Forbes' "Top-Earning Comedians": heroes outnumbered by rednecks, puppets

[isoS]

Forbes.com has given us a sobering snapshot of the state of comedy today by way of their "Top 10 Earning Comedians" article. The list, headed by Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock at #1 and #2, respectively, quickly devolves into a who's who of "who's that?" While an optimist might cheer the fact that Seinfeld and Rock are on top and Larry the Cable Guy made "only" $13 million last year (dropping him to #7), others might scratch their heads at the fact that veteran puppeteer Jeff Dunham came in at #3 with $30 million. (And look out, Jeff: at #9 is upstart ventriloquist Terry Fator, who apparently won a prime-time talent contest and now calls the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas home.) Unsurprisingly, Dane Cook and Jeff Foxworthy are also in the mix; more surprisingly, so are Howie Mandel and a guy named Russell Peters.

Look, I'm not trying to apply Worthington's Law to the art of stand-up comedy, but you hate to see the #3 earner say things like, "Leave your brain at the door" and have Forbes tag it with, "That's just what today's audience is after." Thank God #2 doesn't subscribe to that belief. Here's hoping more comics of substance find his level of success.

(Full list after the break. Read the article here. Thanks to April Richardson for bringing this to my attention.)

1) Jerry Seinfeld
Estimated Earnings*: $85 million
The comedian-turned-TV superstar continues to cash in on the syndication rights for Seinfeld more than a decade after the show ended its run on NBC. He brings in millions more doing stand-up on the road. What's more, he was reportedly paid $10 million to star in a Microsoft ad alongside Bill Gates; the marketing campaign eventually ditched.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

2) Chris Rock
Estimated Earnings*: $42 million
Between June 2008 and June 2009, the multitasking comic added multiple Hollywood films to his résumé (Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, the upcoming Death at a Funeral), released a new HBO stand-up special (Kill the Messenger) and embarked on his very profitable, worldwide "No Apologies" stand-up tour. He also snagged a new book contract. His TV show, Everyone Hates Chris, will begin a lucrative syndication run in the fall.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

3) Jeff Dunham
Estimated Earnings*: $30 million
The ventriloquist struck comic gold after two decades of paying dues on the club circuit. Dunham's banner year included the highest-grossing stand-up tour of 2008 and a YouTube clip that drew more than 89 million views. The native Texan makes millions more with merchandise and DVD sales. In January, he inked a multiplatform deal with Comedy Central to create a new special, tour and TV show slated to debut in late 2009.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

4) Dane Cook, (tie)
Estimated Earnings*: $20 million
Over the course of the year, the 37-year-old comic graced the big screen (opposite Kate Hudson in the My Best Friend's Girl) and the small screen (in a Comedy Central special), released an album (Isolated Incident) and embarked on a comedy tour. Earlier this year, Cook's half-brother and former manager was charged with embezzling millions from the comedy star.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

4) George Lopez, (tie)
Estimated Earnings*: $20 million
Lopez is nothing if not busy. Over the course of the year, the Mexican-American comedian made big money on the road. His eponymous sitcom, which ended in 2007, lives on in repeats and his film résumé continues to grow. Next up, the multi-platform comedian is heading to late night with a new 11 pm show on TBS.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

6) Howie Mandel
Estimated Earnings*: $15 million
Deal or No Deal has proved a great deal for its host, who now appears in both prime time and syndicated versions. Mandel added another NBC series, prank show Howie Do It, to his résumé this past season. Lest that were enough, he's also a spokesman for online retailer Buy.com and spends much of his time perfecting his act on the road.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

7) Larry the Cable Guy
Estimated Earnings*: $13 million
Though he's no longer the country's top touring act as he's been in years past, Larry the Cable Guy continues to bank big money on the road. Along with his Blue Collar pals, he still cashes in on Blue Collar merchandise as well. Earlier this year, the veteran jokester was also the subject of a Comedy Central roast. Up next, he once again lends his voice as Mater in the Cars sequel.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

8) Jeff Foxworthy
Estimated Earnings*: $11 million
Over the course of his career, the best-selling comedy recording artist of all time has sold in excess of 15 million comedy albums, more than twice as many as Steve Martin and Richard Pryor combined. This past year, the comic added a slew of stand-up gigs, a third season as host of his TV quiz show, Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? and another book, How to Really Stink at Work, a Guide to Making Yourself Fire-Proof While Having the Most Fun Possible to the portfolio.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

