View Full Version : Women, know your limits
Was discussing the subject of female comedians with a friend, and we came to the conclusion that a woman trying to be funny is just as awkward as a politician trying to be cool with the local youth.
Face it, the realm of humour is male territory. Women are not funny nor should they try to be, they lack the basics
Papewaio
08-16-2011, 00:49
What do men use for contraception?
Their personality.
So with comments like that, you've practically given yourself a Darwin Award.
Montmorency
08-16-2011, 00:52
"They see me trollin'..."
Tellos Athenaios
08-16-2011, 00:53
Well, there are (at least) two interesting bits of human behaviour which help to give men an edge in providing comic relief:
Women are predisposed to laugh about & towards men. Men don't generally exhibit the same reflex towards other men, but...
... men are more willing (and more readily do) make a fool of themselves, which helps with any audience. People (and maybe especially men) like seeing other people make a fool of themselves.
... but by the same measure, men are also more often the ones who come up with jokes no-one finds funny.
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:04
Was discussing the subject of female comedians with a friend, and we came to the conclusion that a woman trying to be funny is just as awkward as a politician trying to be cool with the local youth.
Face it, the realm of humour is male territory. Women are not funny nor should they try to be, they lack the basics
That's because a crucial part of comedy (or even simple joke-telling) is impersonation. Women are terrible impersonators.
AII
That's because a crucial part of comedy (or even simple joke-telling) is impersonation. Women are terrible impersonators.
AII
Because it's male territory
'... but by the same measure, men are also more often the ones who come up with jokes no-onefinds funny. '
oh? Never noticed that. at all. really
HoreTore
08-16-2011, 01:12
"They see me trollin'..."
Seconded. My list of funny Norwegians isn't that long, but therre are plenty of women on it:
- Anne-Kat Herland, has been a riot for over a decade now.
- Kari Slaatsveen and Pernille Sørensen are in that same category, and in addition they are the very definition of MILFs.
- Linn Skåber is very funny and also good at the surreal which is a big bonus for me.
- Janne Rønningen is always funny when doing stand-up.
- Siv Anita Andersen is a very funny actress, even though she's had a habit of selecting very unfunny shows. But in Etaten, she was very good.
- in addition, there are several very funny females on the radio station p3.
As for more international names, there are several good female comedians on Michael McIntyre's show(and similar concepts). Plenty of those on the Daily Show are very funny, and I have always found the females on Mad TV to be a lot funnier than the males.
And I have undoubtably forgotten a bunch of people now.
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:14
Because it's male territory
No, many men are also horrible impersonators. Go to a party, observe how many of those present are really funny. One in ten at the most, the rest either suck (and serve as audience) or act as side-kicks.
AII
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:16
Seconded. My list of funny Norwegians isn't that long, but therre are plenty of women on it:
My wild guess says that's because they are politically correct. And therefore not funny. Maybe you just don't have a sense of humour :rolleyes:
AII
HoreTore
08-16-2011, 01:19
My wild guess says that's because they are politically correct. And therefore not funny. Maybe you just don't have a sense of humour :rolleyes:
AII
Nonsense.
Anne-kat is the very defintion of politcally incorrect.
I subscribe to Monty Python-style humour, Adrian.
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:21
Nonsense.
Anne-kat is the very defintion of politcally incorrect.
I subscribe to Monty Python-style humour, Adrian.
Nonsense.
Gimme one women who matches this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKKDKAKNH-k).
AII
ICantSpellDawg
08-16-2011, 01:21
Concur (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMwPq-a-8W4)
No, many men are also horrible impersonators. Go to a party, observe how many of those present are really funny. One in ten at the most, the rest either suck (and serve as audience) or act as side-kicks.
AII
How many women do you know who are just as funny as the men you know
HoreTore
08-16-2011, 01:26
Nonsense.
Gimme one women who matches this (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKKDKAKNH-k).
AII
I don't really find impersonations all that funny. Rune Pedersen has ruined that genre for me.
