Comedy is a rip-roaring industry throughout the world. This entertainment branch of the professional sector is vast and encompasses numerous types.

One such type is 'Standup Comedy.' This venture refers to the idea of a performer standing on the stage and telling jokes to a live audience.

The performer is typically standing alone. Instead, they are entertaining the audience through amusing stories, one-liner jokes, or anything humorous.

A mic ready to be used for standup comedy performance
Standup comedy is a type of comedy that includes a live performance by standup comedians. This performance can consist of jokes, stories, and one-liner statements to engage the audience. A single performer typically performs standup comedians. (Source: Pixabay)
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Types Of Standup Comedy

Standup comedy is a type of performance where comedians have total freedom to express their views and perform how they deem fit.

They have the leverage to be creative and bring about their very best standup comedy skills. However, there are some standup comedy styles that performers follow.

Let's look at some of them:

Alternative

Alternative comedy means any comedy that is not mainstream. It is known to be highly innovative and thought-provoking.

Anecdotal

Anecdotal is a famous and common type of standup comedy that involves storytelling.

Insult

In this type, standup comedians target the audience, other performers, or anyone with humorous insults.

Improv

This type of standup comedy is where the performer makes jokes and funny statements at the moment. It is not at all scripted and made then and there.

Sketch

This type involves engaging sketches by the performer, just like in live theatres, plays, and films.

Musical

This involves funny songs and beats to engage the audience.

Deadpan

Also known as dry humor, this standup comedy type is delivered without emotions.

Surreal

Surreal standup comedy is the idea of amusing the audience in an unusual way. The performer uses jokes which are different from the expectations of the audience.

They are different from the logical reasoning and analysis of the standup performance.

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Standup Comedy USA

Standup comedy was invented in the U.S. Moreover, the history of standup comedy dates back to between the 19th and 20th centuries.

You can trace back the birth of standup comedy in the U.S. to the burlesque shows that began and developed in New York City's turn-of-the-century vaudeville theaters.

The audience of these shows was native-born Americans who had no interest in the previous tales of the country.

As a result, the comedians kick-started a new variant of comedy through punch lines and engaging statements, which gave rise to the birth of standup comedy throughout the U.S.

Moreover, comedians have flourished themselves to keep this comedy genre alive throughout the years till date. As a result of this, the Americans reinvented global comedy.

A stage prepared for a standup comedy performance
The history of standup comedy dates back to the 19th century. There are numerous types of standup, including improv, sketch, insult, musical, surreal, deadpan, alternative, and anecdotal. (Source: Pixabay)
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Most Famous Standup Comedians

The United States Of America encompasses numerous top-tier comedians who have substantive recognition as they have excelled in their métiers. Let's see some of them:

Bob Newhart

Born in Illinois, Bob goes by his original name George Robert Newhart. Bob is one of America's most famous standup comedians.

His specialty is deadpan standup comedy coupled with a stammering style of comedy and comedic monologues. He is also an actor.

Bob became famous after his first audio release. "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" (1960) was Newhart's first comedy album which received immense recognition.

It turned out to be the number one on the Billboard charts. This album also granted him the 1961 Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Following that, the phenomenal performer started getting chances in the film and on television.

He worked extensively and became famous for his show, 'The Bob Newhart show.'

In 1962, Newhart made his film debut in the war film "Hell Is for Heroes." Bob has appeared in numerous films, shows, and sitcoms in the years to follow.

Starting from 1968 where he appeared in three films, including "Hot Millions," "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" (1970), and "Cold Turkey" (1971).

He then featured in two live-action films, "Little Miss Marker" and First Family."

From 1992 to 1993, Newhart appeared in his third sitcom, "Bob," from 1997 to 1998.

He featured in his fourth sitcom, "George & Leo." In 1997, he made a comeback in theatrical films romantic comedy films, "In & Out." In addition, Bob has appeared in several films.

Some of the prominent films are The Movie" (1998), "Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde" (2003), and the Christmas film "Elf" (2003).

The famous standup comedian also played the main character in "The Librarian" fantasy franchise television films from 2004 to 2008.

Furthermore, Bob Newhart also played a small role in a black comedy movie, 'Horrible Bosses.'

