Oh the dilemma of being a genius who's too lazy to collect her complex thoughts and place them in a far reaching medium in a generally understood way. Add to that a heaping lack of self esteem (yes I get the irony) and you've got me. I would write something complex about Germaine Greer's recent claim that women just aren't as funny as men, but I won't. Or maybe by the end of this post there will be enough words involved to make it seem complex. At this point I don't know.
This is coming from the woman who's couple of minutes in Extras was about the funniest thing in the whole series, apart from Kate Winslet's appearance, which might say something about what I think of the idea she espouses (I believe that's the first time I've ever used that word in a blog, come to think of it, amazing, it's so the sort of word I'd use) that women aren't as.. etc etc etc.
The article has some points, though of course the overall point is bullshit. Ms Greer poo poos the idea that misogyny is the reason that there are less female comedians overall, which is rather ridiculous coming from someone who knows something about this "feminism" jazz. Pretty much anyone with a cursory understanding can realize that it is the reason, and it's pervasive enough to explain the disparity. She thinks it isn't that because women think men are funnier too, such a simplistic idea that it makes me wonder what she's been doing all these years. That women in a patriarchal society, which tells us that men are smarter, stronger, funnier, more important etc.. think what we've been think, same as the men in the same society do.. does not mean that society isn't that way. I hope that comes out the way I undestand it to mean.. I am rambling here, but anyone who's familiar with feminism 101, as we would expect Greer to be, should get it, even if I didn't say it very well.
I think there are a lot of reasons that fewer women go into comedy, or stay in comedy, or indeed are a success in comedy, including things like being more likely to be judged harshly for being a woman, and then having her "failure" seen to represent women comediens as a whole, not suggesting that everyone doesn't have a hard time in comedy, but it gets taken up a notch if you're a women, I reckon. And I'm not gonna provide reasons for it now, I'm just gonna reckon, I'd say more if it were the complex version, but this is a ramble.
There are some not completely bullshit points there, about the different ways men and women (stereotypically) interact, and why it makes men (seem to be to our society) funnier than women. There is some truth in it, but even then it's buying into the idea that a particular male centred form of comedy that men (seem to) prefer is the same as "comedy". It's all about stand up comedy and jokes with a punchline, and I like to think there's more to the world of hilarity than that shit. Of course, throwing this aburd claim into her article doesn't help her argument:
Women famously cannot learn jokes. If they try, they invariably bugger up theI mean, what the fuck? Actually, I take that back, I wouldn't know, I don't really know too many people who can tell jokes well, and if they do they're probably those annoying, unfunny people who think telling jokes makes you a funny guy. Newsflash: Jokes with a punchline are crap! See, I have a more finely tuned sense of humour than the brash loud alpha male who's the only one to laugh after every line he says. So there!
punchline.
Not sure how to wrap this up. So I won't.
6 comments:
I don't consider myself a connoisseur of comedy, but I guess I'm surprised that there is a shortage of women in comedy having grown up on Carol Burnett and Gilda Radner (who I considered the highlight of the original SNL cast). I've noticed it in movies, where the women are always the Hardy to the male Laurel, but I figured that was just Hollywood's typical lack of imagination and sticking to formula. I thought women were big in stand-up? This not true?
To tell you the truth I don't really know, I don't really follow stand up comedy myself, and barely know any, let alone any female ones. I do notice in films and television there are more male funny people, and I would guess there are many more successful, and in general stand up comics that are men, but if there are a few successful women, particularly if there are more than there were some years ago which is entirely possible, it might seem like there are a lot out there. I'm just rambling again now. I do think you're right about the movies, lack of imagination, the same old stories, the same old crap.
Hmm, I remember when we went and saw Paula Poundstone in Carlsbad ... I'm not sure if she messed up every punchline; I was laughing so hard the whole night, I guess I must have missed all the mistakes she invariably made.
TV and movies seem to have gotten stuck in the stereotype that guys can act goofy, but the woman must always be dull and mature. Again, I just assume that's a product of formula production, which is why we don't even have cable. But five or six years ago, when we did have cable I recall at least as many females stand-ups on Comedy Central as males. And they were the ones going in new directions and taking real risks, while all the guys just told the same fart jokes that stopped being funny 20 years ago. I would hate to think that has changed and all that's left is the bad fart jokes.
Well, I hope so too, I think there are still quite a few female comedians out there that are doing cool stuff, but people still like to spout this bullshit because in terms of numbers there are still fewer out there than men, though more than there used to be (probably), and people believe it cos they want to, that might be what's happening here, let's just hope so. I really should start paying attention to this stuff.. particularly if I'm gonna spout off about it on the blog :)
Jeannie Robertson is one of the funniest comics working. She's in her sixties, too. Of course, I have a left-brained husband too, so it may just be the "Oh that is US in 20 years," factor.
I do listen to comedy radio. There are a lot more men than women. It's a rare day when I get to hear a Lily Tomlin routine.
In college, we had comics who were playing the circuits. Caroline Rhea and Sinbad were both brilliant.
There have been many great female comedians, both television and stand-up: Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Vicky Lawrence, Minnie Pearl, Gilda Radner, Madelyn Kahn, Lily Tomlin. There are some good ones working today.
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