We are living in the midst of a comedy renaissance; Social media has transformed the comedy scene and made stand-up comedy accessible to virtually everyone, from podcasts and crowd-work clips to specials and live-shows. Finding your favorite comedian that you can rely on for a laugh is an essential escape from the absurdity of our world. As sad as it is, at times all we can do is laugh about it. But beyond the smart social commentary and thought provoking material some stand-up provides, there is also plenty of raunchy, vulgar and kinda stupid humor to enjoy as well. All content serves its purpose and everyone knows farts are funny. Here’s VALLEY’s intro to stand-up for anyone looking for a laugh.

Disclaimer: Comedians are known to dance the line between what is offensive and socially acceptable to say. Some comedians’ comedy may not be for you and that’s okay!! The point is to find someone whose content makes you think and laugh, not piss you off.
We’ve categorized these stand-up comedians based on general vibe and the common themes of their content but we recommend looking into all of them!
Relatable Women Who Don’t GAF
- Nikki Glaser (VALLEY interviewed her for the Spring 2023 print article “The Fine line of a Punchline.” Read the article here!)
- Whitney Cummings
- Hannah Berner
- Chelsea Handler
- Ali Wong
- Amy Shumer
- Jenny Slate
Awkward, Fun and Sometimes Gross
- Jordan Jenson
- Ian Fidance
- Robby Hoffman
- Jessica Kirson
- Atsuko Okatsuka
- Theo Von
Men That Are Dirty Yet Witty
- Sam Morrill
- Mark Normand
- Andrew Santino
- Stavros Halkias
- Shane Gillis
- Chris Distefano
- Bobby Lee
P.S. There are so many more stand-ups out there then the list below for you to discover, these are just some of VALLEY’s favs!

Stand-Up Here at PSU
Beyond the celebrities we know and love there is also a stand-comedy scene right here in State College! Blue Brick Theatre: Home of Happy Valley Improv showcases local stand-up comedians and open mic nights on Fridays from 6:30-9:00 p.m. and is located at 209 W Calder Way. Wise Crackers Comedy Club hosts touring stand-up comedians on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 8 p.m. and is located at 112 W College Ave.

TV Over Stand-Up
If stand-up comedy isn’t your thing but you still enjoy comedies, here’s VALLEY’s must-watch list of a mix of recently released and classic TV shows for when you need a laugh (warning: Some of these will also make you cry).
- Saturday Night Live (duh)
- Shrinking
- The Sex Lives of College Girls
- GIRLS
- Insecure
- Broad City
- Curb Your Enthusiasm
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Abbot Elementary
- Jury Duty
- PEN15
Let VALLEY know your personal favorite stand-up comedians or comedy shows @VALLEYmag on all socials!
Related
Opinion: How A Comedy Special Changed My Perspective on Love
Looking for a Laugh? Try These Netflix Comedy Specials
The Power of Female Comedy

Everything is very open and very clear explanation of issues. was truly information. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
What i do not realize is in truth how you’re now not actually a lot more neatly-preferred than you might be right now. You’re very intelligent. You recognize therefore significantly in relation to this matter, produced me for my part consider it from numerous various angles. Its like men and women don’t seem to be fascinated except it’s something to accomplish with Girl gaga! Your personal stuffs great. At all times care for it up!
I do agree with all of the concepts you have offered on your post. They’re very convincing and can certainly work. Still, the posts are very brief for novices. May you please lengthen them a little from next time? Thanks for the post.
Hi there just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your post seem to be running off the screen in Chrome. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I thought I’d post to let you know. The style and design look great though! Hope you get the problem solved soon. Many thanks
hi!,I like your writing very much! percentage we keep up a correspondence extra about your post on AOL? I require a specialist on this house to resolve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Taking a look ahead to peer you.
It is truly a nice and helpful piece of information. I am satisfied that you shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thanks for sharing.
After study a few of the blog posts on your website now, and I truly like your way of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Pls check out my web site as well and let me know what you think.
Well I definitely liked studying it. This tip procured by you is very constructive for proper planning.
Howdy! I simply would like to give a huge thumbs up for the good data you’ve here on this post. I will probably be coming back to your weblog for more soon.
Useful information. Lucky me I found your website accidentally, and I’m surprised why this accident didn’t came about earlier! I bookmarked it.