Many times, we’ve seen a star’s whole career burst into flames due to some insulting, or merely improper comment gone viral. While it’s true that being a celebrity comes with a lot of resrictions on what you should or should not say, it is also a fact that some have built their whole careers upon breaking those rules. It seems that, in the eyes -and ears- of our society, it is ok to say terrible things, as long as you’re on a stage and you obviously don’t mean it. That is why so many cynics choose to build a life from stand-up comedy; yet there is such a thing as going overboard in stand-up comedy. It is escencial that you do not lose your temper, or you could get in very big trouble.

Nevertheless, if you have the ability to keep your demons at bay, you can say some REALLY improper stuff and get away with it and make lots of money. And we all know who holds the gold for that. Louis CK opened his 2017 Netflix show by saying: “I think you should not get an abortion… Unless you need one. In which case, you’d better get one! I mean, seriously. If you need an abortion, you’d better get one. Don’t fuck around. And hurry!” He then goes on to compare having an abortion and taking a crap. For that, he got paid the ridiculous sum of… You’ll find out. So yeah, it’s all about keeping your cool and knowing your audience.

There are many kinds of stand-up comedians: you have those who make witty remarks and observations about everyday life, others who just bring out the worst in everything and everyone, some use puppets, some sing, some tell jokes; there’s a comedian for everyone. So check out our 15 Highest Paid Comedians in the World list and find out what your kind of comedy is!