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<title>Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</title><link>http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link><description>Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</description><category>Comedy</category><language>en</language><ttl>720</ttl><pubdate>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:26:00 -0700</pubdate><pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:26:00 -0700</pubDate><image>
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<title>Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</title>
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<title>"Weird Al" Yankovic</title>
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<category>Comic Song</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:01:59 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">"Weird Al" Yankovic</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[The undisputed king of the rock song parody, Yankovic has been inducing cringes and laughs in equal proportion since the early 1980s. Not an especially gifted singer (to put it politely), he relies instead on cornball puns, clever videos and sheer trial and error. After a string of '80s classics like the Michael Jackson takeoffs "Fat" and "Eat It," things started to look a little ugly, as anyone who saw the film UHF can attest. Undaunted, he bounced back with '90s efforts such as "Smells Like Nirvana" and the Coolio parody "Amish Paradise." In 2006, after once again losing his clout as a pop culture commentator, a parody of Chamillionaire's "Ridin'" (as "White and Nerdy") landed Al in the top 10 for the first time ever. He's best taken in small doses -- sitting through an entire CD might be considered the musical equivalent of cooling off on a 95 degree day with a glass of warm gravy. Still, whether he's busting out schwag rhymes about computer software ("It's All About the Pentiums") or resurrecting unwelcome oldies (the "Jurassic Park" parody of "MacArthur Park"), Weird Al proves that stupidity, when used wisely, can truly be a virtue.
- Will York]]></description>
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<title>Dane Cook</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:35 -0700</pubDate>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Dane Cook</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Dane Cook's career switched into high gear when the comedian moved from his hometown of Boston to Los Angeles in the mid-1990s. Cook has made a number of guest appearances on sitcoms such as <I>Suddenly Susan</I> and <I>Maybe This Time</I> as well as numerous appearances on <I>The Late Show With David Letterman</I>, <I>The Tonight Show With Jay Leno</I> and <I>The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn</I>. Cook's association with the Crank Yankers series led to a number of appearances on <I>The Man Show</I> and <I>Jimmy Kimmel Live</I>, as well as <I>Last Call With Carson Daly</I>. In 2003, the comedian was tapped to play Officer Fraioli in the wildly popular Farrelly Brothers movie <I>Stuck On You</I>. When you're hot, you're hot, and to prove the point, Comedy Central reissued Cook's live stand-up CD, <I>Harmful If Swallowed</I>, that same year. In 2005, Cook released his sophomore album, <I>Retaliation</I>. Not only was the album hailed by the critics, but it was a huge hit with the general public, who bought enough copies to send the funnyman laughing all the way to the bank. With a debut at No. 4 on <I>Billboard</I>'s pop chart, Dane Cook proved he was a bankable name. Offers to host <I>Saturday Night Live</I> came in, as well as movie roles and a deal with HBO. In 2006, Cook was named one of <I>Time</I> magazine's the Time 100: The People Who Shape Our World list, putting the comedian in the same company as Bill and Melinda Gates, Bono and Katie Couric.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Lewis Black</title>
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<category>Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:11:19 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Lewis Black graduated from Yale's drama department and like most aspiring thespians, took a variety of jobs while waiting for his big break. Moving to Manhattan, he took a job in a government-funded anti-poverty program that gave him a firsthand look at a myriad of social and economic issues. Eventually, Black became the playwright in residence at the West Bank CafÃÂÃÂ© Downstairs Theater Bar, where over 40 of his plays were produced. One of his plays, <I>The Deal, </I> was optioned and made into a movie, which gave Black the "in" he was looking for. In 1996, the comedian made his motion picture debut with a role in Woody Allen's <I>Hannah and Her Sisters,</I> which in turn led to a prodigious run of guest starring roles on TV shows such as <I>Murphy Brown</I>, <I>Law and Order</I> and <I>Mad About You</I>. Appearances on high-profile comedy-oriented talk shows <I>Late Show With David Letterman</I> and <I>Late Night With Conan O'Brien</I> proved fertile ground for Black, who was subsequently hired as a contributor to <I>The Daily Show</I>, where his two-minute political and pop culture rants made him a national hero. In a short amount of time, Black provided succinct, thoughtful and riotous insight on the political machinations of the Bush administration. To quote: "On the bright side, we did catch Cat Stevens." Fittingly, Black took his ruminations on the road, crisscrossing the country with his stand-up act. In 2000, he released his debut CD, <I>The White Album</I>, followed by <I>The Rules of Engagement</I> and <I>The End of the Universe</I>.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Tenacious D</title>
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<category>Comedy Rock</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:25:19 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[If you still haven't experienced Tenacious D's dirty acoustic molestation, you're in for a guilty sort of comedic treat. Kyle Gass (KG) and comedic actor Jack Black (JB) fictitiously perform acoustically at open mic night every single week. The joke is the degree of seriousness with which they perform, as they draw from all that is hessian to parody rock and Metal posturing with their brilliantly written, tongue-in-cheek lyrics. But a funny thing happened on the way to the henhouse: they're actually great performers, with riffing acoustics and vocal operatics amazingly on-the-mark. As with most great acts, no singular description can do Tenacious D justice, and they simply <i>must</i> be both seen and heard if one is to fully appreciate the uproarious nature of their sharp-witted antics. Example: the song "Sex Supreme" involves KG and JB coming "out of the side hatch" to pleasure a "backstage Betty," which involves KG (who is bald and middle aged) "nibbling on her toes." Yikes.