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:26
Concur (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMwPq-a-8W4)
Good one: 'Being funny on purpose'. :laugh2:
AII
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:29
How many women do you know who are just as funny as the men you know
I happen to know many of the Toomlers' comedians because a friend of mine founded that joint. Nearly all are men and the only woman to hold a candle to most of them would be Claudia. She's good. She's also practically alone.
AII
Rhyfelwyr
08-16-2011, 01:33
I agree with the OP. I don't think women are less capable of being funny, I just think that being a comedian is a bit undignified for a woman (like when they play sports etc) and that is what makes it seem akward.
Of course this only applies to at least reasonably attractive women, because you don't really think of ugly women that way.
This is probably why the few female comedians there are are really ugly. Like in Britain there is that whale Jo Brand, plus the fat black woman.
And they are not even funny. But then English comedians generally aren't. :shrug:
HoreTore
08-16-2011, 01:35
Ah yes. Jo Brand. She's comedy gold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHmZd6yVTS8
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:36
Ah yes. Jo Brand. She's comedy gold.
See? No sense of humour :mellow:
AII
I happen to know many of the Toomlers' comedians because a friend of mine founded that joint. Nearly all are men and the only woman to hold a candle to most of them would be Claudia. She's good. She's also practically alone.
AII
Never heard of it Iwill check it out. But in general, women have no sense of humour.
HoreTore
08-16-2011, 01:42
See? No sense of humour :mellow:
AII
Considering the number of dutchies laughing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mwxE7Ky5hs
I really don't take commentary on comedy from that sunken area too personal...
PanzerJaeger
08-16-2011, 01:46
Ellen Degeneres was hilarious back when she was doing stand up. I think women can be just as funny as men. Cultural expectations have, however, made it far more difficult to be a female comedian.
Jo Brand is a prime example of female comedians being cringe-worthy rather than funny.
Tratorix
08-16-2011, 01:51
Ellen Degeneres was hilarious back when she was doing stand up. I think women can be just as funny as men. Cultural expectations have, however, made it far more difficult to be a female comedian.
Got it in one. Women are far less likely to get into stand up comedy and it's a pretty difficult business to succeed in even without the "women aren't funny" stereotype hangin' around.
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 01:52
Never heard of it Iwill check it out. But in general, women have no sense of humour.
NEVER HEARD OF IT?? :stare:
In what cave do you live?
AII
Considering the number of dutchies laughing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mwxE7Ky5hs
I really don't take commentary on comedy from that sunken area too personal...
It's a funny female, so she is accepted in male territory.
HoreTore
08-16-2011, 01:54
Ellen Degeneres was hilarious back when she was doing stand up.
Seconded.
I sometimes wonder if sit coms and talk shows were invented as a punishment handed out by media bigwigs for talented comedians who had broken some internal rule. They are the very death of everything funny.
Except Seinfeld. Which, of course, brings us to another funny woman; the one who played Elaine.
gaelic cowboy
08-16-2011, 02:07
Ellen Degeneres was hilarious back when she was doing stand up. I think women can be just as funny as men. Cultural expectations have, however, made it far more difficult to be a female comedian.
I'm gonna be terrible chauvinistic here, but would Ellen Degeneres not prove Frags rule in the OP what with her being a lesbian and all.
Male comedians are more popular with females as they like to see men make fools of themselves.
PanzerJaeger
08-16-2011, 02:17
I'm gonna be terrible chauvinistic here, but would Ellen Degeneres prove Frags rule what with her being a lesbian and all.
What does that have to do with anything?
The truth is that a large part of comedy revolves around crassness. In our culture, it's funny when a guy talks about cheating on his girlfriend and having to stop at a gas station to clean the glitter lip gloss off his penis (actual Dane Cook crap), but gross when a girl talks in the same manner. It sucks and it is hopefully changing, but that's how it has traditionally been. Female comedians, and there have been many other successful ones besides Degeneres, have had to work much harder - and be much funnier - in order to craft bits that work. Smart comedy is a lot harder than sex/bodily function comedy.
Apart from stand-up, have you guys never been around genuinely funny girls in your own lives?
