Larry David, “As I say, this isn’t sour grapes”. Just a guess. The article reads like it was written as a joke, it’s “too angry” like someone doing it for shits and grins. If this in fact an honest opinion of today’s comedy then the writer needs to take the cock out of their mouth and replace it with a gun barrel. Comedy is whatever the hell you want it to be, as long as people laugh.

Sounds to me like this guy takes his “job” way too seriously. Since when did going to see acomedy show equate to going to church? Sacred rituals? What are we supposed to slaughter a rubber chicken to atone for our comedic sins? BS!!! Get over it!

This is defenatly somebody who was upset with the Comedy issue and wanted to share his thoughts, and the only way he knew they would get through was to pose as a comedian in the article. It is pretty clever none the less, but I doubt a comedian would criticize an article ABOUT themselves that they willingly interviewed for…

The tone and style really makes me think belzer, but i think he can spell and has the guts to print his name. although, he has his best steady gig ever right now doing drama on NBC. might make a guy who’d rather be a comedian bitter, eh?

then there is patton oswalt - a BRILLIANT comedian essentially overlooked in this issue while frickin tracey morgan, possibly the most un-funny person EVER was on the cover. now, patton is smart enough to write a letter that sounds like someone other than himself and throw in the spelling errors for good measure. interesting…

Is there any proof that this was a comedian other than he/she said it was? I mean if that’s the case I’m going to start having fun with Rolling Stone.
I don’t know who on the list it is (I really don’t think it’s Bill Maher. If you watch his show for 5 seconds you’d see he’s too tongue in cheek for this sort of rant. Plus these “whores” are constantly on his show as guests)and I don’t really care. Who gives a shit what some comedian thinks comedy should be? They’re too deep in the industry to have any rational perspective on it.
Probably some yahoo.

When i first read about the letter Bill Maher automatically came to mind, but then again i don’t think he would have a problem spelling out “fucking…” instead of “effing…”.

Now that i’ve seen a list.
Russel Brand is the answer. A douche.

Zach Galifinakis. He’s the least political or annoying comedian in the issue. And it isn’t Letterman. He may be the biggest so-called “whore” in the issue. He wouldn’t say anything about CBS for fear of it coming back to him.

I agree with Millicent. The note was absolutely unimpressive. Really, whomever this was, should be ashamed of themselves. How are you going to stand against such a well rounded, and articulate publication, with such a terrible use of the English language? One should definitely, at the very least, learn to spell, before doing so. It’s hard to respect someone’s opinion when first, they hide behind the curtain, and second, they can’t even Spell their opinion correctly. IT DRIVES ME NUTS! Someone else must be writing their material. Otherwise, how would it go over on stage? I Can’t even begin to guess, nor do I have the desire to know who wrote this. Mean people suck, and I’d rather stand in a fog on this one.

It could be Bill Maher, seeing how he is more influenced and educated about politics and the issues described in the letter than any other comedian out there, but if it was him, it’d also be hypocritical seeing how Maher has had two prime time corporate network shows on NBC and HBO. but then again, maher’s new film “religulous” holds hypocrity by saying leave religion or die, just like so many religions preach the same thing.

Albert Brooks also comes to mind. I personally haven’t heard any of his standup, but I think he would be the type of person who would be so called “concerned” about those issues. Once again though, Brooks’ apperance in the past season of Weeds wasn’t another great guest appearance like so many of his in the simpsons, but instead a paycheck performance for a corporate network.

I don’t believe any of the comedians featured actually wrote this letter. All of them had personal success, hence their appearance, and because of their celebrity, wouldn’t feel afraid in signing their name. If it is a comedian though, id say gilbert gottfried or robin williams. The last thing I remember him in was I love the 80’s, and his comedy has not evolved. Williams I can’t even remember doing comedy in the past 8 years, and he seems like one of the so called “legends” who would be too self pompous to even care about who else would be in the issue, and would automatically criticize the new direction of comedy. Letterman surely wouldn’t be the one criticizing the new awkward situation comedy versus scripted, who can hold a hilarious improvised monlogue on national television about john mccain for 10 minutes? Not silverman either, there isn’t a single joke in her new show, but instead just focuses on awkward situations.

Still though, i dont believe it is a real comedian. Any of them could lots of press coverage by actually signing their name, and the rule generally is that any press is good press.

Is anyone else besides me entirely unimpressed by this letter?
Frankly, I expected more from a ‘featured comic’, if indeed the letter is written by one of featured comics at all. Perhaps if this person put half as much energy into their act, as they do into writing laughable letters to the editor, then they might one day find themselves featured on one of the axis of evil, a.k.a NBC, CBS or HBO, instead of anonymously (translation; gutlessly) crying about them. Oh, and one more thing - whore!

