Stand-up comedy emerged on the vaudeville stage when performers like Frank Fay and Jack Benny succeeded in getting laughs simply by talking - without relying on pratfalls or props. Artists like Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Joan Rivers revolutionized the genre in the mid-1950s with the no-holds-barred honesty of their art, which influenced up-and-coming countercultural comics including George Carlin, Richard Pryor, and Lily Tomlin. By the 1970s and 80s, stand-up comedians like Steve Martin and Cheech & Chong were akin to rock stars. In the era of Netflix, YouTube, and stand-up–obsessed podcasts, the genre has become more accessible than ever.

Archive Highlights

Archive Highlight | Rodney Dangerfield

This video features exclusive interviews with Wayne Federman, Billy Crystal, Elayne Boosler, Janeane Garofalo, Jeff Foxworthy, Lewis Black, Robert Klein, Margaret Cho, Richard Lewis, Gabriel Iglesias, Sebastian Maniscalco, and Jim Gaffigan.