Who's the Best Late-Night Comedian? Cast Your Vote

[locopolitico]

According to this poll asking people to pick their favorite late-night host, Craig Ferguson is currently beating out Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman, Bill Maher, and the rest of the late-night comedians by a wide margin.

Ferguson's Robot Skeleton Army makes a passionate case in the comments section of the poll. Do you agree, or should Jon Stewart being winning this poll? Cast your vote here.

http://politicalhumor.about.com/b/2010/03/01/whos-your-...

[Kerrytravelers]

1. Interestingly enough, a large amount of people consider Stewart more of a journalist, since he seems

to do their job for them anymore.

I love Stewart and Colbert. I couldn't pick just one. And I miss Conan.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. I agree...While Stewart and Colbert use comedy to get their message across, I do not

consider them to be in the same category as Ferguson..whom I love...or Letterman..

[Duer 157099]

2. I'd be hard pressed to choose between Craig and Jon

They are the only people on TV who make me laugh anymore.

[Echo In Light]

3. My old MST3K video rips from early-mid 90s Comedy Central

[geardaddy]

6. Joel was great

Mike Nelson, not so much... *oough* wingnut repuglican *cough*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_J._Nelson#Personal...

[renate]

9. thanks a LOT

I'm crushed. I really liked him (and Joel, obviously--who wouldn't love Joel?). I thought he seemed like a fun guy.

Oh well. Learning to deal with painful truths is part of growing up. (but... why, Mike, WHY????)

[Echo In Light]

11. Never would've guessed that!...and he's actually FAR right

My perception of him is totally blown lol ... more people than you realize hold to bizarre political/religious beliefs.

Now, Kevin Murphy is way to the left (but that I was aware of) ...unsure of Joel, Trace and TV's Frank. Bill Corbett, Trace's (Crow) replacement says he's NOT a conservative by todays meaning of the term.

Mike, though ... wow. Weird. Especially when the bulk of the Bad Brains writing/scripting seemed very biased to liberal/progressive ideals

[renate]

20. i KNOW... it's so disconcerting

Like finding out that Grover is secretly a pedophile.

[Echo In Light]

18. (sidebar) I dug a bit further. This:

Hodgson surprised many fans when he left the show after its 100th episode in 1993. In contemporary interviews, he said he was uncomfortable with acting and being in front of the camera, citing that as the reason he quit the show.<9> During a 1999 interview with The Onion A.V. Club, Hodgson added that he and producer Jim Mallon had been fighting over creative control of MST3K. His departure allowed the show to continue and gave him the opportunity to focus more on his preferred creation and production work than on performing, which he did only reluctantly.<10>

Hodgson later made a surprise guest appearance in the season premiere for the final season of MST3K ("Soultaker," episode 1001).

In a 2008 Slashdot interview, Hodgson admitted that he felt leaving MST3K, "was a bit of a personal tragedy," and that he had, "...created the appearance to the press that I had other plans, but I didn't. It was all to keep alive." He also stated that he felt his run on MST3K, "...was the perfect job."<11>

In a 2008 interview with Public Radio International's The Sound of Young America, Hodgson said of his departure from MST3K, "I was like totally happy at Mystery Science Theater. I loved it. I wanted to stay, but I was basically having a fight with my partner, Jim Mallon. So we weren't getting along and so I just felt like -- I thought it really could possibly jeopardize the show. It would have been easy to create factions out of the group. And by that time it would not have been a fun show to work on. And so, I felt like I saw it coming and I just thought was the best thing at the time."

Hmmm...makes me wonder, especially when he frames the situation with "It would have been easy to create factions out of the group."

Too bad

[Echo In Light]

19. And lastly (sorry, but this Mike thing really threw me for a loop)

Perhaps this sums it up...

Michael J. Nelson, why did you break my heart?
July 30, 2009 by prodigalsonnybono

Okay, so this is a personal request, done late late late in the day. But can I ask why one of my personal heroes is a right-wing fuck, and has been for years?

