300 years! of women realising their funny side

Why is it that humor is expected to be a masculine quality? Scanning through hundreds of dating and marriage websites, I was dumbfounded to know that even women have bought into the fact that their partner should be the funny one, not themselves. In this article, I’ve gone against stereotypical notions by trying to #breakthebias of women can have comedic skills too.

Women in comedy refer to women who take part in comedic works and they have been doing more than just taking part for over 300 years. Women have always been able to be a part of the comedy and often joined in to do stand-up comedy. Although, the first women comedians were not perceived as funny by the audience. Earlier, a sense of humor in women was thought to be a woman laughing at the joke that is told by a man instead of telling the joke herself. When women finally started getting commitments, there continued to be suspicion surrounding their performances.

Many of the early acts in comedy were tailored to the standards that men would find funny and non-threatening. As women gained some acceptance in comedy, they expanded what they covered. Since then, women have made significant gains, found success both on TV and in stand-up, movies, and writing. Women such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus¹, Amy Schumer², Tina Fey³, and others have enriched the world of comedy with their work, spanning both time and mediums.

Comedy is a powerful medium that feminists have harnessed, with comedy acting as a tool to critique society. For example, feminist comedians can satirize the machismo culture, menstruation, and gender imbalance. Comedy is crucial in this so that many more people are aware of women’s issues that challenge the patriarchy.

Unequal gender representation

Men host almost all the late-night shows on major networks in America. The only exception is Samantha Bee⁴.

The gender imbalance in comedy is especially noticeable on the Wikipedia page “List of comedians⁵”. There are thrice as many male comedians as females.

Among other biases, a fair representation of women in the comedy industry is an ongoing battle. While, In 2014, all ten of the top ten paid comedians were male and, in 2016, Amy Schumer, risen to number two. In 2019, the Guardian declared Tina Fey as the no. 1 comedian of the 21st century, the list also featured legends like Jerry Seinfeld.

Historically, certain societies have seen women as inferior to men. Because of this belief, comedy has been considered a masculine discipline. The prejudice that women cannot be funny is pervasive in stand-up, television, and movies. This perception of women being un-funny exists because of the mainstream comedy establishment, which is influenced by society’s patriarchal view.

Plight & success of female comdeians worldwide

While many comedians in the United States may have similar experiences, women comedians in other countries often have to figure out how their cultural influences shape their comedy. For example, Farhana Muna⁶ is a Bangladeshi comic who is constrained by what society deemed appropriate or not for a Bangladeshi Muslim woman while she also faces criticism because she doesn’t wear the hijab. She focuses her content on Bangladeshi life and culture, including pub- parties and relatives commenting on weight loss. Through comedy, Muna has found a community of other women and will continue her comedic work with them.

Comedy is a very popular field for both sexes. It’s easy to see why. Comedy is an art. It is a great way to put a smile on someone’s face or to lift someone’s spirits when they are down. These following comedians are powerful women who are making strides and jokes that are beyond side-splitting.

Tina Fey paved the way for females in comedy. She was the first female head writer of Saturday Night Live and has been a feminist icon for her work. For example, many of Tina Fey’s sketches have become iconic, especially her satirical portrayal of Vice-Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. Her comedic writing has also been well-received by critics.

Julia-Louise-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedian. She is one of the most award-winning actresses in American television history, having received more Primetime Emmy Awards and more Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer till date. In 2018, she received the Mark Twain Prize for Humor, presented by the Kennedy Center as the highest comedy honor.

I think comedy is one of the most challenging things to do. It is no easy feat to make others laugh, and it takes a lot of skill and practice to do it well. And since we have so much practice, most of us are very good at it. It’s two sides of a coin: the overcompensating and the under-compensating. Nowadays, there is no such thing as a woman comedian. There is a comedian, or there isn’t. It’s all in the skill, the material, and the delivery, and most of the time, that’s gender neutral. The main reason there aren’t many female comedians is because of the underpaying past and the patriarchal views that prevent women from displaying their full potential in comedy. Although the strides and jokes they are making are remarkable, the sexist views don’t allow for women to be able to fully bloom in comedy.

References

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus — Mark Twain Prize winner
2. Amy Schumer — wikipedia link
3. Tina Fey — All hail Tina Fey: the funniest comic of 21st century
4. Samantha Bee -Samantha Bee is now the only female host in late night
5. List of comedians — wikipedia Link
6. Farahana Muna — Knowing Farhana Muna