When stand-up comedians talk about other comedians, they speak with reverence of "the four". This select group is considered almost inviolable. There is some dispute over order of brilliance and innovation, but little dispute over who "the four" are, and virtually no dispute over who ranks number one.

The stand-up comedians other stand-up comedians consider the greatest are:

1) Richard Pryor

3) George Carlin

4) Robin Williams

Many think Lenny Bruce belongs in this select group, and Eddie Murphy, so it's sometimes the group of five or six, but few dispute the four.

Richard Prior changed comedy forever with his trenchant, heartbreaking, revealing glimpses into an underworld of ho's and pimps and winos and convicts and a whorehouse-born life most of us will never know.

Jonathan Winters could pick up a stick or a rock and do a ten minute riff on it, and his acolyte, Robin Williams, could do it even better.

George Carlin took political and social satire to heights his mentor, Mort Sahl, could never attain; heights nobody has really matched since.

For what it's worth, here are my Top Ten, chosen for unprecedented innovation and brilliance, and a couple of honourable mentions:

1) Richard Pryor

2) Jonathan Winters

3) Robin Williams

4) George Carlin

5) Eddie Murphy

6) Lenny Bruce

7) Rodney Dangerfield

8) Don Rickles

9) Jackie Mason

10) Mort Sahl

Honourable Mentions: W. C. Fields and John Cleese, who, had they ever done stand-up, would probably top the list.

You will note there are no women in this list.

The feminist Camille Paglia once made a very perceptive observation: "There are no great women painters for the same reason there are no female Jack the Rippers", and I suspect this dictum applies also to composers and comedians.

Who do you think the Greatest Comedians Ever?