Doug Stanhope Essentials

With his riffs on abortion, school shootings and suicide, New England native Doug Stanhope's work is much more than just “cringe comedy.” His nihilistic worldview is an antidote to the corny observational jokes of the older generation, while his haven't-slept-in-a-week appearance is the antithesis of the slick sitcom-hungry comic. He makes nihilism funny. Who else can confront life's bleakest scenes and make it okay to laugh? He may be a cynical libertarian, but the bits on this playlist are proof of his heart.