Tough one, really tough one.
I think people are forgetting the question. It's not who's the best (or rather the worst of the group), it's who's gotta go....meaning all their works gotta go.
To me, the easiest one to keep is Eddie. He's has classic standups in
Delirious and
Raw, plus a host of classic movies. Anybody picking Eddie, are y'all really ok losing
Coming to America???
Next easiest is Dave Chappelle. Chappelle Show alone makes him un-throw-out-able. Plus he has great standups as well.
Then we have Chris Rock. I don't know what y'all are on, but Chris Rock is a
GREAT standup comedian. He has multiple certified classics under his belts. His movies are trash, for for the most part. I think
Top 5 is the only starring role of his that I wouldn't want to throw out, but he's great in supporting roles (shout out to Pookie). Plus we can't forget about
Everybody hates Chris.
That leaves Pryor. I have the utmost respect for him and his position in the legacy of black comedians, but how many of his works would I really miss?
Harlem Nights for sure, but that's probably it. I didn't like
Blazing Saddles and can't think of another movie I couldn't live without. His standups are great, for sure, but I didn't grow up listening to Richard Pryor records like the generation before me did, I'm mostly limited to YouTube clips. Given the majority of this site is around the same age as me or younger, I'm convinced most people here are keeping Pryor out of respect and because of his influence on the other 3. To me the influence doesn't hold water. While it's true, most comedians are most influenced by their experiences more than an idol, so I have no reason to believe the other three would be significantly less funny without Pryor's influence. Plus that drop off is impossible to quantify so it really shouldn't be used here. Sorry Pryor, ya gotta go.
With all that said, I agree with the sentiment that Pryor doesn't belong in this group. Martin would've been a better choice, but if they wanted an older cat, Keenan Ivory Wayans. Keenan would've likely been thrown in the bushes by most, but if you really sit and think about his contributions it really becomes a hard throw to make.