9) Terry Fator, (tie)
Estimated Earnings*: $10 million
The season-two winner of NBC talent competition show America's Got Talent has been dubbed "the million dollar voice" and "the human jukebox." In February, the 44-year-old ventriloquist/impressionist, along with his 16 puppets, began a five-year stint at Sin City's Mirage Hotel. The reported price tag on the multi-year commitment? $100 million.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

9) Russell Peters, (tie)
Estimated Earnings*: $10 million
It was another lucrative year for the Canadian funnyman, who's act frequently focuses on race Among the résumé additions: Peters sold an unprecedented 9,000-plus tickets in a single day to his his 20th Anniversary Tour show at London's 02 Arena. In addition to a steady stream of shows and a gig hosting the Juno Awards (Canada's Grammy Award equivalent), he released his comedy DVD, Red, White and Brown, which was filmed to a sold-out audience at Madison Square Garden in 2008.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

[BillBrasky]

Sometimes you need to get out of your alt-comedy world for a sec, Belknap
Jeff Dunham is very popular. He's had many specials on Comedy Central, and his act is the kind of safe, middle-of-the-road comedy that appeals to families and Middle America.
I'm not surprised at all that he's #3.
Also, I saw that Terry Fator guy on "America's Got Talent" and he was quite impressive.
He combines ventriloquism with singing; very difficult I would imagine.

But seriously, sometimes we need to remember there are 48 other states that aren't NY or LA. Mention "Paul F. Tompkins" or "Patton Oswalt" or "Louis CK" to 90 percent of the populace and you get blank stares. These are the most visible comics out there and the ones that tour the most, so naturally they're the ones who are going to be making the most money.

[Bucky_Sinister]

[RD][URL="http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/13/top-earning-comedians-business-entertainment-top-earning-comedians.html"]

9) Russell Peters, (tie)
Estimated Earnings*: $10 million
It was another lucrative year for the Canadian funnyman, who's act frequently focuses on race Among the résumé additions: Peters sold an unprecedented 9,000-plus tickets in a single day to his his 20th Anniversary Tour show at London's 02 Arena. In addition to a steady stream of shows and a gig hosting the Juno Awards (Canada's Grammy Award equivalent), he released his comedy DVD, Red, White and Brown, which was filmed to a sold-out audience at Madison Square Garden in 2008.
*Between June 1, 2008, and June 1, 2009.

I worked a Russell Peters show in SF. He sold out 6 shows at about $30 a head in a venue that seats 420. We turned a lot away.

I had no idea he sold out MSG. But I did know he's popular around the world. Instead of focusing on the best clubs in the US, he has the best clubs anywhere. $10 million did surprise me, though. But the guy has worldwide appeal, he's good-looking, his jokes are funny, family (you can bring your mom, not your kids, though) friendly, and easy to understand, and he's in no way controversial.

Very nice guy, BTW.

[tatanjinx]

DANE COOK F*CK YEAR

[pg13]

Russell Peters is huge.

His act is almost the anti-Rickles: "Hey! What are you? You're (insert ethnicity)? Oh, well, here are some cool things about being (insert ethnicity)!"

The fact that he knows a lot about certain underrepresented ethnicities makes him a draw for those who aren't made fun of by Mencia or Dunham.

[soce]

Russell Peters is great. It's nice to see a successful comedian who's not white and dumb.

[scamboogah]

DANE COOK F*CK YEAR

Not according to my calendar.

[klorjne]

That's it. I'm selling all my shit and investing in puppets.

[isoS]

Sometimes you need to get out of your alt-comedy world for a sec, Belknap
Jeff Dunham is very popular. He's had many specials on Comedy Central, and his act is the kind of safe, middle-of-the-road comedy that appeals to families and Middle America.
I'm not surprised at all that he's #3.
Also, I saw that Terry Fator guy on "America's Got Talent" and he was quite impressive.
He combines ventriloquism with singing; very difficult I would imagine.

But seriously, sometimes we need to remember there are 48 other states that aren't NY or LA. Mention "Paul F. Tompkins" or "Patton Oswalt" or "Louis CK" to 90 percent of the populace and you get blank stares. These are the most visible comics out there and the ones that tour the most, so naturally they're the ones who are going to be making the most money.