- Kelly Bauman]]></description>
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<title>Flight Of The Conchords</title>
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<category>Comedy Rock</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:24:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[With the silliness of elementary school kids, the dry wit of scholarly jokesters and the tuneful talent of parody whizzes like Tenacious D, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement make up one of the funniest duos to ever come out of the Southern Hemisphere. The Kiwis label themselves as a two-man, digi-folk band, but have musical capacities beyond acoustic guitars and synthesizers. Flight of the Conchords do smooth soul like Marvin Gaye, funkadelic shrills a la Prince, dancehall in the vein of Shaggy, Bowie-esque new wave, freestylin' hip-hop -- pretty much any genre that may strike their fancy. If you weren't playing close attention to lyrics like, "You're so beautiful/ like a tree/ Or a high-class prostitute," you may confuse them for a talented yet confused act trying to find their niche. They were introduced to an American audience in 2007 with their eponymous HBO series, which revolves around the lives and loves of the two trying to make it big in New York City. Sub Pop released the EP, <i>The Distant Future</i>, which subsequently won a Grammy for Best Comedy Album. Their first full-length debuted in April 2008, featuring studio versions of songs performed on their TV show.
- Stephanie Benson]]></description>
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<title>George Carlin</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:39 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">George Carlin</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Venerable stand-up comedian George Carlin is a master of words and how they're used and abused in American society. His linguistic knack, coupled with a strong desire to push boundaries and challenge social mores, has made him a popular figure in large venues and college campuses since the early 1970s. Huge notoriety came to him when he recorded the piece "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" for <I>Class Clown</I> (1972), leading to court battles and the comic's arrest for violating obscenity laws. It's scathing and adroit skits such as this that provide a literal and spiritual link between Carlin and his biggest influence, Lenny Bruce, for both were associated with the counterculture and each suffered legal troubles. The comedian's obsession with the foibles and absurdities of modern society still continues, leading to such whimsical sketches as "Baseball vs. Football," politically charged rants like "Rockets and Penises in the Persian Gulf" and, of course, riffs on language quirks such as those heard on "Airline Announcements." Whether he's adopting a tone that's aggressive and confrontational or welcoming and friendly, Carlin never fails to point out the absolute ridiculousness that surrounds us on every side.
- Will Lerner]]></description>
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<title>Mitch Hedberg</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:43 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Although Mitch Hedberg grew up in Minnesota, he started his comedy career in Florida. Having successfully converted the Southeast to his deadpan brand of humor, Hedberg picked up stakes and moved to Seattle, where he refined his act by constantly touring throughout the Pacific Northwest. A trip to Los Angeles resulted in Hedberg successfully pitching himself to the folks at MTV and landing a spot on the network's <I>Comikaze</I> show. Appearances in comedy shows on A&E, NBC and Comedy Central followed and in 1996, Hedberg was asked to perform at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, <I>Just For Laughs</I>. His performance at the festival was one of the standouts that year and earned him a developmental deal with a studio and a spot on <I>The Late Show With David Letterman</I>. In fact, Letterman enjoyed the young upstart's set so much he referred to one of Mitch's bits later on in the show. With his development deal in hand, Hedberg wrote, directed and stared in the independent feature film, <I>Los Enchiladas!</I>, which premiered at Sundance. By the end of the millennium Hedberg guest-starred on <I>The Late Show With David Letterman</I> five times and made another appearance at the <I>Just For Laughs</I> festival, where he was hotly-tipped as one of the best of the next generation of comedy stars. Hedberg worked developing a sitcom for the Fox Network and completed a reality show pilot for MTV. Sadly, Hedberg was found dead on March 30, 2005.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Ween</title>
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<category>Post-Modern Pop</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:38 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Dean and Gene Ween's eclectic post-modern pop defies categorization. With a wry sense of humor, in the spirit of the Dead Milkmen's "Bitchin' Camaro" or Tenacious D's "Kyle Took a Bullet for Me," Ween have thumbed their noses at any serious concept of popular music. Each album is, in fact, more a collection of Song Parodies rather than meticulously penned, Bic-worthy anthems. Their synth-driven stabs at soul, R&B, and Punk have truly achieved life-of-the-mushroom-party status. And with song titles such as "Hey Fat Boy (As*hole)," "Reggaejunkiejew," and "Mister Would You Please Help My Pony?" Ween are dead-set on having the last laugh.
- Kelly Bauman]]></description>
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<title>Stephen Lynch</title>
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<category>Comedy Rock</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 8 Aug 2008 03:34:33 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Lynch creates picture perfect, straight-faced mainstream Alternative Rock and then couples it with humorously twisted lyrics. He wisely started playing in comedy clubs instead of music venues. This led to opening gigs with everyone from Steven Wright to Yo La Tengo to appearances on Comedy Central and VH1 specials. Lynch's topical lyrics -- about molesting priests, hermaphrodites, and killing animals -- are often more pointed, and less humorous, than the "poetry" found in modern rock.