It’s obviously Bill Maher. He’s a self-important asshole.

Does he think every comic in the 60s was like Lenny Bruce and Mort Sahl? Those guys were anomalies!

Comedy was always about entertainment and making a buck. A few comics who were extra brilliant raised it to a higher level, but I’m sure they had to pay their rent, too.

Grow up, Bill, you idiot!

I made a list of all the comedians I could find in the issue: Tina Fey, Billy Crystal, Sarah Silverman, Robin Williams, Tracy Morgan, Don Rickles, Martin Short, Margaret Cho, Albert Brooks, Mindy Kaling, Steven Wright, Dane Cook, George Lopez, Larry David, Phyllis Diller, Bill Maher, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Richard Belzer, Steve Coogan, Amy Poehler, Craig Ferguson, David Cross, Cedric the Entertainer, Wanda Sykes, Gilbert Gottfried, Jimmy Fallon, Danny McBride, Zach Galifianakis, Susie Essman, Eric Idle, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Katt Williams, Eddie Izzard, Russell Brand, David Letterman.

So, even though I thought it sounded plausible, it doesn’t look like Joe Rogan was even in the issue.
My Guess is Russell Brand. Notice the person refers to American Comedy and if they were American they would probably just say comedy. Also, that guy seems like a real ass.

it just occured to me, richard belzer, he also has a new book coming out as well, can somebody say drumming up free press.

it was me, and im planning a comeback, you’ll see…

This person does have a little bit of a point. It’s sad, but true, that some of comedy has become so corporate: concerned more with money than originality and guts, but still there does exist some relevant and (somewhat) controversial work being done that this writer seems to have conveniently overlooked in order to make a fiesty point. Good for whoever wrote this for having the guts to say what many people are thinking, but it does read as a little bit hypocritical to leave it anonymous (although it may have simply been at the urging of a publicist-who knows?)

You’re all a bunch of self congradulatory cretins. Perhaps you should go back to the boob tube and jack off to tina fey more.(Sorry, shes not funny,not matter how badly you want her to be,your taste is juvenile at best) Mr. Weiner, I would say you’re a bigoted liberal, but frankly you’re too smart. You just play your demographic well. Beyond that, all you give a shit about is $$$. Did you have your cronies vet the “comedians” for their pick in Nov. or did you actually come to work for a change? I’m guessing the latter as you are probably holidaying in the south of France on a buying trip with that spent whore king Jagger.

Don Rickles or Robin Williams.

Comedy has changed, they haven’t.

Either you roll with the tide or you drown.

Don Rickles or Robin Williams.

Comedy has changed, they haven’t.

Either you roll with the tide or you drown.

Only comedian who whines and bitches like that is Chevy Chase

it was me

gilbert godfried….i mean c’mon his highlight in his career was a cartoon parrot in aladdin….

Come on, we all know it’s just some schmuck who wanted to get on the pages of rolling stone. And I applaud RS for relegating the letter to the online community instead of actually printing it. No decent comedian would ever write something as self-aggrandizing as that pile of poo, nor would they write it anonymously if they had.

I loved the issue and wish it was longer.
This so-called comic is a bit too analytical for my taste.

and it’s Dane Cook. Hands down.

the issue in front of me, I could tell you who it was. It wasn’t Sarah or Cross I can tell you that.
By the way the issue ignored me, I’m the one who should be angry.
Jeff Garlin

i think it’s either bill maher or sara silverman

It has to be Zach Galifinakis. He’s pretty filled with rage, from what I can tell.

That sounded like Bill Hicks using Patton Oswalt as a medium. And more power to them both. (Is David really cross?)

Andy Kaufman. That’s who it is. This is the greatest death-fakeout since Elvis.

Have you all forgotten that David Cross and Joe Rogan were in more than one hilarious television show on tv? My guess is this letter was not written by a comedian but by some loser with way too much time on his hands. The real question is why would Rolling Stone print a letter without a name on it? This magazine is a joke. Perhaps I’ll write a letter to Rolling Stone saying I’m an unnamed Jonas Brother expressing how disappointed I am in it.

There’s no way it’s David Cross– he’s appeared on HBO, the Cartoon Network, and Fox. Hell, he was in Alvin and the Chipmunks. He’s always had a pretty level head about balancing the “groundbreaking” with the “crowd-pleasing.”

