Top 10 Most Controversial Stand-up Comedians

Stand-up comedy has been very controversial since the mid-20th century, when comedians such as Lenny Bruce and George Carlin started taking advantage of their freedom of speech and using vulgarity. These two comedians would change not just comedy, but the world's society and culture forever.

Some comedians are also on here because of a very controversial incident.

The Top Ten

Lenny Bruce

Leonard Alfred Schneider, better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was known for his open, freewheeling, and critical form of comedy, which integrated satire, politics, religion, and vulgarity. Bruce is considered a pioneer of modern... read more

He is known for his freedom of speech and unique form of comedy, which includes subjects like satire, politics, religion, sex, and vulgarity. In the 1950s, he usually appeared on television shows, but the next decade would lead to significant changes.
The 1960s brought about a shift in American society and culture. In 1961, when mainstream comedy was "squeaky clean," Bruce was full of obscenity and vulgarity. His material was so controversial that he was arrested in 1961 for obscene language. He was also banned from entering the United Kingdom as an "undesirable alien." Famously, in 1964, Bruce and club owner Howard Solomon were arrested because Bruce continued to use obscenities and Solomon allowed it in his club. They were found guilty, but Bruce was supported by counterculture figures such as Woody Allen and Bob Dylan.
Shortly after Bruce was eligible for release from jail, he died from a drug overdose on August 3, 1966. He is not well known by many young people today, but he made freedom of speech more common and legal. Bruce went to jail for YOU. Nothing will be the same without him, and George Carlin might not have been the same without him either.
George Carlin

George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Carlin was noted for his black comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects. His Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television routine played... read more

Carlin was a frequent performer on The Tonight Show during the 1960s and other television shows until he discovered Lenny Bruce and was inspired by him. After being involved in one of Bruce's shows, he told the police that he did not believe in government-issued IDs. He was arrested for this and taken to jail with Bruce.
In the 1970s, Carlin changed his routines and appearance. He grew his hair longer, grew a beard, and started wearing T-shirts and blue jeans, adopting a "hip" look for a young audience. During this period, Carlin performed his infamous "seven dirty words" routine. He was arrested after one performance for violating obscenity laws. When one of his routines aired on FM station WBAI, a man complained to the FCC about hearing it with his 13-year-old son. This incident significantly increased Carlin's fame. He later hosted the first episode of SNL, played Rufus in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, and appeared in numerous HBO specials until he died in 2008. Nobody will ever replace him, and his legacy will live on.
Michael Richards

Michael Anthony Richards, born on July 24, 1949, is an American actor, writer, producer, and comedian. He is best known for playing Cosmo Kramer on the television sitcom Seinfeld. Richards began his career in stand-up comedy and gained national exposure on Billy Crystal's first cable TV special.... read more

Michael Richards is best known for portraying Cosmo Kramer in the famous TV sitcom Seinfeld during the 1990s and also appeared on Fridays (ABC's version of SNL). After Seinfeld ended, he returned to stand-up comedy until an incident at The Laugh Factory in 2006.
During his set, Richards was heckled by a group of late-arriving black audience members. He lost his temper, shouted the N-word several times, flipped them off, and made references to the Jim Crow era and lynching. He also made derogatory comments about Hispanics. The audience members argued and cursed back at Richards, leading to a confrontation. The incident was recorded on a digital camera, uploaded to the internet, and widely exposed. Richards faced significant controversy and criticism, leading him to apologize publicly on Late Show with David Letterman. This severely damaged his career, and he retired from stand-up comedy the following year. Since the incident, he has appeared in only three movies and three shows (18 episodes in total).
Richard Pryor

Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and social critic. He was known for his uncompromising examinations of racism and contemporary issues, using profanity and racial epithets to underscore his commentary. Pryor is widely regarded as one of the most influential... read more

Pryor remains one of the most influential comedians of all time. He talked about issues such as poverty, racism, and drug abuse, paving the way for African-American comedians. Without him, the landscape of modern comedy would look very different. He often used the N-word during his shows, which he is also notable for. His sketch comedy series on NBC included skits where he played a rock musician who kills every white member of his audience with a machine gun, airing in the middle of Tuesday "family hours."
He was also an actor, appearing in films such as Lady Sings the Blues, The Mack, Uptown Saturday Night, Silver Streak, Car Wash, Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings, Which Way Is Up?, Greased Lightning, Blue Collar, The Muppet Movie, Stir Crazy, Bustin' Loose, Some Kind of Hero, Superman III, Brewster's Millions, Critical Condition, Harlem Nights, and Lost Highway.
Bill Hicks

William Melvin "Bill" Hicks was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was known for his dark humor and thought-provoking commentary on politics, religion, and popular culture. Hicks also incorporated music into his performances and sometimes played guitar during his sets.