- Nick Dedina]]></description>
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<title>Ron White</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:24:06 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Ron White rose to prominence as one fourth of the successful <I>Blue Collar Comedy Tour</I>, which also starred comedians Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. And while White could've been overlooked among this trio of well-established comedians, he proved himself with insightful observations that managed to be both blunt and razor-sharp. He can frequently be seen on Comedy Central's <I>Premium Blend</I> series and has his own <I>Half-Hour Comedy Hour</I> on the channel. He released the comedy album <I>Drunk In Public</I> in 2003.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Chris Rock</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:47:54 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Influenced by other comic geniuses including Richard Pryor and Redd Fox, Chris Rock is one of the funniest celebrities in the country. After paying dues as a stand-up comedian, he began appearing on the much-loved skit showcase <i>In Living Color</i> and working in film. With a show-stealing cameo in <i>I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!</i> (where he dropped the timeless line "how much for a rib?") and his spot-on portrayal of Pookie the crackhead in <i>New Jack City</I>, Rock's star was on the rise. He became a regular on Saturday Night Live, and in '94 co-wrote and starred in <i>CB4</i>, an excellent (though under-rated) Spinal Tap-style parody of a fictional Gangsta Rap band. He's since starred in over a dozen movies and released three comedy albums, not to mention various cable specials and his own show on HBO -- with Grandmaster Flash as his DJ. Always down with the hip-hop, Chris Rock has appeared on LPs by Prince Paul and the one and only ODB.
- Brolin Winning]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Jim Gaffigan</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:35 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Jim Gaffigan is a comedic "triple threat," having achieved success in writing, acting and in his stand-up career. At 24, the young auteur gambled the security of his quiet, conservative Indiana home town on an advertising job in New York. Thankfully, the move paid off. But the clever person that made such fantastic inroads in the advertising world was dying to find a public voice, and so he began moonlighting in comedy. In time, Gaffigan earned an appearance on David Letterman's show, and the two quirky-minded Hoosiers hit it off immediately. In fact, Letterman asked the understated comedian to develop a sitcom for his World Wide Pants production company. The show, <I>Welcome to New York,</I> was a big hit with the critics and Gaffiagan was nominated for a <I>T.V. Guide</I> award for Best New Actor in a Sitcom. Sadly, the series was canceled shortly thereafter, but his work in front of the camera was impressive enough to earn him guest spots on shows such as <I>That '70s Shows</I>, <I>Sex in the City</I>, <I>Ed</I> and <I>Law and Order</I>. Through it all, the performer has remained active on the live comedy circuit, releasing four CDs of live stand-up material and starring in a number of comedy specials for <I>Comedy Central</I> and <I>HBO</I>. In addition to his live work, Gaffigan appeared in movies such as <I>13 Going on 30</I>, <i>Three Kings</I> and <I>Road Trip</I>. Not too shabby for a refugee from the advertising world.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Bill Cosby</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:22:18 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Bill Cosby</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Few people have had the kind of unparalleled success that Bill Cosby has enjoyed over his forty-something years in show business. The fact that Cosby is an African-American and had his first success in the early 1960s underscores the comedian's ability to connect with people regardless of their ethnic, religious or social background. The childhood recollections and anecdotes on Cosby's 1963 debut, <I>Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow...Right!</I> struck a chord with the public and garnered him his first of many Grammy nominations. Although Cosby never told racial jokes in his stand up routines, he was instrumental in breaking network television's color barrier when, in 1964, he became the first African-American to star in a television show. Although many Southern affiliates threatened not to air <I>I Spy</I>, the show was a hit with the public and Cosby won an Emmy for his portrayal of Agent Alexander Scott. Film roles followed, as did a couple of music albums, but Cosby found his most devoted audience through the Saturday morning cartoon, <I>Fat Albert</I>. A number of failed prime time series attempts throughout the late-'70s and early-'80s followed, until 1984's <I>The Cosby Show</I>. The success of <I>The Cosby Show</I> helped NBC dominate the ratings game for most of the '80s, and introduced Cosby to a new generation of fans. He also authored three books that spent several weeks on the <I>New York Times</I> best-seller list. Clearly, whether he's performing stand-up comedy, acting, or doing commercials for Jell-O, Cosby has the sort of easygoing sense of humor that resonates with the masses.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Patton Oswalt</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:35 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.6877689&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Stand up comedian Patton Oswalt may be best known to many people as Spence from the show <i>King of Queens</i>, but he has been doing standup and writing comedy (for <i>MadTV</i> specifically) since the early 1990s. In 1997, he hosted his own HBO special; TV and film roles quickly followed. In 2004, he released <i>Feelin' Kinda Patton</i>, an album of his live set. Sub Pop put out a second album, <i>Werewolves and Lollipops</i>, in 2007. Oswalt's sarcastic, absurdist, pointed commentary and use of a Jonathan Winters-level of inane voices to deliver highly intelligent joke-strings puts him at the very top of the current crop of "cool comedians," along with David Cross and Sarah Silverman.