By 2013, the talented and experienced performer played the character of Arthur Jeffries (stage name "Professor Proton") in "The Big Bang Theory" (2007-), which is a sitcom.

He is now 89 years old and still entertains the young generation and fans.

George Carlin

Born and raised in Manhattan, George was one of the most famous standup comedians of his time. In addition, he was one of the most enjoyed personalities in the public.

Although he started as a conventional comedian who performed in nightclubs and on television, George Denis Patrick Carlin changed his stage persona in the 1960s.

He became more insightful and focused on real topics and subjects.

The new comedian personality focused more on political and social commentary, a blend of cynical observations about people and religion topped with black humor.

Carlin's notorious "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine was part of a radio censorship case that appeared in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978.

Nevertheless, George is still remembered and praised by the masses today.

Amy Beth Schumer

Named under 100 most influential people by the Times magazine, Amy Beth Schumer is a top-notch American standup comedian and actress. She was born in New York City.

Her famous and top-quality work includes Trainwreck, Last Comic Standing, Snatched, Expecting Amy, Price Check, I Feel Pretty, The Humans, and Inside Amy Schumer.

Amy is a modern age standup comedian who takes a humorous and bold take on social taboos and issues deeply rooted in our society.

John Mulaney

Worked 18 years in the fascinating world of standup comedy, John has been a headliner since 2008. John is an American actor, writer, producer, and standup comedian.

Newhart has performed on various shows, including Live at Gotham, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Late Night, Comedy central plus, and Late Night With Conan O'Brien

John has done substantive work in standup comedy and has received immense recognition. He has also released a standup comedy album titled The Top Part in 2009.

The performer's third standup comedy special, The Comeback Kid, was released on 13 November 2012 on Netflix. In addition, another standup show New In Town of Bob is also present on Netflix.

He has been repeatedly invited to appear and perform on shows due to his excellent humor.

In 2017, John was invited to perform with Martin Short, Norm MacDonald, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Murray, and Steve Martin.

Together, these stars were invited to honor T.V. host David Letterman, who received  The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

John Mulaney also had been invited to do standup at Night of Too Many Stars (2017) on HBO, which was a charity event by Jon Stewart and Seth Rogan's Hilarity for Charity (2018) charity event that aired on Netflix.

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Don Rickles

Born in New York, Don Rickles was known for his insult standup comedy skills. Starting from performing in nightclubs, he gradually became everything from nothing.

After 20 years of toiling in nightclub performances, he made an appearance in his debut film Run Silent Run Deep (1958).

Following that, the performer continued to feature in films like X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), Bikini Beach (1964), Enter Laughing (1967), and Kelly's Heroes (1970).

In 1973, Don was a permanent on Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts due to his excellent comedy skills. Furthermore, the superb standup comedian had his own T.V. series, CPO Sharkey, in 1976.

Don then got featured in Toy Story sequels in 1995 and 1999 as the very famous Mr. Potato Head. The famous insult comic left the world in tears on his demise at the age of 90.

A cartoon standup performance
America has the most famous standup comedians in the world. Names like Bob Newhart, Amy Schumer, Don Rickles, George Carlin, and John Mulaney are an inspiration for those who wish to step into the world of standup comedy. (Source: Pixabay)

Become A Highly Acclaimed Standup Comic With Superprof

Standup comedy is one of the rip-roaring industries in today's world. However, entertainment is a field that never goes out of scope. Hence, you should consider pursuing a career in it.

To help you become a famous comedian, Superprof plays an essential role. This top-tier platform provides online education services throughout the world.

They are operational in the U.K., USA, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, and Germany. They are also building their presence in Europe, including Belgium, France, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Spain.

Superprof encompasses world-class teachers, ensuring you make the best standup comedian. In addition, they use various devices and tools to make the online education experience excellent.

Some of them include Google Education academic support, Skype for language classes or music, Discord for I.T. initiation or coding, slack for homework help, and Webcams.

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Ian Haynes

Ian Haynes is a digital marketing specialist and has successfully deployed over 500 pages of content as a ghostwriter for businesses of all sizes. He believes that for people to truly value your business and perceive it as a brand, your content needs to do much more than just inform, it needs to talk, engage, and convert. Outside of his work, Ian likes exploring Brooklyn with his Labrador.