109 Innovations in Comedy Edit
A Tribute to Rudy Ray Moore

Comedy has come a long way during the 81 years that Rudy Ray Moore was on the planet. We’ve gone from hearing pimp humor to bathroom humor to redneck humor to satire.

Unlike Rudy Ray Moore, who never quite reached the mainstream in terms of comedy, many other comedians have crossed over into other realms of the entertainment business. Jerry Seinfeld is a notable example, with credits as a sitcom television and movie actor, writer, adman, and director. Others, like Mitch Hedburg, remained their cult fans’ obsessions after their death.

Comedic influences have similarly bled from stage into other aspects of popular culture. Rudy Ray Moore is credited with influencing rappers and the rap culture, while fellow comedian Demetri Martin has begun an entire underground art movement based on one of his sketches.

There are also numerous parodies and examples of satire that are influenced by the humor comedians share onstage, like Conan O’Brien’s spoof of Grand Theft Auto for yuppies and the numerous commercials that employ humor. While Rudy Ray Moore’s raunchy comedic style prevented him from entering the mainstream, check out some of the innovations in modern comedy he’s helped to inspire below.