PanzerJaeger
08-16-2011, 02:18
double post
gaelic cowboy
08-16-2011, 02:28
What does that have to do with anything?
I knew I should have used a smiley
Fragony, you obviously have never heard Jane Lynch - probably the funniest comedian on TV at the moment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsGNaNFW1bk
Although I think Heather Morris is running her a close second:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYibKetiDxQ&feature=related
If you like impersonation, maybe try Martina Hill, if you understand some german.
Anke Engelke also won several comedy awards here.
Papewaio
08-16-2011, 03:13
Joan Rivers...
Louis VI the Fat
08-16-2011, 03:17
Seconded. My list of funny Norwegians isn't that long, but therre are plenty of women on it:
- Anne-Kat Herland, has been a riot for over a decade now.
- Kari Slaatsveen and Pernille Sørensen are in that same category, and in addition they are the very definition of MILFs.
- Linn Skåber is very funny and also good at the surreal which is a big bonus for me.
- Janne Rønningen is always funny when doing stand-up.
- Siv Anita Andersen is a very funny actress, even though she's had a habit of selecting very unfunny shows. But in Etaten, she was very good.
- in addition, there are several very funny females on the radio station p3.
As for more international names, there are several good female comedians on Michael McIntyre's show(and similar concepts). Plenty of those on the Daily Show are very funny, and I have always found the females on Mad TV to be a lot funnier than the males.
And I have undoubtably forgotten a bunch of people now.I would go into a lenghty argument about all this, HoreTore. But we all know I just won't stand a chance, Norwegians are experts on lack of sense of humour.
~~o~~o~~<<oOo>>~~o~~o~~
have you guys never been around genuinely funny girls in your own lives? Nah, not really, no. :shrug:
Women are excellent audience for humour though. They do get the jokes, know just how to have some fun. They make for fantastic company. They just aren't very accomplished at being active comédiennes.
Rhyfelwyr
08-16-2011, 03:30
Apart from stand-up, have you guys never been around genuinely funny girls in your own lives?
Nope. Was the class clown ever a girl?
In our culture, it's funny when a guy talks about cheating on his girlfriend and having to stop at a gas station to clean the glitter lip gloss off his penis (actual Dane Cook crap)
No, no its not.
phonicsmonkey
08-16-2011, 03:42
No love here for Tina Fey? I think she's hilarious
Sasaki Kojiro
08-16-2011, 03:48
Well, of course there are funny women. Pride and prejudice is very funny, and that woman from the all the marx brothers movies too. And so on. But picking out individual examples is kind of futile, it doesn't do much towards the claim that actively making jokes is more of a male thing.
My impression is that in normal conversational humor they are just as funny. Performance humor is something more men go for, in the same way that performance athletics is.
PanzerJaeger
08-16-2011, 04:21
Nah, not really, no. :shrug:
Nope. Was the class clown ever a girl?
I don't know what to say. Maybe you guys are hanging around the wrong type of women, or maybe you don't relate to them on a social level. Lots of men never really do. :shrug:
I went to all male schools until college, so I couldn't comment on those years, but there are plenty of female class clowns at the university level.
Strike For The South
08-16-2011, 04:27
If you're going to palgarize a column please make sure its not a famous peice from a famous author. Cmon tulipWomen don't have to be funny for the same reason women only bring enough Monet for the cover If you can't make a women laugh, you won't be going home with her
My impression is that in normal conversational humor they are just as funny. Performance humor is something more men go for, in the same way that performance athletics is.
This.
The reason there aren't many good women comedians is because not as many women as men go to become comedians.
Major Robert Dump
08-16-2011, 05:54
APRIL MACIE is probably one of the best feature-length comedy shows I have ever seen.
The woman made Howard Stern blush when she went on his show.
The woman has people get up and walk out because she won't quit picking on them and speculating on their gentilia and bedroom habits
The woman got banned from the USO tour because of her dirty mouth.
I would also recommend SARA SILVERMAN stand up (not the show)
Montmorency
08-16-2011, 07:08
Dorothy Parker.
