Everyone loves a good laugh – especially if you have been teaching all day.
ESGI and ThinkFives asked hundreds of teachers who is their all-time favorite comedian and we have the list to share. And for your viewing pleasure, we have also included some YouTube links below that we believe capture a few of their funniest clips.
As they say on Broadway, “Something familiar, Something peculiar, Something for everyone: A comedy tonight!”
Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy rose to fame on Saturday Night Live where he was a cast member from 1980 to 1984. A stand-up comic, sketch comedian, and impressive comedy movie actor, Eddie Murphy is one of the funniest and most popular comedians ever.
Fan Favorites
- Saturday Night Live
- 48 hours
- Trading Places
- Beverly Hills Cop
- Coming to America
- Shrek
Notable Lines
- “This is beautiful. What is that? Velvet?” (Coming to America)
- “Heh, Heh, Heh, Heh” (Beverly Hills Cop)
- “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Know why? My wife walked out on me. Isn’t that nice? I’m so glad.” (Mr. Robinson, SNL)
- “I am Gummy dammit!” (Gumby, SNL)
Lucille Ball
Everyone loves Lucy. Forever remembered as that crazy redhead who alternately frustrated and charmed her on-air and off-air husband, Lucille Ball is the first lady of television. The star of the classic television comedy series “I Love Lucy,” she was an actress, comedienne, producer, and one of the leading business women in the industry.
She and her husband Desi Arnaz became two of the first and most loved stars of early television. From 1951 until today, not a day goes by where you can’t catch an episode of “I Love Lucy”. And after the show ended, she had a run of other television hits and she remained a great influence in the comedy and television industry.
With her red hair and rasping voice and a comic persona alternately brassy and feminine, you can see why she is still a favorite of teachers. Vitameatavegamin anyone?
Fan Favorites
- Yours, Mine and Ours
- The Long, Long Trailer
- I Love Lucy
- Here’s Lucy
- The Lucy Show
Notable Lines
- “The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.”
- “How I Love Lucy was born? We decided that instead of divorce lawyers profiting from our mistakes, we’d profit from them.”
- “A man who correctly guesses a woman’s age may be smart, but he’s not very bright.”
- “Here I am with all this talent bottled up inside of me and you’re always sitting on the cork.” – Lucy to Ricky.”
- “Speed it up!” yelled at Lucy by the supervisor on the chocolate conveyor belt line classic..
Jerry Seinfeld
It’s hard to separate Jerry Seinfeld, the comedian, from Jerry Seinfeld, the star of Seinfeld. But guess what. It doesn’t matter. They’re both hysterical. Coming in third on our list is the master of observational comedy himself.
He first started as a stand-up comedian and eventually stood on the stage of the Tonight Show in 1981. He has a unique style of comedy, mostly centered on his wry observations on life’s mundanities. By the late 1980s, he was one of the highest-profile stand-up comedians in the United States before launching his television show Seinfeld (1989–98), often considered the best sitcom of all time. It left us with memorable catch phrases that permeate society, won 10 emmys and well, yada, yada, yada.
Fan Favorites
- Seinfeld (1989–98)
- Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
- Bee Movie
- Comedian
- Jerry Before Seinfeld
Top 5 Funniest Lines
- “I love Amazon 1-click ordering. Because if it takes two clicks, I don’t even want it anymore.“
- “You know you’re getting old when you get that one candle on the cake. It’s like, “see if you can blow this out.”
- “Somebody just gave me a shower radio. Thanks a lot. Do you really want music in the shower? I guess there’s no better place to dance than a slick surface next to the glass door.”
- “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.”
- “A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.”
Kevin Hart
An American stand-up comedian, actor and producer, Kevin Hart got his start by winning several amateur comedy competitions in New England. That led to TV and movie roles and popular releases of stand-up albums and TV specials. Today, he is one of the most in-demand comics in the business and leaves his audiences laughing so hard, it hurts.
Fan Favorites
- Little Fockers
- Ride Along
- About Last Night
- Central Intelligence
- Jumanji
- Night School
- Laugh Out Loud Network
Notable Lines
- “You’ve got allergies, Spencer? I don’t have the top two feet of my body!” (Jumanji)
- “I DON’T have Ex’s! I have Y’s. Like ‘Y the hell did I date you?!’
- “Relationships nowadays. First week: I love you baby. Second week: Together forever. Third week: Single.”
- “You never know your level of underachieving until you see what overachieving looks like.”
Robin Williams
Robin Williams is an experience that can’t be put into words. Better than reading this, go to YouTube and check out his improvisational skills on Johnny Carson, Jay Leno or David Letterman. Unmatched. No wonder that he’s #1 on our teacher’s list of all-time comedians.
Often regarded as the best comedian of his time, Williams began performing stand-up in San Francisco before reaching fame in the TV sitcom, Mork and Mindy. TV, movies, and comedy specials brought him to the pinnacle of his career. He was nominated for four Academy Awards winning one, two Emmy awards, six Golden Globes and five Grammy awards.
Notable Lines
- “Never pick a fight with an ugly person, they’ve got nothing to lose.”
- “When you look at Prince Charles, don’t you think that someone in the Royal Family knew someone in the Royal Family?”
- “Whenever a big white man picks up a banjo, my cheeks tighten.”
- “You know the difference between a tornado and divorce in the south? Nothing! Someone is losing a trailer.”
Honorable Mentions
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Carol Burdette
- Steve Martin
- Jeff Foxworthy
Sources
I think Gerry Brooks deserves a spot in the Top Five! He has brought tons of laughs to teachers, especially during this past year!
Mr. D aka Joe Dombrowski, along with Gerry Brooks both keep me laughing!!
Eddie Murphy is so iconic. I loved him in Shrek, and I also loved him in A Thousand Words and who can forget about Tower Heist?
Huge Jeff Dunham fan, but there are some teacher comedians who are hilarious! (Gerry Brooks, Eddie B. and others!)
Robin Williams was AMAZING and we shared a birthday!!!
Eddie Murphy’s stand up is hilarious, Lucille Ball is classic, and a shout out to teacher comedians Gerry Brooks and Eddie B.! 🤣
Robin Williams is amazing!!!