“My top 10 favourite Australian comedians”

If you wanna know what keeps me smiling and laughing most days… its comedy! Stand-up or sit coms. I swear when people say that laughter is the best medicine, I believe it’s absolutely one hundred percent true! I am someone who loves a good laugh. It’s the number one thing I look for in a potential partner. It’s what I watch on YouTube most nights when I’m bored, lonely or sad. I swear it just makes me feel better.

Comedy is so great because it reminds us not to take life so seriously which is a mistake I make sometimes. It reminds us that sometimes it’s better to make fun ourselves and the world we live in. if you also notice, comedy is a great platform for comedians to talk about important issues happening around the world or things that most humans can relate to, in a humorous manner.

With the state of the world we live in today (aka; Donald Trump is the leader of the free world and people are afraid of all Muslims because of one Islamic terrorist group etc.) it is often very easy for comedians to come up with material. It is because of comedians that we get to realise just how absurd the human race really is.

I believe in keeping the art of stand-up comedy alive for as long as we can because they are some of the most important members of society. Which is why I encourage everyone after reading this, to look up at least one stand-up comedian and watch a few videos. I can guarantee it’ll make you feel good and you will learn at least one thing.

Fun fact by the way: if you study history, you will learn whenever there was a war or a power struggle, it was often the intelligentsia (intellectuals; artists, teachers, comedians etc.) who were killed first because they had the knowledge and power to spread ideas to the common people. This proved as a threat to kings, emperors or higher levels of government that were trying to gain full control over the people.

I kinda have this idea every once in while that I would love to be a stand-up comedian but it’s a silly job for someone who has a fear of public speaking; *laughs. For now, I think I will stick to watching it. I have come up with a list of my favourite comedians (most of which are Australian so if you haven’t heard of them, that’s probably why).

So here goes, my top 10 favourite Australian comedians, in no particular order:

1. Arj Barker: He’s a Canadian comedian but does quite a few shows in Australia. He’s part Anglo-Indian (like me; yay!) and the only comedian I’ve actually seen live, so you have my full confidence that he is just as good live as he is on tv (no he’s better live actually). Mum and I have been huge Arjy Barjy fans for a long time. I think he was one of the first comedians I was introduced to and I got a box set of all his DVDs for my birthday one year. Anyway, if you wanna hear jokes about plane travel and understanding “why murder happens”, he is a great comedian for you.
2. Joel Creasy: He’s much younger than Arj, and is much more of an animated and upbeat comedian. He’s gay and not afraid to let it be known. I’ve only herd of him over the past three years but he is definitely one of my favourites. I know this might sound ridiculous but I feel like I can relate to him in a lot of ways. he has a vibrant personality with a taste for the spotlight. Always talks about how he’s “still trying to get famous” and how it’s “not going so well”. I love that he’s a drama queen but he bloody knows it. His comedy consists of jokes about being a young gay man along with other small anecdotes that will have you in stitches. Side note; I know this has nothing to do with anything but I would really love to go out for a drink with this guy, I recon he’d be really fun to hang out with, just sayin’).
3. Tommy Little: I feel like to some people this bloke might seem a little simple. A typical sounding Aussie bloke with tatts. But I swear my absolute favourite clip of his was from the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2013 Gala where he jokes about living as a middle-class citizen and how “girls are more emotionally caring than boys” through the motif of Netball. He makes a lot of appearances on channel 10’s; The Project as well as works in radio. I think Tommy is relatable and the Aussie bloke next door that will surely put a smile on your face.
4. Nazeem Hussain: this is a good one! An Australian-Sri Lankan Muslim. His hilarious and sometimes controversial stand-up talks about the issues facing society in this day and age that nobody wants to talk about. The issues regarding the Islamic community and racism are at the forefront of his comedy. It really shows us how wrong and prejudiced some people can be and how really, we [white people] are not so far above from Muslims and refugees as we make it out to be. 
5. Tom Ballard: Another gay Australian comedian but with a personality far from Joel Creasy. Tom’s comedy is naughty and sometimes controversial. Not only does he make gay sex jokes but also has a human-rights-activist in him show through his entire set on refugees and the government “fear of the boat people”. I strongly recommend that people watch that particular clip actually; 2017 Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow. Tom makes me laugh till I cry; I think he’s that good. I also really loved watching the Annual Great Debate between his team and Joel Creasy’s team back in 2016. Hilarious!
6. Amos Gill: Or as he commonly referred to as; a fat john snow. A young Aussie bloke from Adelaide and gosh he’s cute too! His greatest set was on 2016 Comedy Up Late on ABC1 (Ep.5) where he discusses life as a commercial radio host and the Nightclub scenes that he is now “done with”. Nothing too politically charged but still relatable with a few pretty good ideas on how we can make improvements in our general society.
7. Ronny Cheng: I love Ronny Cheng. This man is a frickin legend! His sarcastic take on everyday topics of conversation are brilliant. He has the ability to somehow take an idea that we’ve all heard of before and then make us look like complete idiots. Also, the man knows how to argue a point. Dammit I like any dude who can argue a good point using sheer intellect.
8. Dave Hughes: I feel like Australian comedy wouldn’t be complete without a bit of Hughsey! It doesn’t get more Aussie after you hear this man speak, either. his sheer whit and cheeky grin makes it almost impossible to supress laughter. His jokes about having young kids and a wife hotter than he is makes him likeable and for some, maybe even relatable. His voice is distinct even on his morning radio shows. If you can’t remember what he looks like, you definitely know his voice. Can’t miss it.
9. Kitty Flanagan: I realise now that she is the only female comedian on this list. I promise that wasn’t on purpose. I just haven’t had any Australian female comedians come to mind. But this chick is definitely up there. Kitty humour ranges from talk about being single in her 40s, not wanting kids to to the correct pronunciation of words such as gesture. Kitty can make people of all ages laugh till they cry. She’s a fun and charismatic character that (in a best way possible) makes everyone feel a little better about themselves.
10. Carl Barron: this one’s for dad. Carl is the oldest person on this list and the other one of the first comedians I was introduced to as a younger teenager. He’s probably not as prominent as he was a while back but I wanted to include him anyway because he’s still worth looking up. He’s a great representative of classic Aussie comedy and a real funny bloke that can be enjoyed by the whole family (assuming the family consists of mature teenagers and their parents). I know to this day; my own dad is constantly quoting Carl Barron jokes.

Like I said, I only had one female up there, however there are loads more comedians I have in mind that I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit on my list and a lot are from other countries too. If you are interested, I can do another list in the future. Otherwise you are free to leave your suggestions of other comedians for me to check out. I do believe I’ve seen quite a lot of them but feel free to suggest anyway, I’m always open to ideas.

Happy laughing

Have a lovely day! xx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hurYwuPbYA