.

• Jason Alexander- funny

• Steve Allen- not funny

• Tim Allen- can be funny

• Louie Anderson- monotonous but funny

• Bea Arthur- annoying, not funny

• Rowan Atkinson- funny

• Dan Aykroyd- not funny

• Hank Azaria- not funny

• Lucille Ball- funny

• Roseanne Barr- disgusting but funny

• James Belushi- funny

• John Belushi- funny

• Jack Benny- sometimes funny

• Milton Berle- not funny

• Sandra Bernhard- not funny

• Jack Black- not funny but interesting

• Lewis Black- not funny but raucous

• Victor Borge- funny!

• Russell Brand- sometimes funny

• Wayne Brady- not funny

• David Brenner- was funny once

• Mel Brooks- knows funny but not sure if he is funny

• Lenny Bruce- not funny, just poignant

• Carol Burnett- funny

• George Burns- not funny

• Frank Caliendo- funny

• Charlie Callas- funny and funny looking

• John Candy- funny

• Steve Carell- not funny

• Drew Carey- makes others funny

• George Carlin- funny then serious like a bullet

• Jim Carrey- funny

• Carrot Top- not funny

• Dana Carvey- funny

• Charlie Chaplin- sometimes funny

• Dave Chappelle- funny but obvious

• Chevy Chase- not funny

• Margaret Cho- not funny

• Tommy Chong- funny

• Andrew "Dice" Clay- funny

• John Cleese- funny

• Jerry Clower- regionally funny

• Sacha Baron Cohen- stupidly funny

• Stephen Colbert- his writers are funny but he is not

• Dane Cook- not funny

• Peter Cookv funny in tandem

• Pat Cooper- funny

• Bill Cosby- funny

• Norm Crosby- not funny

• Billy Crystal- works hard for a little funny

• Bill Dana- funny character

• Rodney Dangerfield- funny

• Larry David- writes funny, not funny in person

• Ellen DeGeneres- cute, not funny

• Dom DeLuise- fun and funny

• Danny DeVito- funny

• Andy Dick- not funny

• Phyllis Diller- funny faces

• Ken Dodd- funny

• Fran Drescher- not funny

• Jeff Dunham- funny

• Jimmy Durante- funny

• Bill Engvall- funny

• Jimmy Fallon- talented but not funny

• Chris Farley- funny personified

• Marty Feldman- funny

• Craig Ferguson- very funny

• Tina Fey- not funny

• W. C. Fields- funny

• Michael J. Fox- not funny

• Redd Foxx- funny

• Jamie Foxx- not funny

• Jeff Foxworthy- one-trick funny

• Al Franken- not funny

• William Frawley- wry, not funny

• Gallagher- messy, not funny

• Janeane Garofalo- not funny

• Ricky Gervais- funny or irreverent, who can say?

• Jackie Gleason- funny

• George Gobel- funny

• Whoopi Goldberg- diverse, not funny

• Bobcat Goldthwait- amusing, not funny

• John Goodman- not funny

• Frank Gorshin- not funny

• Gilbert Gottfried- kooky, not funny

• Kelsey Grammer- not funny

• Seth Green- writes funny, not funny

• Tom Green- was funny

• David Alan Grier- funny

• Kathy Griffin- not funny

• Christopher Guest- lampooner, not funny

• Buddy Hackett- funny looking

• Chelsea Handler- witty, not funny

• Valerie Harper- funny

• Phil Hartman- sorry, just not funny

• Steve Harvey- not funny

• Goldie Hawn- zany, not funny

• Sir Charles Hawtrey- pip pip funny

• Patricia Heaton- not funny

• Benny Hill- funny

• Bob Hope- sometimes funny

• D.L. Hughley- not funny

• Eric Idle- funny

• Eddie Izzard- not funny

• Victoria Jackson- not funny

• Kevin James- funny on TV, not funny elsewhere

• Gabe Kaplan- funny

• Andy Kaufman- funny at everyone’s expense

• Chris Kattan- not funny

• Danny Kaye- funny-ish

• Buster Keaton- buffoonish, not funny

• Diane Keaton- not funny

• Michael Keaton- funny

• Garrison Keillor- liberal funny

• Jamie Kennedy- funny

• Craig Kilborn- not funny

• Jimmy Kimmel- funny

• Alan King- not funny

• Sam Kinison- funny but also not

• Robert Klein- very funny moments

• Ted Knight- funny

• Don Knotts- funny

• Harvey Korman- funny

• Ernie Kovacs- laconic, not funny

• Ashton Kutcher- somewhat funny

• Steve Landesberg- funny

• Nathan Lane- not funny

• Artie Lange- gross, not funny

• Larry the Cable Guy- funny

• Martin Lawrence- funny expressions

• Vicki Lawrence- not funny

• Denis Leary- not funny

• John Leguizamo- not funny

• Tom Lehrer- not funny

• Jack Lemmon- not funny

• Jay Leno- funny

• David Letterman- funny delivery but not funny

• Eugene Levy- funny writer, not funny actor

• Jerry Lewis- over-the-top but not funny

• Richard Lewis- funny when he’s all there

• Rich Little- professionally funny

• George Lopez- not funny

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus- not funny

• Paul Lynde- funny

• Bernie Mac- smart but not funny

• Norm Macdonald- not funny

• Bill Maher- funny but still an idiot

• Howie Mandel- brilliant but not funny

• Cheech Marin- ethnically amusing but not funny

• Andrea Martin- borderline funny

• Dean Martin- charming, not funny

• Steve Martin- panders to funny

• Jackie Martling- not that funny

• Groucho Marx- funny

• Jackie Mason- funny

• Walter Matthau- funny!