- Mike McGuirk]]></description>
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<title>Adam Sandler</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:53:28 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Millions of frat boys and junior high school kids are going to laugh like mad whenever Adam Sandler burps. The <i>Saturday Night Live</i> alumnus has experienced crossover success in the '90s with his comedy albums and film work, thereby proving that any wiseacre Brooklyn kid who sings peculiar songs about Thanksgiving on late-night TV can become a huge star.
- Tim Quirk]]></description>
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<title>Bill Engvall</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:24:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Bill Engvall specializes in a down-home brand of humor much like that of his drawling doppelganger, Jeff Foxworthy. Engvall's conversational, observational bits are a little more sophisticated than Foxworthy's, but just as family-friendly. Cosby-like jokes about his kids, Leno-worthy gags about factory outlet malls and Branson, Missouri, and such safe words as "passing gas" give people a chance to laugh without having to blush.
- Mike McGuirk]]></description>
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<title>Eddie Izzard</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 May 2008 10:29:50 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Sadly, perhaps, Eddie Izzard is as renowned for his cross-dressing as he is his gloriously idiosyncratic stand-up style which marries sharp observation and a taste for surreal yet meticulously engineered narratives. Born in Yemen in 1962, he was brought up in Wales and Northern Ireland. His mother died when he was six, at which point he and his brother entered English boarding schools. He credits Peter Sellers with turning him on to comedy, getting his first laughs in school revues at the age of 12. Upon leaving school, he took his self-described brand of "talking bollocks with more bollocks on top" to the national circuit, notably the Edinburgh Festival where, in 1991, he ended up with a prestigious Perrier Comedy Award nomination. Generating intense interest, ironically, for resisting the move to television, he hit London's West End in 1993 for a run which extended from four to 13 weeks and propelled him into comedy's top ranks. Since then he has moved into straight acting -- making a concerted attempt to crack America/Hollywood with appearances on Broadway and in films such as <I>Ocean's Twelve</I> -- while also enjoying record-breaking comedy runs (most notably <I>Definite Article</I> at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 1995). Not to mention appearing in the press every time the issue of transvestism enters the public consciousness.
- Jamie Dolling]]></description>
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<title>Monty Python's Flying Circus</title>
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<category>Sketch Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:45:29 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[As any seventh grade dork can tell you, Monty Python's Flying Circus is inarguably the greatest Sketch Comedy group ever. With skits such as "The Argument Clinic" and "The Pet Shop" and films such as <i>Monty Python and the Holy Grail</i>, the troupe redefined the genre with their sidesplitting slapstick, biting social commentary and dark humor. Their BBC television series quickly became an international cult phenomenon after its initial airing in 1969, and we haven't been the same since. For better or worse, it provided the world's socially awkward rejects and dejected shut-ins with something to quote ad nauseum amongst themselves -- a phenomenon that continues to this day -- while giving everyone else a rare glimpse into the minds of the totally insane. Never have a group captured the notion of "delightfully absurd" so completely. Haven't seen or heard any of their stuff recently? Do yourself a favor and rent (or download) something. You'll find the humor as fresh and uproarious as it ever was. That is, unless you are a snooty bugger who doesn't think that selling someone a dead parrot is funny.
- Doug Russell]]></description>
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<title>Larry The Cable Guy</title>
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<category>Country Humor</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:24:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Larry the Cable Guy started out doing humor bits for a radio station in Florida. As his popularity grew, Larry (whose real name is Dan Whitney) parlayed his bits into a proper stand-up routine and hit the comedy clubs in the Tampa Bay area. His big break came when fellow Southerner Jeff Foxworthy pitched the idea of a comedy tour loosely based on the <I>Kings of Comedy</I>, and asked Larry the Cable Guy to join. The <I>Blue Collar Comedy Tour</I>, which also included Bill Engval, was successful enough to spawn a movie and CD. And while Foxworthy and Engval were clearly the headliners, Larry the Cable Guy gave those well-established comedians a solid run for their money each night of the tour. The positive press and national exposure led to Larry the Cable Guy's own record deal, which saw the release of <I>Lord, I Apologize</I> in 2001.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Todd Barry</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:05:17 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[Todd Barry is a stand-up comedian from the Bronx, New York, and a leader of the City's indie comedy community. His soft-spoken saunter swells with dry-witted jabs and wise-ass sarcasm. In 1999, Barry got his big break with his own <i>Comedy Central Presents</i> special. He has appeared on <i>David Letterman</i>, <i>Conan O'Brien</i> and <i>Jimmy Kimmel</i>, while his voice-acting talents have show up on animated shows <i>Freak Show</i>, <i>Space Ghost</i> and <i>Aqua Teen Hunger Force</i>. Barry's first comedy album, 2001's <i>Falling Off the Bone</i>, is based around cynical takes on his own personal experience. Two subsequent comedy albums were released, again by the Comedy Central label, with 2008's <i>From Heaven</i> being his most hilarious and barbed, full of candid, absurdist humor.