Angela Merkel when she announced that Germany was going to bail-out Greece a second-time, until they actually realised she was serious.
In our culture, it's funny when a guy talks about cheating on his girlfriend and having to stop at a gas station to clean the glitter lip gloss off his penis (actual Dane Cook crap)
that hack is not funny...
you could say he is successful as a comedian...but that's a different thing.
Same way the musician that sells more records is not necessarily the most talented musician
but gross when a girl talks in the same manner. It sucks and it is hopefully changing
but somehow they can exploit that and get away with not even being that funny, but "she's a girl and she' saying yucky stuff" as an example I present to you the entire career of Sarah Silverman....
as to genuinely funny female comedians...
Janeane Garofalo
Kathleen Madigan
Margaret Cho
are the names that come to mind.
but I must admit I prefer male standups...and my top 10 would probably be an all male one.
P.S. - also, to people that are interested in comedy and comedians...I´d suggest checking out "The green room with Paul Provenza" on Showtime.....the show is just basically a bunch of comedians talking.
Earlier in the year there was also a good show with Seinfeld, Louie C.K., Chris Rock and Ricky Gervais discussing their views on comedy.
I would go into a lenghty argument about all this, HoreTore. But we all know I just won't stand a chance, Norwegians are experts on lack of sense of humour.
:laugh4::balloon2:
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 12:51
The truth is that a large part of comedy revolves around crassness. [..] (actual Dane Cook crap) [..]
Meh, bad example. The best in America (Dennis Leary, Bill Hicks, Jerry Seinfeld) or the best my country (useless to cite their names here for obvious reasons) don't do that sort of crap. Female comedians and writers don't have such a hard time, there just aren't many of them around.
AII
Vladimir
08-16-2011, 12:52
Ok. So the point of the thread is that Fragony hasn't seen any good female comedians. Right?
The best in America (Dennis Leary, Bill Hicks, Jerry Seinfeld)
You do realize Dennis Leary is basically just a Bill Hicks rip-off right?
his act is funny, but it's not original and putting him in a list of the best seems a tad too much.
Adrian II
08-16-2011, 13:50
You do realize Dennis Leary is basically just a Bill Hicks rip-off right?
his act is funny, but it's not original and putting him in a list of the best seems a tad too much.
As punishment for this gross misrepresentation, you will now have to sing along (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o30wacwdoc).
AII
As punishment for this gross misrepresentation, you will now have to sing along (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o30wacwdoc).
AII
misrepresentation :daisy:.
you know why Dennis Leary has a career? because there is no cure for cancer :D
Adrian II
08-18-2011, 23:25
Here's something weird for ya.
In the early 1960's we had a children's program on Dutch tv done with marionettes. It was innocent and corny, you could see the strings on the puppets and so on, but never mind, kids love that sort of thing. The hero was a hobgoblin named Paulus and the villain was a witch named Eucalypta. This Eucalypta character spoke in a high-pitched, cackling voice (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbeJjYVXfqM) which every Dutchman still recognises today even if the series is long gone.
Now the weird thing is that every Dutch male between the ages of 40 and 60 can still imitate Eucalypta. Impeccably so. Not a year goes by without some guy in my vicinity going "Zoooo Paulussie, daar heb ik je te PAKKEN!" Yet no woman from the same (or any other) age bracket can. Women just can't get Eucalypta right.
There's a lesson in there, though I have no idea what it is. Maybe an ethnographer would explain that this points to some dark secret in the Dutch soul.
AII
Seamus Fermanagh
08-20-2011, 15:37
Start a thread out with misogyny and see where it gets you.
Far fewer women doing standup than men; qualitatively, I don't think you could assert that much difference.
Comedic actresses we have in plenty and always have. Again, I don't think you could assert a qualitative difference meaningfully.
Sitcoms featuring comedians (either gender) run into the same problem all shows do. Many start out pretty funny and entertaining, but.... How many episodes can you crank out before it ceases to be innovative? How many more must we suffer through before the show starts jumping the shark?
