Women aren't funny...

[Scouse]

Except in possibly a few exceptional circumstances.

I think maybe Joe Brand, now she's got over her rampant feminism, is a passable comedienne. Philomena Cunk makes me smile - but not laugh my ass off.

In general, however, women just aren't as funny as men. They simply don't do standup half as well as their male counterparts.

Which makes this artificial women-aid kind of annoying to me.

I can see no reason why there shouldn't be quotas on question time or the news and things where female voices need and deserve to be heard for balance. But on stuff like comedy shows it should be on merit alone. And they just ain't funny enough.

Yay, or massively sexist nay?

 

[soze]

Typical positive discrimination bollocks. What's next will you have to have disabled panellists on every show too. The best people for the part should be one the show regardless of sex race colour ect.

 

[old.Tohtori]

"We're not going to have panel shows on any more with no women on them," ...that part is fine, cool, brings diversion etc etc.

"You can't do that. It's not acceptable."...bullcrap.

There's good female comics, but they are rarer due to there being a lot more male comics. Would need to look at the % of good comedy vs bad comedy in both genders, but at the end of the day it comes down to a bottom line;

Is the comic funny? No need to bring race, gender, sex, age, or haircolor into it.

 

[Scouse]

There's good female comics, but they are rarer due to women not being as funny as men

Fixed.


It's hobbling our comedy shows because of misplaced political correctness.

 

[Mabs]

what bothers me is the implication that they have to have one EVERY TIME, QI has had women on it before, if they have to find someone, even an unfunny random pleb cos all the "good" ones are booked when they want to film it.. yea-no

 

[soze]

The only way it will work is if they sack one of the permanent male panellists and hire a woman in his place. Not necessarily because she is funnier but because she has a vagina sounds fair.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Fixed.

No it's not, now that's sexist.

 

[Scouse]

No it's not, now that's sexist.

Why is it sexist if it's true?

"Women aren't as funny as men". I'm quoting my g/f and most women I know there - and I agree with them.


If they were, then they'd make successful comedians. But they're not, and they don't. They simply do not make us laugh as much as the men do.

 

[old.Tohtori]

Because you're basing it on them being women. That's sexist.

Are there funny female comedians? Yes.
Are there more funny male comedians? Matter of taste, but we can say yes.

That's it, be it because of the difference in amount of male/female comedians, or because males usually go to comedy more, or whatever the reason.

Comedian is funny if comedian is, humor is not a racial, or a gender trait.

 

[Olgaline]

Fixed.

Just because you don't find it funny, dosent mean it isnt.
I'd say Tina Fay, Kristen Wiig, Silverman, Kate McKinnon, Samantha Bee, are off the top of my head great examples of a very funny female comedian.

 

[Gwadien]

Your mum giggled

 

[Job]

Lisa Lampanelli...youtube her..watch first result...shes like a love child of Bernand Manning and Jim Davidson...never seen a comedien be so upfront.

 

[Job]

Here we go..roasting Trump...NSFW


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHWH_Huc09w

 

[Raven]

One of the banks, cant remember which one...said they wanted a set percentage of women working there...rather than people of either sex that are best qualified for the job.

 

[Nate]

Just add a seat for some random member of the audience to sit on the edge of the screen that is a woman to show how fucking stupid this is.

 

[MYstIC G]

Typical positive discrimination bollocks. What's next will you have to have disabled panellists on every show too. The best people for the part should be one the show regardless of sex race colour ect.

Meh, just hope someone uses the reverse logic to get Loose Women taken off air.

 

[Scouse]

humor is not a racial, or a gender trait.

Disagree.

I doubt it's genetic, but it's certainly cultural. More men than women go into standup because, for whatever reason, men are funnier.

Women, on the other hand, are more dextrous than men. That's a genetic thing.

Can we not even talk about differences in the sexes any more without being accused of being sexist? That's completely ridiculous.

I'd say Tina Fay, Kristen Wiig, Silverman, Kate McKinnon, Samantha Bee, are off the top of my head great examples of a very funny female comedian.

I'm not saying women can't be funny. There's simply a lot more men out there who are. Requiring an artificial quota to have women on panel shows is bullshit.

If they're funny enough to make it on - on merit, rather than ownership of a vagina - then they're funny enough.

The reason there aren't many female comedians on these shows is that they often don't merit it on the arbritary scale of "funnyness". Not because it's a clique of men.

Mock The Week and QI are stronger programs if the people on them are funny - and weaker if they're not. I don't give a fuck if they're male or female - they just have to make the audience laugh - and if they do that well enough then they'll get on, if they don't they won't.

 

[Scouse]

One of the banks, cant remember which one...said they wanted a set percentage of women working there...rather than people of either sex that are best qualified for the job.

I don't necessarily disagree with top-level representation of women being set in industry. I think there is a need for representation - which is why I wouldn't mind the quota on Newsnight or Question Time or the like.

However, this is about comedy shows - art - not politics or "work" life...

 

[Olgaline]

Because you're basing it on them being women. That's sexist.

