But in the wake of George Floyd’s killing,
Daring to Speak
Dave Chappelle ruffled more than a few feathers last year, pushing us to question whether he’d gone too far. But in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, Chappelle hit the tone just right, dropping his unique storytelling genius to address the 8 minutes and 46 seconds Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck.

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 Non-Binary Pioneer
Amid feeds filled with feuds and outrage, the comedian stands for a selfie in front of a budding cherry blossom. “Fighting racism by being Asian and hot,” declares Jes Tom, a joke that garnered an unexpected response. In came hundreds of replies from Asian-presenting people with their own selfies, dutifully retweeted by Tom, in a strike against soaring anti-Asian racism that represented a rare uplifting moment — both for comedy and for Twitter.
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The Grump
George Carlin was famous for being a politically incorrect curmudgeon. How did shell shock become post-traumatic stress disorder? How did toilet paper become bathroom tissue? “Soft language, that language that takes the life out of life,” he explained.

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Believe in Him
While Chris Rock may look forever young, he’s been generating laughs for decades. Themes tend to revolve around politics, race relations, celebrity, love and family. Rock listing God’s mistakes — Mississippians may want to skip this clip — will give you a whole new perspective on religion. And piña coladas.
And for more old-school laughs, try Lenny Bruce, Jerry Seinfeld, Don Rickles and Eddie Murphy.
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 Something He Said
Richard Pryor was the king of irreverence and street-talking comedy. These eerily relevant jokes about cops from 1979 won’t make you laugh so much as cry. His New York Times obit said it well, crediting Pryor with the “entire range of black America’s humor, from its folksy rural origins to its raunchier urban expressions.”
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A Show of Her Own
Playing nice wasn’t her forte. Long before she became the queen of the runway, Joan Rivers was hitting the late-night talk-show circuit with her cutting, self-deprecating jokes. She broke through as a permanent guest host on The Tonight Show (before falling out with Johnny Carson) and later her own show before making the red carpet her comedy playground, and celebrities her playthings.