Mike Nelson: "Well, let me say this, I read the National Review cover to cover. Check in at Townhall.com every day. Check the Washington Times daily. Listen to Dennis Prager and Michael Medved on a regular basis. Read Mark Steyn with regularity. Read the Weekly Standard. So, yes, I do vote Republican. As the pundit Hugh Hewitt has observed, there are indeed two Americas: Serious America and Silly America. The Democrats seem bent on turning this into Silly America, so I stick with those who wish this to remain Serious America."
-----------------------------------------------------------

So, now that it’s six or so years since you said those flippant words, and Bush has proven to be the most wasteful, unconstitutional, and deceitful president we’ve ever had, can I get a retraction from the man whose comedy I love so dearly? I can understand that as the writer and actor on an underdog show, Mike Nelson might have sympathy for Bush, a president whose lack of popularity surely puts him in the “cult following” category of presidents such as Fillmore or Taft. But jeezuz, Nelson, your show is so much better than your politics. Maybe your inability to see the continuity between Republican pro-rich policies and the current economic fiasco we’re in stems from watching all those plotless Coleman Francis movies?

The best thing I can say about Nelson is that because he never wore his politics on his sleeve, he was able to make me laugh, and poke fun at movies without revealing how truly enthused he was about some of their saccharine religious plot-points. But jeezuz, your people destroyed our country. I hope Joel Hodgson rips your heart out of your chest with his teeth and videotapes it, so he can make fun of it later.

http://nuclearraysfrommyhalogenhaze.wordpress.com/2009/...

[CreekDog]

21. he's still incredibly funny

i was watching the RiffTrax of the newest Star Trek movie and when the young Spock meets his older self (played by Nimoy), Mike says:

"I still have this haircut"

[Johonny]

24. I guess working at the cheese factory

can't substitute for a secondary education. Oh well the show was/is still great

"Bob Dole here where's the outrage."

[SoCalDem]

5. It's hard to rate them.. they are all so different

Leno= our Bob Hope.. safe..out of date..lame..embarrassing to watch
Dave= snarky, still edgy, but quick on his feet and still funny
Conan= creepy and not all that funny..tries too hard...too self-aware...embarrassing to watch too
Jon= our Mark Twain..not really a "comedian".. He's a political satirist..and a damned good one
Colbert= Outrageously intelligent, sarcastic to the nth degree, and funny as hell..probably an even better political satirist than Jon..
Craig= creepy, funny, silly, intelligent, honest..perfect .. he's probably the BEST at late night interviewing because he's unpredictable & is not afraid to do outrageous things ..

I think when Dave retires, Craig will be the replacement. I used to think Jon would be, but I think Jon's too political..too polarized.. When Dave retires, I think the whole genre will change.. there are too many "celeb-entertainment" channels now, and to get people to stay up or to record it, it will have to morph into something new and interesting..

[LiberalFighter]

7. Stewart and Colbert are late nite comedians?

They are on during prime time.

[MadBadger]

10. Primetime is from 8-11. They air at 11 and 1130

or 7-10 and 10 and 10:30 for Central

[MissMarple]

8. I love Jon, and Craig is so great. "Really!" So I voted for both.

[MrCoffee]

12. Craig in a walk-off

Easily the funniest guy on TV, period.

[Biker13]

14. Agreed!

Far better then the rest of the pack!

[Winterblues]

13. Wonder why Kathy Griffin is not on their list, maybe the "D" list doesn't count

She is far funnier than any of those on Late Night

[malaise]

15. Jon Stewart by a distance n/t

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. Toss up for me between Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien.

My head says Stewart, my heart says O'Brien. Both crack me up to no end. Both excel in self-deprecating humor.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

17. Stewart or Maher

Vote to Stewart cause he has more shows...and Bill is getting a bit snarky even for me(and that's a stretch)

[Uncle Joe]

22. Jack Van Impe

Thanks for the thread, locopolitico

[CreekDog]

23. Funniest mind is Conan O'Brien, as was Letterman when he was on at 12:30...but as for Craig Ferguson

he is the funny storyteller and even if he was simply reading the newspaper, I could listen to the guy talk all night, he's just naturally engaging and entertaining even if left to words and expressions alone.

oh and I love how Craig Ferguson puts Los Angeles front and center in his opening credits. It's a great city.

[damyank913]

25. Gotta go with Jon.

[LostInAnomie]

26. Ferguson is a humorous, classy, and engaging guy...

... but I wouldn't say he's the "best comedian" by any stretch of the imagination. He's a good host though.