• Tim Meadows- squeezes out a funny

• Anne Meara- not funny

• Dennis Miller- funny

• Spike Milligan- clever but not funny

• Kel Mitchell- not funny

• Jay Mohr- tries hard but not funny

• Mo'Nique- not funny

• Dudley Moore- funny

• Mary Tyler Moore- only funny on TV

• Rick Moranis- geeky, not funny

• Tracy Morgan- creepy, not funny

• Garrett Morris- not funny

• Martin Mull- not funny

• Eddie Murphy- funny bits

• Bill Murray- funny

• Jan Murray- not funny

• Mike Myers- funny when it’s all said and done

• Jim Nabors- goofy, not funny

• Kevin Nealon- funny

• Bob Nelson- amazingly stupid but not funny

• Bob Newhart- funny

• Laraine Newman- funny

• Leslie Nielsen- funny

• Don Novello- one-hit funny

• Conan O'Brien- funny

• Carroll O'Connor- not funny

• Donald O'Connor- not funny

• Rosie O'Donnell- not funny

• Ed O'Neill- not funny

• Keith Olbermann- what’s he doing on this list?

• John Oliver- funny

• Patton Oswalt- not funny

• Jack Paar- not funny

• Michael Palin- funny

• Pat Paulsen- funny

• Minnie Pearl- not funny

• Matthew Perry- not funny

• Emo Philips- funny

• Chonda Pierce- not funny

• Joe Piscopo- in-your-face but not funny

• Tom Poston- funny

• Paula Poundstone- funny

• Freddie Prinze- quick but not funny

• Richard Pryor- funny

• Randy Quaid- not funny

• Colin Quinn- not funny

• Gilda Radner- funny

• Harold Ramis- not funny

• Martha Raye- not funny

• Carl Reiner- funny

• Michael Richards- funny

• Don Rickles- funniest man that ever lived

• John Ritter- funny

• Joan Rivers- not funny

• Chris Rock- perceptive, not funny

• Paul Rodriguez- not funny

• Will Rogers- incisive, not funny

• Ray Romano- funny

• Nipsey Russell- funny

• Bob Saget- not funny

• Mort Sahl- funny

• Soupy Sales- funny

• Adam Sandler- funny

• Rob Schneider- funny

• Jerry Seinfeld- funny onscreen, not much off

• Peter Sellers- funny

• Mack Sennett- funny

• Paul Shaffer- funny

• Garry Shandling- clownish, not funny

• Dick Shawn- quirky, not funny

• Harry Shearer- funny

• Allen Sherman- funny

• Pauly Shore- not funny

• Martin Short- funny

• Sarah Silverman- funny

• Phil Silvers- not funny

• Sinbad- not funny

• Red Skelton- funny

• Yakov Smirnoff- not funny

• David Spade- hard to say if funny or just very sharp

• Howard Stern- funny or perhaps just deranged

• Ray Stevens- mildly funny

• Jon Stewart- funny

• Ben Stiller- not funny

• Jerry Stiller- funny

• Larry Storch- not funny

• Wanda Sykes- not funny

• Rip Taylor- funny

• Judy Tenuta- not funny

• Danny Thomas- not funny

• Dave Thomas- funny, ay

• Terry-Thomas- funny accent

• Christopher Titus- once funny

• Lily Tomlin- funny

• Daniel Tosh- funny or perhaps just juvenile (still funny)

• Tracey Ullman- smart but not funny

• Vince Vaughn- not funny

• Jackie Vernon- muggy, not funny

• Jimmie Walker- funny

• Damon Wayans- funny

• Betty White- wacky, not funny

• Gene Wilder- weird, not funny

• Robin Williams- schizophrenic but is it funny?

• Jonathan Winters- funny

• Steven Wright- funny

• "Weird Al" Yankovic- funny

• Henny Youngman- funny

COMEDIC GROUPS

• Abbott and Costello- funny in between boring

• Bob and Ray- spotty funny

• Burns and Allen- not funny

• Cheech and Chong- funny

• The Firesign Theatre- funny moments

• The Kids in the Hall- funny

• Laurel and Hardy- funny

• Marx Brothers- funny

• The Mighty Boosh- supposedly funny

• Monty Python- funny

• Morecambe and Wise- funny

• Penn & Teller- funny

• Rowan and Martin- funny

• Smothers Brothers- not funny

• SCTV- funny

MISSING FROM THE ORIGINAL LIST

Georgie Jessel - funny

Johnny Carson- funny

Jim Varney- not funny

Art Carney- funny reactions

Jack Klugman- funny

Tony Randall- funny

Al Molinaro- funny