Obviously, it’s Whoopie Goldberg.

Oh my gosh, it is Lenny Bruce reincarnated.

I would like to point out that in the current issue, relating to this, it was stated “…while not revealing his own name…” HIS? Are you sure about that? Pshaw!

No, it wasn’t me. Even though I claim to be looking out for comedians, I actually whore myself out to the highest bidder, stealing humor along the way, but repackaging it so I can keep my claim of originality.

people need to stop pretending to be comics on this thing…especially dead ones. it seems like it might actually be david cross, but i have a feeling if it was it was actually meant to be a joke, or prank of some sort. i can’t imagine it was dane cook…he built his career upon most of what that letter is meant to oppose. bill maher is too smart for that, so who knows. however just about every comic in that issue gets paid for their comedy, and was more or less printed for their wide spread acheivement in the field….while some of them may have been genius if they never made it big, they all did. so if the letter IS meant out of anger….the author’s an idiot.

p.s. i hope its not steve martin…

Comedy is ultimately a form of entertainment. This ghost writer seems to think that a person is only relevant if he/she is an overbearing jackass who sweats and screams the fun out of seeing a comedian. Whoever it is is clearly insecure, never was “funny”, and simply made a career out of being an observational dick. Anyone can be pissy and loud and have an in-your-face attitude about politics, social issues, etc. A real comedian can make you laugh about the most asinine of subjects because comedy is supposed to be fun. This guy is the epitome of a hypocritical douchebag. XOXOX

Steve Martin…I have the inside scoop!

It was all of them. Just like AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.

A comedian’s only job is to be funny and enrich the lives of the audience by providing a momentary escape from the norm through laughter. This philosophical prick should concentrate on that a little harder.

Regarding the bitter little turd’s letter: He (I’m assuming its a male) betrays himself as an egotistical eighties relic wherein the comedian prowls the stage, berates the audience,and is supposed to be an obnoxious “in your face” agitator in order to be deemed relevant. This is off-putting to most of today’s audience, which is precisely the reason that “What’s Funny Now” was so appropriate. I’m guessing it was the ghost of Sam Kinison.

The only responsibility a comedian has is to be funny. And coherent. This guy is neither.

I like the comics insights.

The general public are like church mice. Trained to go get their daily crumbs and scurry back into hiding, real tragedy / comedy is to scary for them.

Homosexuality is a filthy habit, a billion times more dangerous than smoking, but it’s honored as a virtue by it practitioners. So giardia is never talked about.

Women reach their sexual peak when they start acting like the pigs that the men turned them into.

Most weak approval seeking people see Politics, Comedy and Show business is a popularity contest.

Life isn’t a popularity contest.

Well, well, well. I AM a NYC comic that works at the company. I take offense to that letter. You may have some point in theory, but you can’t bite the hands that are on the people that ultimately sit in your audiences. Without people supporting live comedy, donating their time and money, you wouldn’t be able to get on stage. No matter what, our PRIMARY responsibility is to the people we perform for…we use laughter to heal people. At least those of us who care, do. Your argument might have had some substance if you had the courage to put your name on it. I feel bad for you.

Well, well, well. I AM a NYC comic that works at the company. I take offense to that letter. You may have some point in theory, but you can’t bite the hands that are on the people that ultimately sit in your audiences. Without people supporting live comedy, donating their time and money, you wouldn’t be able to get on stage. No matter what, our PRIMARY responsibility is to the people we perform for…we use laughter to heal people. At least those of us who care, do. Your argument might have had some substance if you had the courage to put your name on it. I feel bad for you.

Well, well, well. I AM a NYC comic that works at the company. I take offense to that letter. You may have some point in theory, but you can’t bite the hands that are on the people that ultimately sit in your audiences. Without people supporting live comedy, donating their time and money, you wouldn’t be able to get on stage. No matter what, our PRIMARY responsibility is to the people we perform for…we use laughter to heal people. At least those of us who care, do. Your argument might have had some substance if you had the courage to put your name on it. I feel bad for you.

It was me. All comics should perform for free.

I doubt this is a comic at all - if there’s somebody because covered by mass media. they’re somebody who’s worked in mass media. Period. If he’s in the magazine, he’s as compromised as the rest of the comics that he’s railing against.

US comedy is too “dumb” unless you veer towards Dennis Miller types and his comedy flies well over the average American head. Give me British comedy everyday…look at all the clever Brit comedies that are being Americanized (dumbed-down) rather than original ideas. Anyway the writer is American.

