*splits sides*

Went to some comedy night last night. Sort of an amateur do... people get up and do their thing and we vote on who's best. I went mostly to catch up with some people and hopefully meet new people in the theater world here in Prague and that's mostly what I did. Had fun.. mostly for that rather than for the "comedy".. yes, we were pretty badly behaved and not so supportive of these, admittedly very brave souls who got up and did something that's pretty fucking frightening that I would never do.. and actually there were some good bits and overall they weren't bad, but... really.. the state of stand up comedy today.. something I know shit all about but will wax on at length about, is fucking pretty poor.. and it isn't the fault of these guys who are int he early days of what they're doing so might improve considerably.. for one.. but.. fuck, the same old shit, pick on the same subjects.. nothing new, nothing said in an interesting or funny way... for the most part.. and if you say.. um, that's fucked up, or that's not funny, or, you're not very good well everyone's like.. "omg you can't like have an opinion or anything arrrggghhhh.. don't take it personally"

well there was a small incident, some people at my table got up and told some dude on stage that what he said was sorta fucked up.. in a very mild way and took his beer.. I thought it was mildy amusing, not something I'd do but no big deal.. really..

well, we got told off at the table more than once.. one guy came up and said "you can't take these things personally".. and I, quite calmly, I think, though loudly because it was necessary to be heard, just said that.. actually, you can't demand that people have the reaction you say they have.. people can take it how they like.. and this guy immediately widened his eyes and started hyperventilating.. (ok exaggerating a little there but seriously.. quite close) and said.. jeez.. calm down, chill out.. omg female person saying something that isn't o you're so right dudely dude I'm so sorry can I suck your dick for you?".... and kept on with the I'm being totally crazy and angry by like.. saying something..

and I didn't even get "mad" at the "chill out" comment.. which was.. as you know.. a totally fucked up thing to say in any situation, and especially since I was actually more chill than his pathetic little offended ass was... I just made fun of it.. of him for being so stupid as to fucking say it.. I mean.. seriously.

Later some other dudes came to the table to tell the girl who'd got up off for laughing at somebody else and that they were watching her.. you know.. to try and get a "gotcha" moment.. looking all smug and whiny.. telling us very nasally how wrong we all were for like.. existing and stuff..

so.. yeah. It was quite fun. I should totally get up myself and do something (at least equally poor) next time.. but I won't. I'm too fucking scared to. So.. props to the people who got up to do something, there was some good shit in there.. just.. fucking deal with it when someone has a reaction to what you do.. that's all. Even girls get to have a say sometimes.. kay?

Oh why me.. why do you make me read these things?

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 the
punchline.

I 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!

Not sure how to wrap this up. So I won't.