Hicks was a very controversial comedian who talked about religion, politics, and philosophy. He criticized everything from politics to abortion and told members of the media that they should "kill themselves" because they're "Satan's spawn." If he were born in the 90s and was a comedian in 2021, his material would be considered extremely offensive. Even his routine on Late Show with David Letterman was so inappropriate and offensive that it was entirely cut from the broadcast and never aired until 2009 in a censored version. Hicks later died from pancreatic cancer in 1994. Years later, he received a cult following and is regarded as an underrated comedian. During his lifetime, he was also a musician, playing guitar and songwriting.
Roseanne Barr

Roseanne Cherrie Barr is an American actress, comedian, writer, television producer, and director. She gained fame with her self-titled sitcom Roseanne, which originally aired from 1988 to 1997 and was briefly revived in 2018. In 2012, Barr ran for president as the nominee of the California-based Peace... read more

She was a stand-up comedian until she got the opportunity to star in the television sitcom Roseanne, which received critical acclaim. She sparked controversy when she performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" in a deliberately disrespectful manner at a nationally aired baseball game in 1990. After the song, Barr grabbed her groin and spat. She was widely criticized by baseball fans and Americans. It was even called "disgraceful" by then-President George H. W. Bush. Shortly after Roseanne was revived, she sparked controversy in 2018 when she made a racist tweet, causing the show to be canceled. She later called it a "bad joke."
Bill Maher

William "Bill" Maher is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, media critic, and television host. He is best known for his HBO talk show Real Time with Bill Maher, which began in 2003. Before that, he hosted Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central and ABC.

He is infamous for the two topics he talks about: politics and religion. In 2001, very shortly after the 9/11 attacks, on the ABC show Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, he disagreed with then-President George W. Bush calling the terrorists "cowards." He argued about America's relationship with the rest of the world, along with foreign policy. He was widely criticized for the comments and forced to apologize and explain their meaning. The show was canceled the following year but was saved with Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, which still airs today.
Another controversy occurred in 2017 when he said, "I'm a house N-word" on Real Time. People called for HBO to fire him. He apologized on the show and had a discussion with Michael Eric Dyson, Ice Cube, and Symone Sanders about the controversy.
Louis C.K.

Louis Székely, known professionally as Louis C.K., is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, and editor. He is known for his dark humor and for creating and starring in the television series Louie. He has won multiple Emmy Awards for his writing and performance.
Dave Chappelle

David Khari Webber Chappelle is an African American stand-up comedian, screenwriter, producer, and actor. He gained widespread fame for his sketch comedy television series Chappelle's Show, which aired from 2003 to 2006. Chappelle has won multiple Emmy Awards and received the Mark Twain Prize for American... read more
Bill Cosby

William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American former stand-up comedian, actor, author, and media personality.
He is most famous for his contribution to the TV show The Cosby Show, which he produced and starred in. His other works include Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Kids... read more

The Newcomers

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Tony Hinchcliffe
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Lisa Lampanelli

Lisa Lampanelli, born Lisa Marie Lampugnale on July 19, 1961, is an American former stand-up comedian, actress, and insult comic. Born in Trumbull, Connecticut, she is one of three siblings from a middle-class family. Lampanelli gained notoriety for her edgy, insult-based comedy that often addressed... read more

The Contenders

Andy Kaufman

Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman (January 17, 1949 to May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. He is sometimes described as an "anti-comedian."
Kaufman disdained telling jokes and engaging in comedy as it was traditionally understood. In an interview, he stated, "I am not a comic... read more
Daniel Tosh

Daniel Dwight Tosh is an American comedian, television host, actor, writer, and executive producer. He is best known for hosting the Comedy Central show Tosh.0, which featured viral internet videos and commentary. Tosh is also known for his stand-up comedy, often characterized by observational and dark... read more

