In this presentation, we will provide information on relevant and popular stand-up comedians from the 2000's.
Dave Chappelle’s comedy special, Killin’ Them Softly (2000), shined a light on issues of police brutality, race and racism in America by using satirical observational explanations and integrated pop and drug culture references. Chappelle’s fame continued as he created more specials, as well as beginning his iconic sketch comedy series on Comedy Central, Chappelle’s Show; his show integrated character portrayals and short stand-up skits in between sketch content and has been acclaimed as one of the best shows that provided an in depth look and understanding into the hypocrisy many people dealt with. His influence is still prevalent within the comedic community even after his decision to leave the lens of the mainstream.
Comedy Central Presents half an hour special aimed to helping hot up and coming comedians in front of a live audience. The show started in 1998 and ended in 2011. But was actually repackaged and is now called now called The Half-Hour. Allowed viewers to watch some of the new talent that did not half mainstream specials. The show allowed many comedians to be discovered such as Louise C.K, Dave Chappelle, Patton Oswald, Zach Galafianikis, and Kevin Hart.
In the early 1990s, Lisa Lampanelli, also known as the lovable Queen of Mean, began brushing up on her skills with comedic routines that consisted of controversial comedy that included subjects that centered on homosexuality and race. Although this wasn't unpopular, it wasn't very popular for female comedians to take part in this type of comedy. In fact, many of the other female comedians felt that this was quite different to say the least, and many stayed away from this style and type of creativity. But Lisa holds nothing back. This is what makes her a true comedian because she is not bound by limitations that have to do with politics, race, religion or sexual orientation. She made her break at the 2002 New York Friars' Club roast of Chevy Chase, and went on to participate in the roasts of Denis Leary, Pamela Anderson, and Donald Trump. She also served as Roastmaster for Larry the Cable Guy. If you truly enjoy unrestricted comedy, you will definitely enjoy all that Lisa Lampanelli has to offer.
Aired on NBC from (2003 to 2010). The goal of the show was to pick a comedian that was funnier than the rest and give them the opportunity to make a name for themselves. The winner would receive a cash prize and their own special. The show was canceled in august of 2016 after 9 seasons. The show had a similar format like American Idol where talents scouts would travel around the world searching for talent. Once finalist was selected they would undergo a series of challenges to performing stand-up at a laundromat to roasting at the Friars Club in Beverly Hills. Featured comedians like Gabriel Iglesias, Corey Holcomb, Amy Schumer, and Gilbert Gottfried. The show had its controversial moments when the judge’s votes were not counted, as the show’s producers votes presided above the celebrity judges.
Chris Rock’s career began during the mid-1980’s and his comedic presence and style has been one of the main influences for many comedians and been the cause of behind his rise to comedic royalty. While he is widely known for his facetious humor, Rock integrates the element of PSA into his routine to inform his audience of injustices that would otherwise go without explanation. In his HBO special, Never Scared, he explains that the government hates rap due to their lack of investigation into Tupac Shakur’s murder and informs his audience the real importance behind the current issues involving affirmative action. Rock has had five HBO comedy specials, Big Ass Jokes (1994), Bring the Pain (1996), Bigger and Blacker (1999), Never Scared (2004), and Kill the Messenger (2008). His comedy routines include political satire, pop culture references, and perspectives on the lives of black and white Americans.
Affirmative action is defined as an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education. In the following excerpt from Chris Rock’s, Never Scared, he examines the importance that affirmative action has regarding previous setbacks established by the U.S. government towards minority groups and explains the hypocrisy involving this topic by using the examples such as; past experimental and harsh treatment of black people throughout America’s history and comparing the idea of a black American “C”-student that would never be able to accomplish things on the same level as a white American “C”-student.
On HBO, (2005-07) hosted by Doug W. Fresh, ran for two seasons giving rising underground comedians a chance to perform in front of a live audience in Brooklyn, New York. Modeled after the 1990’s Def Comedy Jam giving underground comedians the same opportunities to showcase their talents. P. Diddy made an appearance each show in closing thanking everyone for watching.
Chelsea Handler is an american comedian and former host of the late-night talk show Chelsea Lately, which aired on E! At 21, Handler got arrested for drunk driving. She had to take a special D.U.I. class as her punishment. During the class, Handler got laughs from the other students for her depiction of her arrest. So she decided to become a comedian after getting such a a positive response. Despite being new to the stand-up world, Handler was able to land some gigs playing comedy clubs. In April 2006, Handler began hosting The Chelsea Handler Show on E!, which lasted two seasons. In 2007, she performed with Comedy Central's Hour Stand-Up Comedy Tour across the United States. An emerging comic talent, Handler wowed audiences with her brash and sometimes vulgar act. She portrayed herself as a hard-partying beauty with an acid tongue.
After becoming popular in the late 90’s with his character Ali G in the British show “The Eleven O’clock Show”, Sacha Baron Cohen had his own TV shows in the UK and the United States. The Ali G show first aired in the year 2000, and the U.S. version came in 2003. Ali G, Bruno, Borat and Aladeen (The Dictator) are some of the characters portrayed by Baron Cohen. In 2006, his controversial movie “Borat” was released in the U.S., which showed a sexist, anti-Semitic Kazakh journalist travel through the United States. The satire in Baron Cohen’s comedy exposes the bigots by holding up their behavior to ridicule.
Sarah Silverman, also known as the controversial comedy queen, is best known for her sarcastic wit and controversial sense of humor through stand-up specials and shows. She rose to fame for her satirical comedy and stress on social taboos and controversial topics including those of racism, sexism and religion. For years, Silverman performed on the stand-up comedy circuit. Her big break came in 1993, when she landed a gig as a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. At the time, the show featured such comics as Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, and Mike Myers. Unfortunately, this dream job turned into a disappointment for Silverman. She only appeared in a few sketches and most of her jokes were rejected. To top it all off, Silverman learned that she had been fired via fax. She made her network standup comedy debut on the Late Show with David Letterman in July 2007. Her television sitcom The Sarah Silverman Program debuted on Comedy Central in February 2007, the series had 1.81 million viewers and portrays the day-to-day adventures of fictionalized versions of Silverman, her sister Laura, and their friends. Through the years, Silverman has been a force in stand-up comedy and she is definitely one to leave a lasting mark.