We ran the text of the letter through Don Foster’s machine and it came back JOE KLEIN

Didn’t he see the photo of the beheaded guy a few pages later? HILARIOUS! Albert Brooks must have loved it.

Obviously Bill Hicks, typing from the All-Star Comedy Club of the Universe. He’s in the issue in the sense that much current work derives from stuff he, George and Lenny did first.

so many insults…

…so it has to be RICKLES!

Y’all need to print [sic] where he makes mistakes. While he is kinda halfassed about it, I gotta say, I agree with him.

I don’t get it.

Zach G.!

It’s more “gutless” to send in an anonymous letter. He evidently doesn’t believe enough in what he’s saying to sign his name. Letter should have been thrown away.

It’s me again. I was just joking. Remember, I’m a comedian.

not maher, he wrote for RS in Dec 2007.
as said before, not witty (or sarcastic) enough to be david cross.
i’m guessing joe rogan. he hasn’t had an HBO special, frequently talks about fighting the power in a vague way, and rags on comedians he thinks aren’t up to snuff.

not maher, he wrote for RS in Dec 2007.
as said before, not witty (or sarcastic) enough to be david cross.
i’m guessing joe rogan. he hasn’t had an HBO special, frequently talks about fighting the power in a vague way, and rags on comedians he thinks aren’t up to snuff.

Can’t be Cross, the silhouette has hair. If it is Cook, he’s one to talk, being a whore himself, but I haven’t read the latest issue to be honest, but I doubt he’s in it considering rolling Stone wrote an article slamming him. I’m guessing from the way it was written it was Bill Maher, just a guess though.

coogan?

Colbert? Stewart?

Must be that corporate misfit Dane Cook.

does anyone know who it really is? i’d love to know who the fella/lady is that essentially whored themselves out and proceeded to call out others for doing the same…

does anyone know who it really is? i’d love to know who the fella/lady is that essentially whored themselve out and proceeded to call out others for doing the same…

This could be Joe Rogan. He’s been standing up for comedians for some time now.

Okay, guys, let me just come on out and say it: it’s me. You all know me, every single one of you. I wrote this, and meant every word of it. Thank you for all the support for those who approve; those who disapprove can go to hell. Comedy–what comedy?

David Cross would write something like this, but if it was him you think it would be funnier. The letter’s pretty witless.

But, truth be told, any magazine that gives Aphex Twin one star and the Jonas Brothers four stars deserves to take some heat.

I agree with this: I was disappointed with the bland comedy chosen- and the issue completely left out ADULT SWIM comedy program geniuses and innovators like Brendan Small or Tim and Eric.

But if this “Me” is the opposite of ‘GUTLESS’, he/she could probably write ‘FUCKING’ rather than the bland corporate word ‘EFFING’.

me

looks like dane cook.

I believe this person is a liar. I don’t think someone who has struggled long enough in this business to have been included in the issue would make such charges against their brethren. Every comic who wants to make a living has to compromise something at some point. This does not make them ‘whores’, it makes them ‘people who live in a merit based economy.’ A working comic would know that. I think this a bitter comic who can’t get recognized. Speaking of whores, see me this week at the Boston Comedy Festival.

Who ever that is, they’re right. Fuck the corporations, man. Also there’s no God up here.. I’m floating in limbo.

Well, it’s none of the following: Fallon, Williams, Silverman. They’re the type he’s complaining about.

Not Fey or Rock. Just not their tone.

ROBIN WILLIAMS, dammit! What do I win?

The Jonas Brothers?

I tHINK Dane Cook nose how two tipe. Its probubbly him.

this kicks ass!!! rolling stone is a print version of MTV!

Sarah Silverman?

This was obviously Me.

This is David Cross. No question.

Wow, he/she nails you guys.

He could say the same thing about your music coverage as well, BTW. It’s pathetic.

well good for whoever did write this

The Guy from Politically Incorrect? Nah, he works for HBO. Honestly I don’t buy the magazine, just read online. It would be funny if it was Triumph though.

I wish the comic would have put his/her name on the letter. Living in Las Vegas, I know first hand how gutless the comedy scene has become. The biggest comic in town only do dated impersonations. Local comics don’t have a chance to break through the casino glass ceiling. Especially those who have any type of edge or social critique that might offend some tourist. We are living in a pretty gutless time. I guess the comedians are reflecting that.

…and sometimes comedy is just for a laugh. I get enough politics everywhere else. If this comic had any guts and really wanted to challenge the system he/she would have put their name on the letter. I smell a hypocrite!!!

Letterman, is that you?

It’s somebody who isn’t too familiar with the rules of grammar.