- Dan Shumate]]></description>
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<title>The Jerky Boys</title>
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<category>Sketch Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:22:53 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[When their first album earned the distinction of being the best-selling comedy album of 1993, the floodgates were thrown open for people copying the Jerky Boys' shtick of foul-mouthed, bruising prank calls. They took the crass humor and rude stereotype of the typical roughneck New York City citizen (made popular by Andrew Dice Clay) to a new level. Verbal abuse is the name of their game, calling up unsuspecting businesses and individuals, berating them on the phone to sometimes hilarious results. After five albums and a movie that flopped, the Jerky Boys are still at it, beating their one joke like the dead horse it is.
- Mark Murrmann]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Brian Regan</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.51220&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 May 2008 10:29:11 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA["Clean" comedian Brian Regan was a fixture on TV in the 1990s. His utterly human, often hilarious takes on people's (and his own) rampant stupidity was frequently featured on <i>The Tonight Show</i> and Letterman, as well as the then-fledgling Comedy Central cable network. For awhile there you couldn't turn on the TV without seeing Regan's rolled up suit coat sleeves and ingratiating smile, or hear his often yelled punch lines. He released a live album, titled simply <i>Live</i>, in 1997.]]></description>
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<title>Jeff Foxworthy</title>
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<category>Country Humor</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:23:30 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Jeff Foxworthy</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4249&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4249&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Comedian Jeff Foxworthy fried his "average Joe" personality deep in white Southern culture and took redneck humor to national levels of popularity. His stand-up albums have sold in the millions (including an almost noble attempt at humor-laced Honky-Tonk country music) and he had a respectable run on television. While his fifteen minutes of fame as a crossover star are up, he remains a big comedic draw. If you enjoy line dancing around a pickup while sucking down a Schlitz, Foxworthy's still your man.
- Nick Dedina]]></description>
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<title>Eddie Murphy</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43998&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:47:50 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Eddie Murphy</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43998&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Back in the 1980s, several popular movie and TV stars released solo albums. Some of those LPs were mildly successful (Don Johnson's), while others swiftly made their way into dollar bins and car wash cassette piles (Phillip Michael Thomas'). In 1985, long before the transsexual prostitute flap and string of box-office stinkers, Eddie Murphy was riding high in Hollywood, thanks to blockbuster action comedies like <I>48 Hours</I> and <I>Beverly Hills Cop.</I> He also scored a huge hit with his debut single "Party All The Time" (written and produced by super-freaky funk icon Rick James), off Murphy's first musical LP, <I>How Could It Be.</I> The comedian's stint as a pop/R&B singer was thankfully brief, but his comedy albums are another issue entirely. After blowing up on <I>Saturday Night Live,</I> he released several excellent standup collections which brought his hilariously raw, politically incorrect humor to home stereos around the world. Nowadays, Murphy's known mostly for his PG-rated films, but these comedy albums recall his glory days as an uproariously raunchy comedian with a knack for putting into words what many people <I>think</I> but would never say. His first two recordings, <I>Eddie Murphy</I> and <I>Comedian</I>, are comedy classics.
- Brolin Winning]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Gabriel Iglesias</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18119833&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comedy/Spoken Word</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:22:03 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Gabriel Iglesias</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18119833&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.18119833&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Bill Hicks</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4185&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:47:45 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Bill Hicks</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4185&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4185&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Stand up comic Bill Hicks' death from cancer in 1994 abruptly curtailed a fast, upwardly moving career. This longtime resident of Austin, Tex. was a scathingly funny interpreter of America's (and the world at large) social failures and hypocrisies. Armed with a wicked sense of self-deprecation, his raps on growing up were very funny and often moving. During a routine, Hicks would grow more and more worked up about social injustice. Working himself into a lather, a palpable paranoia about the U.S. government that started off as a tangent could grow into a wildly spiraling improvisational tour de force. Hicks' records preserve his routines fairly intact, but have some annoying New Age incidental music that serves as little more than a distraction.
