Is there a comedian that doesn’t make fun of themselves?

Actually, that is one way to tell better comedians from lesser ones. The better ones draw upon funny instances in their own lives in which they do not necessarily appear in the best light. Poor comedians “punch down” and act as if they are better than others.

An example of a poor comedian who did not self deprecate is Gallagher, who would pretend to shit on his audience.

I think Seinfeld makes fun of situations rather than himself but you could say that the show is certainly mocking. New Yorkers of a certain type.

Don Rickles !

@raum Self deprecation has always been a MUST for a comedian to be successful. Drawing on ones own life makes you more relatable!!! Sadly, the world has changed so much that it’s now dangerous to be a comedian!!!

@zenvelo I LOVED Gallagher!!! At the same time, I NEVER thought of him as a comedian…rather an extremely funny performer!!! I admired how he looked at the world out of the “new eyes of his young daughter” as he attempted to explain them!!! Sometimes, after having a rough week, I go to youtube & pull up an old performance of his & laugh my ass off until the blues dissipates!!! I NEVER tire of his antics!!!

Chris Rock, he seems to make fun of everyone else.

Chris Rock started out making fun of himself. He has been adjusting to the new norm in the new & younger audience. When I was a young girl, we had comedians like Don Rickles who was down right mean in attacking his victims, but he was considered hilarious. Then times changed. We went through the self-deprecating comedian which seemed to make us feel their pain & we could relate & it helped to feel their humor as well!!! Chris says he has a condition where he doesn’t pick up on the social cues that tells most people when to back off…he just doesn’t get them.

I’m beginning to see comedians as a dying breed & it makes me sad. Life has gotten to the place where there isn’t much funny about it anymore!!!

@LadyMarissa being a comedian, he should be able to pick up on social cues, Will Smith. lol

@LadyMarissa – I always felt like the Rickles era wife jokes were a certain kind of self deprecating humor.. albeit from a time before divorce was socially acceptable and women were second class citizens. Like it’s my stupid wife, so it’s like joking about my tiny dick or fat ass.

Wife jokes are demeaning to the wife but who gave shit in the 60s, except the wife. And she didn’t have a voice.

Nope. Can’t find one.

Paul Reubens (peewee herman).

I am sure there are some. Ricky Gervais seems to be like that.
I feel that comedians that never make fun of themselves, are using comedy as a shield of plausible deniability to be dicks to other people, especially when they only punch down, not up.
Maybe I should go into comedy. I would get away with more things.

^^AMEN Loli. You’d be PERFECT at it!!!

My impression of George Carlin is that he was the father of up-punching humor.

Here’s an opinion I read on Twitter that I’ve included in my profile:
“Comedy is funny and brave when aimed at yourself or the powerful. It’s lazy and cruel when aimed at the weak or persecuted.”

I’ve always liked this definition of comedy: “deviance without harm”

Punching down is harmful because the insulting itself it is part of the social marginalization of a group. That said, the way some groups think of each other, punching down is the funniest kind of humor, but that’s another thing.

Punching up is fighting the good fight. It’s deviant to undermine the establishment, and funny because it’s usually goddam true and you still probably won’t end up in legal trouble for saying it.

Dead baby jokes are funny because they are ultimate deviance, but so ridiculous that they can’t be taken seriously, and are thus made harmless (though parents sometimes still don’t like these jokes for some reason).

Self deprecating humor is safe humor because you can attack any personality trait without seemingly attacking a group of people. Humor can always risk offending, but good comedians can turn the punchline on themselves to defuse a joke.