Getting serious about comedy but I don't care.

Lucy Lambourne

There seems to be a common consensus on this forum that women aren't funny. I've also noticed that when people are talking about female comediens they usually have to bring their appearance into the equation. So you talk about Sarah Silverman being kinda hot, or Jo Brand being fat. In fact one of the criticisms I heard about Jo Brand on this forum is that she talks about tampons. ie, a common complaint being that female comediens aren't funny because they talk about "womens issues"...sigh...I don't even know where to start. Put it this way...most male comediens will have at some stage made a joke about "male issues", be it premature ejaculation, erections, porn, or even just dating women, but you never see an internet forum littered with sexist comments directed towards men for talking about these things...these "male issues"...funny is funny whether or not the issue is a male or female one so why do you have to discriminate between the two?

Another thing is that it seems to be completely accepted that women just aren't naturally funny. That is a complete lie. Not all women are funny, the same way not all men funny. You can write me a list of women who aren't funny and I can probably write one just as long of men who aren't funny. There is a higher standard of male comediens...this has nothing to do with womens natural or unnatural ability to be funny...it is because there are MORE male comediens. And the reason there are more male comediens is because the business is seen as an old boys club, and attitudes towards women such as those on this forum prevent women who could be really great from being brave enough to put themselves out there and defy your expectations. It is simply because of people like some of you, that there are not female comediens selling out arenas.

And lastly...why does it matter whether Sarah Silverman is hot or Jo Brand is fat? This is yet another reason why women don't attempt more comedy, they are constantly judged on their appearance. And it doesn't matter if they are good looking or not. If they are too pretty they are f**cked! If they are too ugly they are f**cked too.

They say that there is a direct link between a high iq and the ability to understand humour. If thats the case then i'd class alot of posters on this forum as pretty thick. And as for the person who commented on Jo Brands tampon joke...if you can't see the humour in having a wad of cotton wool stuck up your vagina then there's something wrong with you.

KamiKazi

So, its your time of the month then?

Tchocky

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

They say that there is a direct link between a high iq and the ability to understand humour.

Huh?

Lucy Lambourne

Wow...two unfunny responses...and from MEN! The world is going mad!

KamiKazi

I don't see how you could tell for sure that we are both men?

Are you sure it isn't your time of the month?

Professey Chin

I really dont see what your point is.
I simply just dont think there are many funny women comedians. This is nothing to do with hot,fat or anything to do with their appearence.
Im goin through as many as I can in my head and the only funny one I can think of is Nina Conti (and thats mainly because of munk too ).
And womens issues dont have anything to do with it either, the tampon one is a little funny but thats also a single joke awash in a sea of rabble.
Actualy scratch that, womens issues are a big part since thats all a lot of them rely on and it gets stale. Most spend so much time talkin bout their periods, pregnancy, relationships from their side of it that in the end theyre all just repeating each other. The best male comedians make jokes about everything and anything and this makes them successful and funny. My opinion anyway

Lucy Lambourne

Assuming you were men was a joke, self-referencing the original post about assumptions and sterotypes etc etc...
...wow...I was wrong women really aren't funny after all...

Lucy Lambourne

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

I really dont see what your point is.

That much is obvious

albert-bundy

serious how can you not think women are funny ..........like most of them are married to men and still hope for an orgasm

Bottle_of_Smoke

Silverman is actually very hot though, and that'd be commented on no matter what her profession. Russell Brand always gets commented about his looks. Think you're making a meal out of that one to be honest.

I've heard women comment on dylan moran being hot and gone on about some english comedian being ugly/fat.

What I do find annoying is people accepting that women are naturally unfunny. Its ridiculous for stand up which is entirely scripted. However I really think female comedians should be using this to their advantage, if they're good its easier for them to stand out.