- Tom Heyman]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Frank Caliendo</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5015340&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 May 2008 10:29:39 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Frank Caliendo</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5015340&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5015340&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Ray Stevens</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37730&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Humor</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:38:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.37730</rhap:rcid>
<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Ray Stevens</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.37730</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37730&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.37730&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Have you ever been listening to an oldies station and almost choked upon hearing "Ahab The Arab"? You were probably thinking to yourself (especially in the wake of September 11), "Who could have written such a song?" Well, Ray Stevens has been writing such novelty (and parody) material since 1961. That's right, he predated such geniuses as Weird Al Yankovick and Cledus T. Judd. For a while it seemed Stevens was entertaining notions of hanging up his novelty hat -- he found chart success with a cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Sunday Morning Coming Down" and his own songs "Everything Is Beautiful" and "The Streak." Fear not; Stevens returned to Country Humor in the '80s and has stayed there ever since.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Dave Attell</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317499&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:26:02 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Dave Attell</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317499&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5317499&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Unlike many comedians whose funny bones were tickled at an early age, Dave Attell didn't actually pursue a career in comedy until after he graduated from college. Eventually he landed a job writing and performing for <I>Saturday Night Live</I>, which led to parts on <I>Everybody Loves Raymond</I> and guest appearances on <I>Late Night With Conan O'Brien</I>. When you're hot, you're hot, and things were about to get even hotter for Dave Attell when he landed a recurring guest role on the popular Comedy Central show, <I>The Daily Show With Jon Stuart</I>. His work was so well received, Comedy Central offered Attell his own show, <I>Insomniac With Dave Attell</I>, in 2000. Attell's raunchy humor and willingness to tackle taboo subjects made his show one of the network's biggest hits and also landed him among <I>Entertainment Weekly's</I> "25 Funniest People in America." Attell released a live stand-up CD, <I>Skanks for the Memories</I> in February 2003.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>David Cross</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21016&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:39 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">David Cross</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21016&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21016&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
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<title>Allan Sherman</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4398&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comic Song</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:03:24 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Allan Sherman</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4398&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4398&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
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<title>Jerry Clower</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2658&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Humor</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 2 Aug 2008 22:59:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Jerry Clower</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.2658</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2658&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2658&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Jerry Clower was one of the most respected and yet underappreciated of country humor artists, who never made it as big as Minnie Pearl, but who influenced almost everyone who ever graced the <I>Hee Haw</I> stage to contemporary comedians like Jeff Foxworthy and Cledus T. Judd.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Jeff Dunham</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11738528&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 30 May 2008 10:34:16 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Jeff Dunham</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11738528&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11738528&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
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<title>Christopher Titus</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21858531&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:24:49 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Christopher Titus</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21858531&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.21858531&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description />
</item><item>
<title>Mike Birbiglia</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7165925&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:43 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Mike Birbiglia</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7165925&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.7165925&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Mike Birbiglia is a comedian from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, though he now resides in New York City, where he is part of its indie stand-up renaissance. His material is culled from witty everyday observations, funny family anecdotes and anything causing personal embarrassment. After self-releasing his first two albums, <i>Two Drink Mike</i> was released by the Comedy Central record label in 2006 to solid reviews. <i>My Secret Public Journal Live</i>, a travelogue of his awkward adventures on the road that he reads for syndicated radio on "The Bob and Tom Show," was released on album in 2007.
- Dan Shumate]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Katt Williams</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11999277&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:23:33 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Katt Williams</rhap:artist>
<rhap:artist-rcid xmlns:rhap="rhap">art.11999277</rhap:artist-rcid>
<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11999277&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11999277&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Katt Williams is one of the most accomplished and talented comedians of his generation. He's the next in line after Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Bernie Mack. His long, impossibly straight hair is the most recognizable cut in urban comedy. The son of a Black Panther activist, Williams grew up in Ohio, though he ran away from home at the age of 13 to pursue a career in comedy. He soon adopted his now infamous pimp persona. Since being discovered by Cedric the Entertainer in 2001, Williams has gone on to headline several comedy tours and appear in "Boondocks," <i>Friday After Next </i> and "NYPD Blue." In 2006, he was featured in his own HBO special ("The Pimp Chronicles Vol. 1"). In that special, it was announced that he had signed with Harlem 's Dipset crew. His debut rap album, <i>It's Pimpin', Pimpin'</i>, is scheduled to drop in 2007.
- Sam Chennault]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Tim Wilson</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.33287&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Country Humor</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:12:08 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Tim Wilson</rhap:artist>
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<rhap:play-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.33287&amp;variant=play&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:play-href>
<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.33287&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Tim Wilson's knack for comedy showed itself as far back as grammar school, where his impersonations of various teachers were always a class favorite. However, the
Atlanta native grew up nurturing a dream of becoming a singer. In fact, Wilson went as far as recording a demo with a member of the Atlanta Rhythm Section and sent it around to record companies, where it languished on the desks of A&R people on the East Coast. About the same time, he tried his hand at an open mic comedy night. Well and truly bitten by the comedy bug, Wilson often toured from Georgia up to New York City, stopping in at radio shows along the way to promote his shows and introduce the people to his country-style sense of humor. Eventually, Wilson gleaned a substantial following and competed in Cinemax's stand-up competition -- and won. Appearances on the <I>Tonight Show With Jay Leno</I> and roles in television shows such as <I>Grace Under Fire</I> followed, but it was the success of the song "Arab, Alabama," that most shaped Wilson's act. Up until then, Wilson kept his love for music separate from his comedy, but the song's success convinced him to incorporate music into his stand-up act. Wilson signed to Capitol Records in 1999 and has released six albums for the label.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
</item><item>
<title>Blues Brothers</title>
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<category>Electric Blues</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:24:00 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Blues Brothers</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Anyone who has ever craved plain white toast and four fried chickens understands that the Blues Brothers were on a mission from god. Joliet Jake and his brother Elwood were created by the late, great John Belushi and his partner Dan Aykroyd. The duo began as a way to warm up the audience before <i>Saturday Night Live</i> broadcasts, but soon became a semi-regular act on the show, and later graduated to a legitimate touring band with hit albums and a feature film. Their trademark look was inspired by the modernists of English subcultural yore, blues enthusiasts who donned three-button black suits, skinny black ties, porkpie hats and Wayfarer sunglasses. Backed by the likes of guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn (legends from the Stax studio's house band), as well as other well-known session players, the Blues Brothers covered standards from the Stax-Volt vaults with genuine affection. Although they began as a sketch, the two turned a new generation onto classic blues and soul.