InsaneApache
08-20-2011, 16:00
Plenty of funny women.
In the past.
Hattie Jacques. Joyce Grenfell. Lucille Ball.
More up to date.
Jennifer Saunders in Ab Fab. To coin a phrase, brilliant.
Caroline Aherne in everything she's done. Scorchio.
A couple of examples.
Despite the wisdom of the old saying, de gustibus non est disputandum, I'm going to point out that it's impossible to assert that women are in any meaningful sense less funny than men. Where to start? First define "funny." Then try to form a definition that can be meaningfully applied to everyone. Once you're done with that, go tell Lucille Ball, Tina Fey, Margaret Cho and Jennifer Saunders how they can't possibly be as skilled at comedy as they appear to be. (Maybe they're all secretly men or something?)
Then sit down and watch some Harry Enfield for the rest of the day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjxY9rZwNGU
Adrian II
08-20-2011, 21:51
I'm going to point out that it's impossible to assert that women are in any meaningful sense less funny than men.
True. And valid as well. Personally I've laughed my arse off watching Ab Fab, albeit not for Saunders but for Lumley. But it can't hurt to provoke like Fragony often does and then see what transpires. The one thing I take away from this thread is Ronin's great remark about Dennis Leary's career. Oh snap. It left me speechless. I'll be passing that one on to friends. :yes:
AII
a completely inoffensive name
08-21-2011, 00:35
I'm so glad there are not any women posting here, polluting the thread with unfunny posts about equality.
Samurai Waki
08-21-2011, 01:12
Lisa Lampanelli...
Scienter
08-24-2011, 20:00
Tina Fey
Amy Poehler
Whoopi Goldberg
Ellen Degeneres
Samantha Bee
Margaret Cho
Sarah Silverman
Liz Winstead
Sandra Berhnard
Janine Geraffalo (sp?)
Wanda Sykes
InsaneApache
08-25-2011, 02:08
Element: Woman
Symbol: Wo
Discoverer: Adam
Atomic Mass: Accepted as 55kg but known to vary from 45kg to 225kg
Occurrence: Found in large quantities in urban areas, with trace elements in outlying areas
Physical Properties: Boils at absolutely nothing, freezes for no apparent reason, melts if given special treatment, bitter if used incorrectly
Chemical Properties: Affinity to Gold, Silver, Platinum and all precious stones. The most powerful money reducing agent known to man
Common Use: Highly ornamental, especially in sports cars. Can be a very effective cleaning agent
Hazards: Highly dangerous except in experienced hands. Illegal to possess more than one, although several can be maintained at different locations as long as specimens do not come into direct contact with each other.
:creep:
Strike For The South
08-25-2011, 16:50
I lold
Most women are considerd funny only becuase they are pretty
A great example is Cheslea Handler. I've been a borderline alcoholic trying to fill the absolute emotional void in my soul with strange sexual encounters for years now and no one has even thought to give me a radio spot
I lold
Most women are considerd funny only becuase they are pretty
A great example is Cheslea Handler. I've been a borderline alcoholic trying to fill the absolute emotional void in my soul with strange sexual encounters for years now and no one has even thought to give me a radio spot
Don't be so hard on yourself, you probably would have been terrible.
Strike For The South
08-25-2011, 18:10
Don't be so hard on yourself, you probably would have been terrible.
That's what the all tell me afterwards
BA-ZING
That's what the all tell me afterwards
BA-ZING
Who is that Ba Zing and what makes him so good, find it out
Pannonian
08-25-2011, 18:24
Plenty of funny women.
In the past.
Hattie Jacques. Joyce Grenfell. Lucille Ball.
More up to date.
Jennifer Saunders in Ab Fab. To coin a phrase, brilliant.
Caroline Aherne in everything she's done. Scorchio.
A couple of examples.
I quite liked Josie Lawrence in Whose Line.
Seamus Fermanagh
08-26-2011, 00:56
Good to see you again Pannonian! If you get any time off elsewhere, you are always welcome here (and in Fatlington).
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