Why is there only one funny female comedian in the world?

[Acker79]

For example, I don’t find a lot of humor in Def Comedy Jam, but that doesn’t mean I think the South should have won the Civil War. It means talking about black women’s weaves is just is not funny to me. It’s not my life experience. I don’t care if you pull a Clockwork Orange on my eyeballs and play Steve Harvey on an infinite loop while feeding me a heroic dose of mushrooms and tickling my feet—I’m not going to crack a smile at a man in purple double-breasted suit. I simply don’t care that white people dance like THIS.

But no one would say the reason I’m bored by most Def Jam-style comics is because I’m a racist. I’m not expected to like it. So why does it have to be misogynistic to think most women aren’t funny?
—KYRIA ABRAHAMS

That's a terrible analogy.
"women aren't funny" - declarative, implies women aren't funny simply by virtue of being women; almost invites people to challenge you so you can tell them they're wrong
"I don't find a lot of humour in comedy def jam" - not about the people, but about the product; indicates you find some humour in it; personalises it into an opinion of taste and indicates passive exchange of opinions on comedy.

It's like saying "Why, when I say 'women can't sing' am I sexist, but when I say 'I didn't enjoy Snoop Dogg's second album' no one accuses me of being racist?"

 

[T soprano]

Just thought of another women that made me laugh Kathy Burke hilarious in Harry Enfield & chums , Gimme gimme gimme and in films as well including Kevin & Perry + This years love
That's 2 women I find funny now, phew thank god for that I'm now no longer a sexist

 

[driller]

Two reasons why women are not funny:

Mel and sue.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Joan Rivers is the funniest for me, even at her age now. She cracks me up

She is the funniest female comedian I've seen.

Smack the Pony was class though.

 

[Rich Suvner]

Pulling........ Best female comedy ever made

View attachment 38067

Also very funny

There are some gems from tv, albeit Miranda excluded.

 

[Comedy Steve]

Sorry, don't buy it. I know you do stand-up and have some insight into this and probably feel obliged to stand up for your fellow comedians and I can respect this but in this case you are incorrect. I find some female character comedians funny but female stand-up? No, they just don't get how to be funny.

You still aren't getting the difference between statement and opinion. If no female stand-up comedian was funny then there'd be no female stand-up comedians. Comedy is a meritocracy and no standup that is unfunny - female, old, young, male, black, white, whatever - gets booked for paid / profile work.

I love how NSC has absolutely no truck with qualified opinions in determining fact. I watch, work, book and write on live-standup 7 days a week for 15 years. Your expertise is...?

 

[H block]

I have the same number of dvds of female comedians as i have of male comedians

Marti Caine and Joe Pasquali ?

 

[Rich Suvner]

I watch, work, book and write on live-standup 7 days a week for 15 years. Your expertise is...?

I actually take issue with people throwing these type of comments around about comedy - as I saw a very unfunny Simon Anstell do at the Corn Exchange.

As punters we all have a view. Clearly you will know lots about comedy but ultimately making people laugh is what matters, not always the hidden intricacies only important to students of the genre.

 

[Comedy Steve]

There aren't many succesful female stand ups which says as much about your industry as it does the audience. Personally I've seen a few in clubs. Very funny but often the sort of material not suited to the mainstream.

Industry = audience = industry. If the audience wanted more of them, there'd be more of them. Female comedians find it much harder to break into the industry because audiences give them a tougher time, mainly because there are still people out there who automatically assume women aren't funny.

Most live club material is not suited to the mainstream, male or female.

 

[Comedy Steve]

I actually take issue with people throwing these type of comments around about comedy - as I saw a very unfunny Simon Anstell do at the Corn Exchange.

As punters we all have a view. Clearly you will know lots about comedy but ultimately making people laugh is what matters, not always the hidden intricacies only important to students of the genre.

Like what? I've acknowledged that whether someone is funny or not is an opinion, but to say 'all xxx are not funny' is clearly grade A horseshit because you don't get to be a big touring/TV star in comedy unless you have talent that has been proven. My point was a comment on how the industry works, not telling people who don't find someone funny they're wrong to not find them funny.

"I think they're unfunny" = valid
"They're unfunny" = invalid

What did Simon Amstel do then? Have a go at the crowd for not laughing...? (I've seen him do this elsewhere)

 

[Rich Suvner]

Like what? I've acknowledged that whether someone is funny or not is an opinion, but to say 'all xxx are not funny' is clearly grade A horseshit because you don't get to be a big touring/TV star in comedy unless you have talent that has been proven. My point was a comment on how the industry works, not telling people who don't find someone funny they're wrong to not find them funny.

"I think they're unfunny" = valid
"They're unfunny" = invalid

What did Simon Amstel do then? Have a go at the crowd for not laughing...? (I've seen him do this elsewhere)

Fair enough, may have missed part of conversation.

Amstel started on guy in front row for not laughing - virtually nobody was however because his material was so lame, and ironically centred on his own celebrity and status.

The funniest thing was that the person not laughing was partially deaf and couldn't hear because the audio loop wasn't working. Amstel kept attacking him, eventually being made to look the grade A tit he is. Deaf guy walked out. Worst comedy gig ever been to.

 

[Mellotron]

I don't think it's sexist or that I have anything intrinsically wrong with me due to the fact I have barely ever laughed at a female comic.
I don't care what gender/creed/religion/tax bracket someone is, if they say something funny I will laugh.

I think that article has it spot on that women TEND (not always, TEND) to do incredibly insular sets about women problems. I can't relate to it, so am much less likely to find it funny.

 

[HovaGirl]

Joan Rivers is the funniest for me, even at her age now. She cracks me up

She looks like nothing on earth, but is a very quick-witted woman. As was Mae West.

 

[HovaGirl]

Lety me explain. The thread title already establishes there is only one funny female, this was rightly discredited so I am not asking for women you think are funny, women aren't funny, I'm asking why.

Because men like toilet humour, and women don't. One problem with some modern comediennes is they are beginning to do toilet humour themselves and it doesn't work. Women are much funnier at witty (catty) remarks made from human observation, but men don't get it, especially when those observations are about men themselves.

 

[Mellotron]

Because men like toilet humour, and women don't. One problem with some modern comediennes is they are beginning to do toilet humour themselves and it doesn't work. Women are much funnier at witty (catty) remarks made from human observation, but men don't get it, especially when those observations are about men themselves.

I think it's the opposite. Loads of women deal with toilet humour and women problems, while men's themes are generally more universal.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Sarah Silverman is a funny woman. Why can't other women manage it? Is it gender or just coincidence?

They can, you've just never seen them perform.

Here's some funny women.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

no standup that is unfunny gets booked for paid work.

Don't you disprove this idea though?

 

[JetsetJimbo]

I surprised myself by finding Nina Conti (sp?) absolutely hilarious when she was on Live at the Apollo not long ago. I really didn't think a ventriloquist would be able to amuse me much in this day and age. Perhaps it was a result of my low expectations, but I thought she was fantastic.

Also, Tina Fey's 30 Rock and Amy Poehler's Parks and Recreation prove that this whole discussion is a bit wrong-headed. Two of the best-written sitcoms I've ever seen.

 

[xenophon]

Female 'comedians', how very middle class

 

[Napper]

How many genuine funny women do you know in real life ? I know a couple that have the odd sharp witty reply but mostly women are about what they look like .