- Eric Shea]]></description>
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<title>George Lopez</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.59618&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:14:03 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">George Lopez</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[George Lopez has been working as a stand-up comedian since 1983. With four albums of live material, appearances on <i>The Latin Kings of Comedy</i> tours, HBO specials and a TV sitcom that ran from 2002 to 2007, to his credit he is one of the most widely recognized Latin American comics ever. Eternally proud of his background, Lopez has continually used his poverty-stricken upbringing and the immediate surroundings of his childhood as fodder for his act. He is also known for pointed social commentary and for championing the rights of Latin Americans in the U.S. during his shows and on the records. For years now, Lopez has maintained a personal feud with fellow Latino comic Carlos Mencia, accusing Mencia of stealing 13 minutes' worth of material from him. (Comedian Joe Rogan has also accused Mencia of stealing material.) Lopez' fourth full-length and most outspoken work yet, <i>America's Mexican</i>, came out in October 2007.
- Mike McGuirk]]></description>
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<title>Sam Kinison</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2160&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:47:42 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:data-href xmlns:rhap="rhap">http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2160&amp;variant=data&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</rhap:data-href>
<description><![CDATA[Sam Kinison may have worn a beret all the time, but that doesn't mean he wasn't funny. Certainly not for every taste, his tonsil-eroding rage-comedy will forever be associated with three things: decibel-crushing rants, the very last days of hair metal, and Jessica Hahn's breasts. As a stand-up comedian, Kinison drew upon his early experiences as a stage-stalking preacher -- his level-topping delivery was peppered with the rising and falling pitch of an anointed minister (or charlatan) exhorting his parishioners. His comedy was as loud as the Metal he loved, and often misfired into similarly questionable territory as far as long-held religious beliefs and male/female relationships were concerned. However confrontational his act was, Kinison's own personal life was always close to the surface and an integral part of the show. Watching him, you often had the feeling you were watching a man work out his demons onstage. Killed in a car accident in 1992, Kinison nevertheless left behind a solid body of work that well illustrates his particular genius.
- Mike McGuirk]]></description>
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<title>Jerry Seinfeld</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.2688&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:47:42 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Jerry Seinfeld</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Jerry Seinfeld will go down in history as the man who wrote and starred in a hit television show about nothing. After impressive appearances on Johhny Carson's <I>The Tonight Show</I> and <I>Late Night With David Letterman</I>, Seinfeld starred in his first HBO special, <I>Jerry Seinfeld's Stand-Up Confidential</I>. Three years and plenty of momentum later, NBC approached Seinfeld to star in his own television series, which was a hit with the critics but initially got a lukewarm reception from the public. Eventually, of course, the show became one of the brightest jewels in NBC's crown and made stars out of its excellent supporting cast.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Robin Williams</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.4926&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Fri, 8 Aug 2008 03:34:59 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Robin Williams</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Robin Williams, the man <I>Entertainment Weekly</I> voted "The Funniest Man Alive" in 1997, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. His knack for goofy, oddball behavior was a trait that showed itself as far back as high school, where Williams was voted "Least Likely to Succeed" by his peers at Larkspur High School. At first, Williams chose political science as his college major, but quickly packed traditional college in when Julliard accepted his application. Eventually, Williams came back to the San Francisco Bay Area and worked as a mime and stand-up comedian on the burgeoning West Coast comedy circuit. Stints at L.A.'s Comedy Store and <I>Laugh-In</I> followed, which led to a guest appearance on <I>Happy Days</I>, where Mork from Ork was born. From 1978-1982 Williams starred in the show's successful spin-off, <I>Mork and Mindy</I>, and his star was on the rise. Successful cable specials followed, culminating in 1986's <I>Comic Relief</I>, a hugely successful charity-based event where he starred with Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. It seemed that not even a shaky film debut (1980's <I>Popeye</I>) could put a damper on the enthusiasm the public had for Robin. Thankfully, other early projects such as <I>The World According to Garp</I> and <I>Moscow on the Hudson</I> proved to be box-office hits, and further ingrained the performer into the hearts of the American public. Over the years, Williams has proven himself to be a rare commodity in Hollywood: a warm, comedic actor with exceptional improvisational skills who can also deliver genuine, heartfelt emotion on the big screen. In 1997, after three previous Oscar nominations, Williams finally took home the prize for his work in <I>Good Will Hunting.</I> Since then, the comedian has accepted darker roles in such films as <I>Insomnia</I> and </I>One Hour Photo</I>, proving, once again, what a well-rounded character actor he's become.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Steve Martin</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:26:02 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Steve Martin</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Steve Martin's first taste of comedy occurred while he was working at the Magic Shop on Main Street, USA in Disneyland. It was there that Martin learned magic tricks, juggling and how to make balloon animals -- physical comedy skills he would later bring to his stand-up routine. When he left college at California State University at Long Beach, where he was studying for a degree in philosophy, Steve found work writing skits for some of the more popular variety shows on television including <I>The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour</I>, <I>The Sonny and Cher Show</I> and <I>The Glen Campbell Hour</I>. But by the start of the 1970s, that was all behind him. Martin was living in Canada and appearing semi-regularly on the television show, <I>Half The George Kirby Comedy Hour</I> while trying out his stand-up routine for the first time in the clubs around Toronto. Martin's philosophy background and long, scraggly hair