I just feel like Dunham has been around FOREVER -- I remember seeing him on TV as a kid, and I'm in my mid-30s. To me it'd be like hearing that The Amazing Jonathan is the top-grossing road comic -- not saying it isn't possible, but it's weird.

Also, I didn't mean to imply that I thought AST comics were the top grossing comics, I'm just always struck by how many of the big moneymakers in comedy are as unknown (if not moreso) than the performers we revere on this site. I think more people know who Patton is in America than know who Russell Peters is -- and that's not a judgement on either of them as comics. It makes me think there's this whole world of people out there who attend live comedy shows (which is great) but don't necessarily want to see anything more substantive than a CBS sitcom. And this isn't really a question of accessibility: Chris Rock is accessible. Pryor, Cosby, Steve Martin, George Carlin... They all proved to be appealing to mainstream audiences, and yet they constantly challenged their audiences in various ways. I just wonder why that's not as prevalent today.

This article raised some red flags for me in terms of how they classified performers. Where's Jay Leno? He performs live all the time and makes millions on TV, just like Howie Mandel. Is Letterman no longer considered a stand-up comedian? What about Ricky Gervais? Maybe he didn't make more than $10 million last year, but I kind think he had to (considering his stake in every version of The Office being produced around the world, plus film roles, concerts, DVD sales, his podcast, etc).

[BillBrasky]

Actually, I think Amazing Jonathan has a permanent gig at the Sahara hotel in Las Vegas.
I saw him there in 2007. So he probably doesn't tour much, but he's doing well.

I think Dunham has gotten popular recently with his "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" character.
("I KEEL YOU!") I find it kind of stupid to be honest, but I guess it has touched a nerve with people for some reason.

[Darryl]

This article raised some red flags for me in terms of how they classified performers...

Agreed. And I don't know if I'd put Terry Fator in the category of "stand up comic." I saw him live last year, and he was fantastic. He is an incredible talent, more than online videos or television can show. I'd recommend anyone to see him live. Yes, the act is funny, but it's his unique singing ability that makes it special.

[scamboogah]

To me it'd be like hearing that The Amazing Jonathan is the top-grossing road comic

Here's a link to an article about The Amazing Jonathan's car collection. Usually a pretty good sign that someone is doing well financially.

He is currently playing at the Harmon Theater at Planet Hollywood Vegas, which seats around 500, and tickets go for around $80 a piece (which is actually the lowest that I found from ticket brokers. Face value is probably more).

Even assuming he's playing to a half full venue, and does a relatively modest 6 shows a week, that's grossing 120,000 PER WEEK.

Not bad for a guy that might have made me laugh once when I was 15...

[scamboogah]

I think Dunham has gotten popular recently with his "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" character.

Why doesn't Dunham do "Achmed, the dead family man who was just trying to go to work to feed his family and happened to be walking next to a building that made suspicious tubes that turned out to be nothing, but the U.S. bombed it anyway"?

[tatanjinx]

have you ever tried to say the word "tubes" without moving your lips?

[aenemaTron]

If he needs a guy to run up on stage and set fire to the dead terrorist I'm free.

[kremdela]

I'd be interested to know the percentage of actual working comics making say over 50k a year. I don't know shit about Terry Fator's act, and I'm sure there are a lot of good comics out there doing a lot better than I could imagine.

[nadsat droog]

Terry Fator should be applauded for his ability to turn nightmares into millions:

[Darryl]

Terry Fator should be applauded for his ability to turn nightmares into millions:

I guess this shows why Dunham only wanted to pose with just one figure at a time.

I won't be sleeping tonight.

[Hated Milk Machine]

But seriously, sometimes we need to remember there are 48 other states that aren't NY or LA. Mention "Paul F. Tompkins" or "Patton Oswalt" or "Louis CK" to 90 percent of the populace and you get blank stares. These are the most visible comics out there and the ones that tour the most, so naturally they're the ones who are going to be making the most money.

Why do you immediately assume this has anything to do with geography, instead of really, really, really, really, really fucking stupid people?

[Canadian Content]

Terry Fator should be applauded for his ability to turn nightmares into millions:

The five puppets you meet in Hell.