Some women are funny, some aren't. I hope this settles it.
Female comedians Page 44
What about Madame Vere Roper?
....and Madame Blanche Moore?
Quote: DougWonnacott @ 26th March 2015, 4:26 PM GMTSome women are funny, some aren't. I hope this settles it.
I am very funny. At least sixteen separate people can confirm this fact. In writing.
Totally agree with Doug though. However, women seemingly will always have to prove themselves where men are concerned though, comedy wise. Verbal badinage seems to have replaced rapiers in polite society.
Joan Rivers, Rosanne Bar, Ellen Degenerate (ignore my spelling, I do) all top flight comedians. But what I notice is that America seams to produce far more top flight female comedians than the UK (except for the Blue Nun and maybe Ms Lambrusco). I think the UK punches above it's weight for male stand up, but not female. But Why ?
Quote: Nick Nockerty @ 9th April 2015, 6:28 PM BSTEllen Degenerate
Whatever happened to Simon Deegenerate?
Men tend to carry with them a certain confident swagger which women, by and large, do not.
Thus it is more enjoyable to see men come unstuck.
It is easy to call this statement sexist.
But it is fairly clear that there does seem to be a marked difference in the impact men and women have on audiences in comedy.
To simply ascribe that to sexism in the audience seems to be a refusal to accept that a difference in comedic power might just actually be possible.
In short: sometimes the dogma that we are all equal might just get in the way.
We are equal, but not the same.
Charlie Chaplin slipping on a banana skin. Funny.
Victoria Wood slipping on a banana skin. Hmmm.
Or envisage Basil Fawlty as a female character? Still as funny? No.
When it comes to comedy of manners etc, there is no difference between the sexes at all.
Prunella Scales, Victoria Wood, Penelope Keith, Patricia Routledge.
And who could forget the bevy of overbearing aunts in Jeeves and Wooster?
But it would appear, on balance, that the sausage bearers will always have an advantage when it comes to comedy. Simply because it is funnier to see what is the archetypal father figure imprinted on our brains come apart.
Men are supposed to be in control. Men do not cry. Men are strong.
Those are big targets.
Would it really be as funny to have a female Corporal Jones flapping about, shouting,
'Don't Panic! Don't Panic!' ?
I think not.
Mr Nottle you make some very good points. The further they fall the funnier it is. But Ellen Degenerate as the Boss of a book store, in her sitcom, did panic and disarray every bit as well as Dad's Army. So the dynamic you suggest, Finky, was in place. Victoria Wood may not suit falling on a banana skin, but hard to think of many other humourous song writers that tackle tampons as well as she does.
On a related topic, who is this Simon Dee Generate Mr P Wimsey writes about ?
Simon Dee was the chat show host that inspired Austin Powers.
Quote: sootyj @ 10th April 2015, 2:38 PM BSThttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_XhG2a0dWo
Right, sootyj.
I want that half hour of my life back. Now. 
That was truly horrible.
It confirmed me in my unwavering belief that Jennifer Saunders ought to be exiled to Greenland for crimes against humanity.
And aren't loud, brash Americans just funny by default?
Do I at least get some credit for sitting through it all?
Surely there must be some medal going for sheer staying power.
Quote: Nick Nockerty @ 10th April 2015, 2:33 PM BSTBut Ellen Degenerate as the Boss of a book store, in her sitcom, did panic and disarray every bit as well as Dad's Army. So the dynamic you suggest, Finky, was in place.
I have no doubt at all, that context can provide ample opportunity for female comedians to flap and flounder. Being the boss is just such context.
But I do think that men seem to possess a greater capacity for such floundering, without there being need for much context. (Which is why they most likely dominated the silent movie era, when context was much harder to provide.)
Perhaps the male has a sort of inbuilt default pomposity.
So his balloon is always somewhat more inflated from the outset.
Thus when the needle finally pricks, the bang may be that much greater.
As said, when it comes to the likes of Victoria Wood singing about tampons, she's in a league of her own. I cannot see either sex having any sort of advantage over the other in such refined areas.
But when you reduce it down to the most basic level of the clown, the male seems to hold some sort of hard-to-define advantage.
Quote: Gussie Fink Nottle @ 10th April 2015, 6:06 PM BSTPerhaps the male has a sort of inbuilt default pomposity.
So his balloon is always somewhat more inflated from the outset.
Thus when the needle finally pricks, the bang may be that much greater.
Well you've rather hit the nail on the head right there. Quite simple really. In Western society, males are (traditionally) the stronger of the roles.
http://www.lifedeathprizes.com/funny-stuff/funny-women-11312
Smacked bottom for starting a new thread!
Quote: Aaron @ 10th April 2015, 8:20 PM BSTWell you've rather hit the nail on the head right there. Quite simple really. In Western society, males are (traditionally) the stronger of the roles.
Is that so? Because I like a nice crusty cobb, so next time I'm in the bakers I shall state.
Stuff your ladies bloomers, I want a hard male roll.
I challenge you all to a stand off- standup in my living room/kitchenette with my 10 lady friends with hormonal/ emotional/ relationship complications but it's not a good time of month for them. I then asked a lot of female comics/actors to attend but they politely declined as all were working abroad.