instantly identified him with the counterculture movement of the time before long he started opening up for rock bands like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and the Carpenters. Then a strange thing started to happen: Steve Martin's hair began turning gray! Over the next few years, Martin tailored his routine to reflect his changing looks. Almost overnight he had physically transformed himself into a short-haired conservative-looking gentleman, which was a perfect foil for his zany humor. Without question, Steve Martin's big break came in 1975, when he hosted a number of <I>Saturday Night Live</I> shows. Contrary to popular belief, Martin was never a cast member of the show; his many appearances on the show just made him <I>feel</I> like one. His exposure on that show, along with memorable appearances on <I>The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson</I> created quite a demand for his live stand-up shows. Capitalizing on this, the comedian released a comedy album in 1977. <I>Let's Get Small</I> was a phenomenal success and spawning the catchphrase, "Well, excuse me!" The following year, Martin released <I>Wild and Crazy Guy</I>, which crossed over from comedy circles to mainstream when the song "King Tut" became a hit on Top 40 radio. Although he released two more comedy albums, Martin's interest in the medium was dwindling. It was about this time that he wrote and starred in the short film, <I>The Absent-Minded Waiter</I>. The seven-minute long short actually got nominated for an Academy Award and before you could say, "Excuuuuse me," Steve Martin's movie career was born. In 1978, Martin made a cameo appearance in the film, <I>Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band</I>, and quickly followed with his first starring role in the self-penned, <I>The Jerk</I>. Martin's box office-pleasing performance led to plenty of other roles, but it wasn't until 1987's <I>Roxanne</I> that he finally started to get serious recognition for his acting ability. Throughout the years, Steve Martin was written a number of best-selling books and has contributed to numerous magazines. In addition, Martin, who is an avid modern art collector, sits on the board of trustees for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. In 2005, he pledged one million dollars over a five year period to the Huntington Library in San Marino, California to be used for the museum's art collection.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>Dread Zeppelin</title>
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<category>Comedy Rock</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 06:53:26 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<description><![CDATA[With the gracious blessing of Robert Plant and the full disgust of the Presley estate, notorious parodists Dread Zeppelin burst to national acclaim in 1990. Not satisfied with merely kicking out reggae-spiced versions of songs made famous in the '70s by Plant's former band, DZ added an Elvis imitator (the incomparable Tortelvis) to man the lead vocal mic and subsequently never looked back on its path to cult success. When the dust settled, however, many were surprised to find that this cast of loonies could actually play...and play well. DZ concerts have always been equal parts chuckle and boogie.]]></description>
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<title>Steven Wright</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:09:41 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<title>Margaret Cho</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.40211&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:25:13 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Margaret Cho</rhap:artist>
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<description><![CDATA[Margaret Cho was born to Korean immigrants in San Francisco and grew up in the colorful Haight Ashbury district of the city among ex-hippies, druggies and drag queens. It was in the comedy club above her parent's bookstore that Cho honed her comedy skills as a teenager, winning a contest where the first prize was opening for Jerry Seinfeld. Things went so well, she moved to Los Angeles in the early 1990s and went looking for work. Her big break came in a one-two punch, when Arsenio Hall booked her for his late night show about the same time Bob Hope introduced her in one of his prime-time specials. Almost immediately, Cho became a celebrity. After winning 1994's American Comedy Award for Female Comedian, Cho was approached by the networks about developing her own sitcom. Although funny, <I>All American Girl</I> didn't have a long run and was criticized for, well, everything! It was too Asian; it wasn't Asian enough; Cho was too fat ÃÂÃÂ you name it, someone had an opinion about it. At this time, Cho developed an addiction to diet pills and alcohol. She overcame both obstacles, and documented her efforts and experiences in the biting, one-woman show <I>I'm the One That I Want</I>. The play became so successful Off Broadway, she toured with it for two years, making a concert film, CD and book of the same name. In 2001, Cho released <I>Notorious C.H.O.</I>, and in 2003 a willing audience set on <I>Revolution</I>, which broke attendance records. In 2004, Cho toured once again with a show called <I>State of Emergency</I>, which saw the comedian travel to Australia and England in support of the material. The ACLU, GLAAD, American Women in Radio and Television, and the National Organization for Women have all honored Cho for her frank, often political material.
- Linda Ryan]]></description>
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<title>John Valby</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.43518&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comic Song</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:53:29 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">John Valby</rhap:artist>
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<title>Wanda Sykes</title>
<link>http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.11999276&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss</link>
<category>Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:23:39 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Wanda Sykes</rhap:artist>
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<title>Demetri Martin</title>
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<category>Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 9 Jul 2008 09:06:17 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Demetri Martin</rhap:artist>
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<title>Doug Stanhope</title>
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<category>Stand-Up Comedy</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:24:14 -0700</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.rhapsody.com/charts?cat=artist&amp;category=genre&amp;genreId=18&amp;rws=%2Fcomedyspokenword%2Fcomedy%2Fartist-chart.rss">Top Comedy Artists on Rhapsody Online</source>
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<rhap:artist xmlns:rhap="rhap">Doug Stanhope</rhap:artist>
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