Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: Your choice for 2011?

[Faygo Kid]

Tina Fey will be presented with this year's award in November. Well deserved, but perhaps early; I would have liked to see Carol Burnett be so honored first. She would be a great choice for 2011.

But for 2011 my heart has to go with The Smothers Brothers. Saw them at The Kennedy Center last year, and they were fantastic. Those of us old enough know what a profound impact they had on humor, television, the political scene and our culture. Extraordinary. Plus, they were (are) funnier than hell. They are my choice. Here's the list of previous recipients. Who is/are your choice?

1998 - Richard Pryor
1999 - Jonathan Winters
2000 - Carl Reiner
2001 - Whoopi Goldberg
2002 - Bob Newhart
2003 - Lily Tomlin
2004 - Lorne Michaels
2005 - Steve Martin
2006 - Neil Simon
2007 - Billy Crystal
2008 - George Carlin
2009 - Bill Cosby
2010 - Tina Fey

[sakabatou]

1. What? No George Carlin?

[Faygo Kid]

2. He received it posthumously in 2008, as the list indicates.

Next recommendation, please.

[keroro gunsou]

10. john stewart.

that is all.

[sakabatou]

12. Oh, didn't see that.

[hippywife]

3. I agree about Carol Burnett.

She definitely should have been awarded before Tina Fey, but her award is probably a political statement to some extent.

And I am old enough to agree with you on the Smothers Brothers, too.

My favorite comedian for some time has been Paula Poundstone. I don't know that she will ever be the recipient of such an award, but I like her, nonetheless.

I have no love of the screaming, irate, mean comedian persona that seems prevalent these days.


:hi:

[Dr Morbius]

4. Wait, where's Mel Brooks?

Didn't he get honored as well? He certainly should have been, and why not now before he croaks?

Jon Stewart is easily the leading political humorist of our time, and I thought of him first until I saw Carl Reiner's name. For some reason, seeing his name made me think of Mel Brooks.

[Faygo Kid]

8. He did get the prestigious general Kennedy Center Honors this year.

The biggie. Guess he is OK with that.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Dane Cook

[flvegan]

6. Joan Rivers.

I never had any clue how funny she was until she was on Graham Norton a couple of times. I don't think I've every laughed so much during a single hour of my life.

[sarge43]

7. Either Carol Burnett or Mel Brooks n/t

[JitterbugPerfume]

9. Definately The Smothers Brothers

[UTUSN]

11. Well, in THAT list, YES, Ms Burnett needs to be there. n/t

[pokerfan]

13. Will Ferrell

:hide:

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Smothers Brothers loooong over due.

[Faygo Kid]

20. Thanks and obviously agree. They are vastly underrated.

Their influence is extraordinary.

And Mom always liked me best.

[Common Sense Party]

22. Is that a puma down in that crevice?

[CBHagman]

15. Elaine May and Mike Nichols...

...though Mike Nichols did receive the Kennedy Center Honors, if I recall correctly.

I would be thrilled to see the Smothers Brothers or Carol Burnett be honored, though of course there are several others who really would be appropriate, Sid Caesar, Woody Allen, and Garrison Keillor among them.

[Faygo Kid]

16. Excellent choices. Here's one more.

Got to throw Mark Russell into that mix.

[CBHagman]

21. I love Mark Russell.

I've actually seen him live a few times -- once at a benefit performance in Buffalo, once at Ford's Theater in DC, and then there was the time he was a guest during George Carlin's appearance at the National Press Club. I was actualy surprised to see him there, given how different his image is from Carlin's, but in retrospect it all makes perfect sense.

[SoxFan]

17. George "Dubya" Bush

That was all performance art, right?

[SunnySong]

18. Either Carrottop or Gallagher.

The Obama white house put Geitner in charge of this years selection.

[Bucky]

19. Will Farrell. Because EVERYBODY thinks he's funny. Like that time he acted like an uptight dork?

Hi-larious!