Are there funny female comedians? Yes.
Are there more funny male comedians? Matter of taste, but we can say yes.

That's it, be it because of the difference in amount of male/female comedians, or because males usually go to comedy more, or whatever the reason.

Comedian is funny if comedian is, humor is not a racial, or a gender trait.

I think some of it is down to cultural/historical taboo. Men thus have some degree of a headstart on women in comedy, I have no dout that we will see
greater balance in the future.

Scouse, walk away while you still can.

 

[Damini]

Stand up is a strange creature - audience confidence plays a massive part into how funny the performer is perceived. If you believe they will be funny you'll be more relaxed, more open to laughing. Because of the belief that men are funnier than women, women comediennes are already on a back foot before they even start. I believe this is part of the reason that a lot of women comediennes that do well are very safe, (*cough* boring*) as the experimental darker material isn't given space to flourish. Female comediennes are also seen as a novelty act, a spacer on a line up (one woman? Tokenistic filler. Two women? It's an menstruation themed night!) which is another reason women struggle to get as much experience on the circuit. Stand up is a natural humour, honed by experience.

That said, you shouldn't just be given a spot on a show because you're a woman. A lot of the time when they do have women on these shows, they're awful *safe* bets, and it makes me want to throw my ovaries at the telly in frustration. I'd hate to see women on there crashing and burning, as it would make it harder, not easier for women in the long run imo.

P.S. I'm funny, and I have a fanny. And two boobs. One boob, if I'm wearing a particularly tight dress.

 

[Olgaline]

That said, you shouldn't just be given a spot on a show because you're a woman. A

I couldnt agree more! People should be picked on merrit & skill fullstop!
Sex, religious belief, skin colour, handicap, etc etc etc..it's rediculous!

 

[Bigmac]

Mock the Week stopped being funny ever since Frankie Boyle left the show.

 

[Mabs]

Mock the Week stopped being funny ever since Frankie Boyle left the show.

it was ever funny ? i must of missed that meeting

 

[Scouse]

Don't particularly disagree with anything you said there @Damini. I go to a reasonable amount of standup (used to go to a lot but much less nowadays) and yep, I've seen a fair amount of female comedians that have made me shit myself with laughter, but a lot that really haven't.

I don't know the reasons for it - if female performers are sort of "culturally inhibited" like you say then perhaps an artificial quota is actually the correct way to help remove that stigma?

But surely it'll backfire unless performers who are selected are great - otherwise it would reinforce, rather than remove the barriers wouldn't it?

the experimental darker material isn't given space to flourish

On telly, yep. I agree with that. Which is a great shame. I think TV has retreated somewhat from proper "alternative" comedy. It's too damn mainstream most of the time.

 

[Aoami]

I can't think of many great female stand ups. But there are and have been plenty of great female comic actors and writers. Just because they don't do the shit panel show circuit doesn't mean they aren't there.

 

[Damini]

On telly, definitely, but on the circuit the pressures are different for women than men (for the reasons above) and that plays out more noticeably with alternative female comediennes. You'll notice a lot of safer female comics will get the sandwich act, to warm up for the main, or they'll get the compère role because they aren't too challenging and they build a warm rapport. Women don't tend to get the first spot, as that's when audience confidence is low. The edgier female comics don't always get the time to develop their act because the faith that the pay off will be there isn't as high.

Maybe I'm just coming at this from the perspective of an ex-stand up comic with a non fluffy routine though. My material was well received, don't get me wrong, so this isn't bitterness - I gave up because I didn't enjoy the stage fright. I'm just saying the way it looked to me from the inside.

 

[soze]

I don't know if the reason I prefer blokes doing stand up is sexiest but I prefer edgy comedy but I really hate Women swearing. So I honestly think if the guy stood up and did a Sarah Silverman set I "might" find it funnier. I think that is sexist but I don't meant to be.

 

[Embattle]

I don't like discrimination but I don't like positive discrimination either.

 

[Tom]

Women, on the other hand, are more dextrous than men. That's a genetic thing.

Rubbish, women take ages to pack and pay for food at the supermarket checkout.

1) Get knitted yoghurt bag for life bags out of handbag
2) Pack food
3) Forgot some food, run to an aisle to get something
4) Run back, continue packing
5) Oh that's all the food through, time to bring the coupons out
6) Watch the person on the till do the coupons (while food is still not packed)
7) Search for purse in handbag to pay (food still not packed)
8) Find cards, do points card first
9) Pay with credit card
10) Study receipts (food still not packed)
11) Put card in purse and purse in bag
12) Put bag in trolley
13) Finish packing
14) Realise trolley is facing wrong way, block path for everyone
15) Take fucking ages to walk out of the door

And then I go through:

1) Chuck shit in bags as fast as possible
2) Tell person on till for the 95 millionth time I don't have a points card
3) Put card in machine, enter pin
4) Finish putting shit in bags, get card out
5) Grab receipt, stuff in pocket, walk out

 

[Edmond]

All this whilst pouring a bowl of double cream over your head?