Professey Chin

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

That much is obvious

Fancy elaborating further?
I made my point that a lot of women arnt classed as good comedians because they repeat the same stuff the whole time regurgitating each others material about women issues. If a female comedian can develop their own style or unique opinions about anything (example Nina Conti again) then theyll be taken more seriously and gain more plaudits.
As stated in another post, most of them do make jokes about being married but no orgasm. That gets old fast and gets old faster when theyre all making that same joke

EDIT: Just to add, males are guilty of the same thing eg Brendan Grace talkin bout his mother-in-law.Jesus Christ.....(I know hes not alone in doing that but its a good example)

Professey Chin

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

I've heard women comment on dylan moran being hot and gone on about Johnny Vegas being ugly/fat.

There you go :pac:

Lucy Lambourne

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

There you go :pac:

The Dylan Moran/Johnny Vegas comment is very true but people rarely use their looks as their most definable quality

Also you kinda answered your own question there. If a woman is repeating the same jokes as other fellow women comediens then she is a bad comedien. The same is true of male comediens though, as you rightly pointed out.

The basic premise of my argument is the assumption that women aren't naturally funny which alot of people aren't getting except for Bottle of Smoke

elshambo

Women CONSTANTY go on about the looks of their favourite actors/footballers/singers and yes comedians, hear a women speak about that russell bloke off mok the week without mentioning his looks

"all men are the same!, they dont treat women as individuals":o
BLAH BLAH BLAG

Yer 52% of the population and 80% of all media is aimed at ye
if you dont like it, change it!

its like the constant complaint about no good parts for female actors
Well WRITE them!

Your argument would probably have been helped if you had used humour in your replies (or did you?:eek:)

"They say that there is a direct link between a high iq and the ability to understand humour"
Who says that? IQ isnt even a correct measure of intelligence never mind humour

"good evening ive an IQ of 178, pull my finger!":eek:

BTW I think periods are hilarious

ps. If a man wrote your original post and swapped around the male and female parts you would probably call him a sexist:o:eek:

pps. all those adverts/films/tv shows where the women is always smart and the man is always stupid are written like that by a man to sell you a product

Lucy Lambourne

"all men are the same!, they dont treat women as individuals"
BLAH BLAH BLAG

I was refering to posters on this forum, not all men everywhere in all time and space. YOU are the one making that generalization.

Your argument would probably have been helped if you had used humour in your replies

I never said I was funny. I'm not a comedien.

If a man wrote your original post and swapped around the male and female parts you would probably call him a sexist

If a man wrote that post it would be meaningless. That would be like a woman complaining that her dick hurt. It's completely void.

all those adverts/films/tv shows where the women is always smart and the man is always stupid are written like that by a man to sell you a product

This is relevent to stand-up comedy because.........?

elshambo

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

I was refering to posters on this forum, not all men everywhere in all time and space. YOU are the one making that generalization.

Based an their sex and a sentence, classy!
The generalization i made was for your benefit, you jumped in, it was a summation of your post, you may not know it as such but it is!

You didnt pull me on the women liking male actors for their looks bit but you pull others on their commenting on female comedians looks?
Strange!
So its ok for a women to admit liking an actor/football/singer for his looks but comedy and espically women in comedy are to be viewed differently?


If a women is funny enough she will make it and sometimes even if she isnt.
Miss Jocelean show on BBC2? shocking!!!
Not commisioned in a million years if a man makes it!

Look at silverman, if she was a he, she would NEVER have gotten as far as she did!

Her WHOLE act is im a woman speaking like a male builder
"i cant belive SHE said that" thats here stick!

ps. Men really like funny women! the mag's that tell women that men dont like a funny women are bought by/aimed at unfunny women!

really like funny women!

RobbieBonham

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

the reason there are more male comediens is because the business is seen as an old boys club,

This 'business' is run mainly by women.

Lucy Lambourne

I didn't make that point very well. In terms of promoters, event organisers etc etc yes it is mainly run by women. I meant in much broader terms, perhaps business was the wrong term...I meant more along the lines of stand-up is something that men do, not in terms of how the industry is run.

I still don't understand why no-one is actually picking up on my overall point. It seems fairly obvious.