Daniel Tosh is mainly known for the Comedy Central viral clip show Tosh.0. He is noted for making jokes that are considered racist, sexist, homophobic, politically, and religiously disrespectful. He explains that he is a non-politically correct comedian and says that he is not misogynistic or racist but finds these jokes funny.
In 2012, while Tosh was performing at a Hollywood comedy club, he made jokes about rape. A woman in the audience remarked that "rape jokes are never funny." Tosh responded that it would be funny if the audience member were raped by multiple men. The comment was very controversial, and Tosh later apologized for the joke.
Bill Burr

William Frederic "Bill" Burr is an American comedian, writer, actor, and director. He is best known for his stand-up comedy specials, including Let It Go and Paper Tiger. Burr also created and voiced the main character in the animated Netflix series F Is for Family.
Paul Mooney

Paul Gladney (August 4, 1941 - May 19, 2021), better known by the stage name Paul Mooney, was an American comedian, writer, social critic, and television and film actor. He was best known for writing for Richard Pryor and appearing on Chappelle's Show. Mooney also wrote for television shows including... read more

Mooney speaks whatever is on his mind, usually about race and politics. During the days of Bush's presidency, he criticized the administration and compared Bush's mother to the Quaker Oats mascot. This was so controversial that Mooney would never again work at the Apollo. He also played a role in the Michael Richards controversy, announcing that he would no longer use the N-word in his performances.
Joe Rogan

Joseph James "Joe" Rogan, born on August 11, 1967, is an American podcaster, comedian, and UFC commentator. He is the host of The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast where he talks with a wide range of guests about topics such as current events, politics, science, comedy, and philosophy. Rogan is known for... read more
Bernard Manning
Doug Stanhope

Douglas Gene "Doug" Stanhope is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and author. He is known for his cynical and controversial comedic style, often tackling topics such as politics, religion, and addiction. Stanhope also identifies with libertarian political views and has released numerous comedy specials... read more

His material is compared to the words of Bill Hicks and Bill Burr (known for F is for Family). He jokes about subjects like terrorism, misogyny, and suicide, which are completely fair game. In 2004, his jokes were so offensive that a total of 600 people walked out of one of his gigs.
Ricky Gervais

Ricky Dene Gervais is an English comedian, actor, director, producer, writer, former singer, and former music manager who was born in 1961. He co-created and starred in the original British series The Office before creating Extras and After Life. Gervais has hosted the Golden Globe Awards five times... read more
Chris Rock

Christopher Julius Rock III is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and director. He gained fame as a cast member of Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s. Rock has also starred in several successful comedy specials and films and is known for his sharp wit and social commentary.
Larry the Cable Guy

Daniel Lawrence Whitney, known professionally as Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, former radio personality, and author. He gained fame as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour alongside Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, and Ron White. His catchphrase, Git-R-Done, became widely... read more
Gilbert Gottfried

Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 - April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and voice artist. He was widely known for voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin franchise, Digit in the educational series Cyberchase, and Kraang Subprime in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He... read more
Nick Cannon

Nicholas Scott "Nick" Cannon is an American rapper, actor, comedian, entrepreneur, record producer, and radio and television personality. He began his career as a teenager on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy show All That. Cannon later hosted America's Got Talent, created the MTV comedy series Wild 'N Out... read more
Pete Davidson

Pete Davidson is an American comedian and actor. He was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2014 to 2022. Davidson has also appeared on the MTV shows Guy Code, Wild 'n Out, and Failosophy and starred in the semi-autobiographical film The King of Staten Island.
Amy Schumer

Amy Beth Schumer is an American stand-up comedian, writer, actress, producer, and director. She is the creator, co-producer, co-writer, and star of the sketch comedy series Inside Amy Schumer, which debuted on Comedy Central in 2013 and received a Peabody Award. Schumer has also starred in films such... read more
Sarah Silverman

Sarah Kate Silverman (born December 1, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actress, producer, and writer. Her comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, politics, and religion, often using satire and deadpan delivery. She has appeared in her own show, The Sarah... read more

I'm surprised Sarah Silverman hasn't been featured in adult magazines.