I think stand-up comedy is just about the hardest and bravest thing humans have ever attempted. Most attempts suck, but a live performance that connects can be an epiphany. Women can be as good as men, but their problem is the profanity barrier. Swearing is essential to standup, and we all assume men swear by nature.A woman comic has to convince us.

That's why Sarah Silverman wins hands down. She projects innocent naivete, then transcends the limits on foul-mouthedness by pretending to trip over them. Or just heads directly for the raunch: Her duet "I'm fucking Matt Damon" had me in tears. I'm so in love with her, I imagined my chances had improved when she broke up with that Kimmel guy.  

I thought "I'm fucking Matt Damon" was hilarious too, and I loved the Great Schlep. But generally, I find Sarah Silverman a little too vulgar, which I know is going to seem inconsistent when I tell you that Margaret Cho is my fave. Yes, she's vulgar too--shockingly so. But her vulgarity has a point whereas Silverman just seems to do it for the shock value.

Warning: explicit sexual content in the video. Definitely rated R.

Haven't seen enough to rank them; in fact, many of them I've been advised not to see. But The Mask worked as a showcase of Carrey's talents. The storyline imposed almost no limits, so Carrey could bounce off as many walls as he liked without disrupting things. Didn't he also play The Riddler in one of the Batmans? Batmen? That qualifies as a comedic role.

He's one of those comic actors who can't help but overfill the screen -- like Robin Williams, Steve Martin. When they crank it way back for a serious role, it can be a revelation -- Jackie Gleason in The Hustler, Jerry Lewis in The King of Comedy. I'd love to see Carrey in the serious role he was born to play -- whatever that is.

Man On The Moon. 

Win.

Waterboard.

I've only seen it enough to be puzzled by its appeal. $825,000 an episode sounds over-priced, even if I liked the show.

I don't get Stern, but of the others Jay Leno is the host with the least edge, which is a key late-night-host attribute. The edginess of the others increases in the precise order you list them here. From what I've seen of his past work, Stern might be edgiest of all; maybe too edgy. But Leno is just too lame to watch.

I can proudly say I've never gone to see a Christmas comedy. Never will.

What, you left off Seinfeld? Mary Tyler Moore? Hell, the Honeymooners?

OK: The Simpsons (in its heyday), Friends, Cheers, Frasier (annoying though it could be), MASH, Happy Days (pre-shark) ... and now I'm losing interest in the question. I know I watched Murphy Brown when it was on, though I recall little memorable from it except the Dan Quayle dust-up, and I actually went to see the South Park movie.

But there were some really great shows that may or may not have made the 10-year theshold; Larry Sanders (truly ground-breaking), Family Guy (censor-defying), Arrested Development, Moonlighting, Mork and Mindy, Third Rock From the Sun, Futurama, that cop-precinct show with Abe Vigoda, Dharma and Greg (OK, maybe great is not the right word -- but shows with some kind of spark of originality).

And who can leave Fawlty Towers off their list -- 13 perfect gleaming gems, before which all sitcom writers bow? 

Uh, The Office? Also Arrested Development. And I agree again with acanuk about Fawlty Towers, but maybe you're not counting the British ones. Because if you were, Coupling would also be on the list (the BBC version, not the sad, sad, American counterpart). From your list, MASH, Friends, and Murphy Brown. I loved South Park when it first came on, but then I lost interest. I'm sure it's still funny though. Also, Wings, Just Shoot Me, News Radio, and Roseanne.

The '70s were the gold standard: John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin and Gilda Radner. (A good friend won an Emmy writing for these people.) The '80s had Canadians Martin Short and Mike Myers, not to mention Dana Carvey, Al Franken and the late, great Phil Hartman. Midway through the '90s, I sorta lost interest, though in this decade Tina Fey has come close to luring me back. Narrowing it down to one a decade: Belushi, Myers, Hartman and Fey.

Dennis Miller, much as I mourn his later descent into dementia, remains the classic News Update anchor in my mind; Kevin Nealon was also great. Perhaps my all-time favorite skit was the Aykroyd-Curtin point-counterpoint parody in which Aykroyd begins his argument: "Jane, you ignorant slut ... ."

Now that I think about, thank you, Lorne Michaels,

I.m not saying this post hasn't been fun, Deadman. But Genghis wins, if only for the New Year's Resolution Generator.

Beverly Hills Cop is the best of the bunch, though Men in Black is also good fun. Forrest Gump was worth watching once, but its appeal hasn't held up. Back to the Future was well crafted and had its funny moments, and Austin Powers delivered on the stupid silliness it promised. Mrs. Doubtfire worked, but as drama more than as comedy. The others I didn't see, so I can't say which is worst. I gather from others it's a tossup between Meet the Fockers and Bruce Almighty. I'd give the edge to the Fockers, simply for the inane title.