It was at the ripe age of 11 years old that I found one of most passionate, idyllic thrills of my life: stand up comedy. I am 100 percent one of those crazy people who will forgo watching popular films like "Titanic" or "The Notebook," movies I still have not seen (*pause for collective outrage*), because I would rather laugh until my stomach aches at 90 minutes of stand up. There is something overtly personal in standup that connects with a crowd and provides some much needed distraction from the minutiae of everyday life. All this being said, here are some amazing, underrated comics who definitely deserve your attention!
1. Iliza Shlesinger
This powerhouse female comic destroys any and every stereotype about "women not being funny" in each and every one of her acts. An observational comic, Iliza performed a half hour set for Comedy Central's "Comedy Central Presents" and is the only female to ever win NBC's "Last Comic Standing", which lead to a long relationship with Netflix, producing two, separate hour long specials, "War Paint" and "Freezing Hot." As of this year, her third special for Netflix, "Confirmed Kills" has been filmed and I anxiously await its release. What Iliza has done for women, breaking the stereotype that we are not funny, strong, or that we don't eat is amazing and everyone should check her specials out!
2. Chris Hardwick
Some may know him as the creative, nerdy dreamboat behind Nerdist Industries, the host of "Talking Dead", a talkshow devoted to discussing AMC's "The Walking Dead", or as the host of Comedy Central's brilliant game show "@midnight," but to me, Hardwick will always be the plucky, nerd comic who rants about the same things I hate, like over aggressive sports fans, anxiety driven fears, and hipster nerds destroying my beautiful, Star Trek based culture. Hardwick has released two, separate hour longs specials, "Mandroid" and "Funcomfortable" with comedy central and still tours, putting on a great show and providing the perfect example of a smart, funny man who understands the complex relationship dynamics of Tolkien's Fellowship.
3. Bo Burnham
The youngest performer to ever be given a half-hour slot for "Comedy Central Presents", now 25-year-old Bo Burnham started his career in the most millennial way possible, by writing funny songs and posting them to YouTube. From Comedy Central, Burnham released his first EP, "Bo Fo Sho," and then his first full-length album "Bo Burnham" with his first live comedy special "Words Words Words" in 2010. He made the move to Netflix in 2013, releasing his second full length comedy special what, releasing a book of poetry the same year, titled "Egghead: Or, You Can't Survive on Ideas Alone." Burnham's third full length special is set to be released through Netflix on June 3, titled "Make Happy." Burnham is the rare musical comic, which strong interests in science and literature that he perfectly integrates into his amazing act.
4. Brent Morin
The adorable, underdog best friend of Chris D'elia, Brent Morin is a New England comic with a knack for awkwardly relating to audiences by recounting his everyday life as the almost cool guy. Previously working as a PA for Conan O'Brien, Morin has been working as a comic since he was only 19 years old. In 2014, Morin was cast as Justin Kearney on NBC's sitcom "Undateable", an amazing comedy series with a unique cast of stand up comics. In 2015, Morin released his first stand up special "I'm Brent Morin" exclusively through Netflix at the same time as "Undateable" began broadcasting live to their audiences each week. His sweet, self conscious nature pairs well with his timing on stage, making Morin's act well worth the watch.
5. Craig Ferguson
While this name may seem a little out of place, I stand by my decision that Craig Ferguson is a comic who deserves recognition. Ferguson's first televised stand up special A Wee Bit O'Revolution inspired my love of standup when I was in middle school, long before the days when I knew him as the host of "The Late Late Show" or Mr. Wick off "The Drew Carey Show." Born and raised in Glasgow, Ferguson has been performing stand up since the early 1980s along with drumming for multiple punk rock bands, acting in television and film, as well as writing several successful screenplays in the film industry. Ferguson has released several other stand up specials other than "A Wee Bit O'Revolution", 2011's "Does This Need to be Said", 2013's "I'm Here to Help", and 2015's "Just Being Honest", all of which leave me rolling on the floor in laughter. Ferguson is fascinatingly intelligent, empathetic, and overtly honest with his audience in every performance and despite his fantastic success as an actor, writer, and now host of "Celebrity Name Game", a half hour game show, and "Join or Die with Craig Ferguson", a panel show discussing various aspects of history, to me, Ferguson is the ultimate example of a stand up comic.
These phenomenal performers are all I can aspire to as a woman looking to break into the performing arts. They work harder, longer, and with far more dedication then most of the men and women who are performing today. If you are looking for a great laugh, please take the time to check out the performances of all these comics. I promise, you'll smile.