I simply don't think it's fair that people who use this forum and who are supposed to know a thing or two about about comedy say such ridiculous things as "Women just aren't funny" and berate female comedians for talking about female issues when men do it constantly. I don't enjoy a male comedian any less if he talks about something male-specific. I honestly don't see the problem.

Galvasean

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

I simply don't think it's fair that people who use this forum and who are supposed to know a thing or two about about comedy say such ridiculous things

Who says the forum users have to know much about comedy?

The whole 'women cant be funny' angle is just a bad old stereotype really.

Lucy Lambourne

Well I'm assuming that just by virtue of the fact that they are using this forum that they like stand-up and therefore have an interest in it. Maybe I'm assuming falsely.

krudler

I dont find women comedians funny at all tbh, there are some great female comedy actresses no doubt, Jane Lynch being a class example, the women has incredible comic timing :http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0528331/ but standup shows from female comedians in general tend to revolve around these topics:

periods
babies
being fat
men being idiots
shopping

Take any female comedian and at least 3 of those topics will crop up, in Deirdre O'Kanes case all of them, repeatedly.

pickarooney

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

Another thing is that it seems to be completely accepted that women just aren't naturally funny. That is a complete lie. Not all women are funny, the same way not all men funny. You can write me a list of women who aren't funny and I can probably write one just as long of men who aren't funny. There is a higher standard of male comediens...this has nothing to do with womens natural or unnatural ability to be funny...it is because there are MORE male comediens. And the reason there are more male comediens is because the business is seen as an old boys club, and attitudes towards women such as those on this forum prevent women who could be really great from being brave enough to put themselves out there and defy your expectations. It is simply because of people like some of you, that there are not female comediens selling out arenas.

You need a serious brass neck to get up in front of a crowd and make them laugh. If you're put off by a few comments you will never make it in the stand-up game. If every 'fat bastard' ran, cowering, into the wings at the first sound of a heckle there wouldn't be many left plying the trade.

Galvasean

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

Well I'm assuming that just by virtue of the fact that they are using this forum that they like stand-up and therefore have an interest in it. Maybe I'm assuming falsely.

Ah thats the thing just because people have a passing interest in something doesn't mean they know what they're talking about unfortunately. Half the posters just come here to complain (far and away the most popular thread here is the comedians taht suck thread).

Lucy Lambourne

krudler wrote: »

periods
babies
being fat
men being idiots
shopping

Take any female comedian and at least 3 of those topics will crop up, in Deirdre O'Kanes case all of them, repeatedly.

How often does Ellen DeGeneres talk about these things? And Deirdre O'Kane is an awful, awful comedien. She could talk about anything and it wouldn't be funny. Do I assume that all male comediens are racist, homophobes based on Roy Chubby Brown? Of course not.

grames_bond

krudler wrote: »

periods
babies
being fat
men being idiots
shopping

Take any female comedian and at least 3 of those topics will crop up, in Deirdre O'Kanes case all of them, repeatedly.

wanda sykes
paula bell
shappi korsandi
nina conti

heres 4 very very funny female comedians who dont use these topics. they dispell this stupid "women arent funny" myth...but to be honest i have mentioned these comedians a number of times on these threads and they have falen on deaf ears! i can still try again though!

houseoffun

I'd like to add Sarah Millican to the list. She is quality

Lucy Lambourne

She's not to everybody's taste but theres not a mention of periods, babies, fat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwqPeVkiDR4

Suaimhneach

I really like comedy, and I cant think of one funny female comedian. I think its a sad fact that either women arent good at comedy, or that there arent enough female comedians. I wouldnt waste my time arguing on this forum over it though.

Gonna check out Nina Conti now. Oh, she is funny. And Durty.

RobbieBonham

I think the precentage of female comedians who are funny is no different to the percentage of male comedians who are funny. There's just less women doing it. It's like getting annoyed 'cos there are less female alcoholics... lol

Rented Mule

Lucy Lambourne wrote: »

She's not to everybody's taste but theres not a mention of periods, babies, fat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwqPeVkiDR4

I am really trying to figure out what is so funny in that video. The audience are acting like it's the funniest thing that they have ever heard and it's just not translating in the video.