Why are there no funny female comedians?

[awmperry]

I quite like Lucy Porter - probably because she always seems so cheerful, even while nonchalantly making fun of topics that could make Frankie Boyle squirm. (Frankie Boyle, by the way, has gone through tasteless and so far out the other side that he's hilarious again.)

Jo Brand, on the other hand, I find utterly unfunny. Not just because she has a voice like bored sandpaper, but because she makes "jokes" that she clearly thinks are terribly witty, but they're not. They're tasteless, but not tasteless enough to be funny. I mean, I'm all in favour of deriving humour from anything one can, but it's not enough to think "If I now mention something anatomical or scatological you'll all feel awkward and laugh".

In short, I think the hit-to-miss ratio of female comics is pretty much the same as male comics - there are just more male comics.

 

[gobinam]

the women who joined last comic standing season 3 were pretty funny i suppose. i just forgot their names but i really enjoyed watching them. and anna palin? did i name her right? the girl from 30rock is funny for me. anyway, all of us have our own opinions. ^.^

 

[Teachingaddict]

+1 Jo Brande
+1 Kathy Burke

 

[Healey]

I must admit, decent women standup is hard to find. In agreement with what previous people have suggested, they often seem to only write about "Women's Troubles", a well-overdone topic. Women comedians need to just write asexually. I enjoy Felicity Ward, though I've never really seen her do real standup. Fiona O'Loughlin, although writing very female (or just mother)-centric material, has a refreshingly droll and bitter take. Failing that, Joan Rivers or *a Southern woman whose name currently escapes me* will do very well.
Edit: Chonda Pierce!

 

[Captain Wes]

Ruby Wax, Ellen DeGeneres, Ella Chen, Sarah Silverman, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Cho, Chelsea Handler, Kathy Griffin, Amy Sedaris, Kathleen Madigan, Laurie Fondiler, Megan Mooney, FIONA O'LOUGHLIN, Marisa Orth,Dercy Gonçalves, Catherine Tate, Amanda Egge Amanda Egge, Heloisa Perisse, Lucy Porter, Erica Doering, Jo Brand, and Phylis Diller

There, I fixed it for you.

It's been said before but most women only write jokes about women troubles and men, If a man tried to get by only talking about his wives and how hard it is to be a man I would hate him too

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Maria Bamford's pretty alright.

 

[JBarracudaL]

Humor is subjective, just because you do not find the female comedians you've seen funny; doesn't mean they aren't funny.
It just means you have differing opinions of what is humorous.
Pretty simple logic.

I think my favorite female comedian is actually Ellen Degeneres, believe it or not.

 

[Damien the Pigeon]

Also, I'm pretty sad that nobody has mentioned Maria Bamford yet.

-- Alex

I'm very glad that you just did, because she is great. Thank you.

To answer the original question, I always see potential in female comedians, but they never seems to utilize it. What I mean is, they will start off their act with great observations or stories, and I will start to have a good time. After that though, they will almost ALWAYS say something along the lines of "How about men, am I right ladies? I just got out of a relationship...." And then they do the EXACT same jokes as everyone else, and I turn of the TV, disappointed. The talent is there, but they just need to stop doing the same jokes and come up with their own identities like Maria Bamford has.

 

[Space Spoons]

Kathy Griffin. Man, talk about topical. I saw her last October at the Fox Theater; she'd worked stuff into her act that had just happened that afternoon.

 

[axia777]

OK to be honest there are a few, like Wanda Sykes, but very few. It seems men dominate the comedy world why is this?

Lisa Lampanelli, but she is NOT for the faint of heart or ear.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Lampanelli

 

[jad4400]

I think Kathy Griffien kinda funny

 

[Johnn Johnston]

There are some, but I find that many do, as previously stated, rely on falling back on the "I'm a woman! That's hi-larious!" kind of comedy. It's a bit like the "White people walk all like this..." cliche, if you get my meaning - a lot of female comedians make jokes based solely around the fact that they are women to draw attention to the fact that they are different, rather than have their own brand of comedy to make themselves stand out. Those that do stand out using a unique and funny routine are funny - those that don't are often not.

 

[Auron555]

Jeaneane Garofolo (sp?) was funny when I saw her on Comedy Central. Ellen Degeneres is funny.
I think the lack of female comedians (and, on a tangent, what's the deal with comedienne? Where did that word come from?) is because guys get into comedy to feed themselves, as a last chance type of thing, or so I assume, and women don't see it the same way guys do, don't see it as an opportunity.

 

[CoverYourHead]

I think Kathy Griffien kinda funny

I hate her so much, her typical routine goes something along the lines of: I was, like, a jerk to this guy, and he yelled at me, and I was like, "I'm Kathy Griffon! Duh!" *laughs*.

Then I take my eyes out.

I haven't heard many funny female stand-ups, but mostly because they talk too much about their social lives, another reason Dane Cook sucks.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Many women seem to view themselves as "female comedians" and already start from a limited realm of reference as well as constricting their own ideas within that context. From their perspective they are creating comedy for women and not people... so their jokes tend to be "inside" in nature and exclusive while evading insight into the human condition.

It's kind of like how "blue-collar" comics are not funny.. because they always work from the same setup.

 

[Cheesebob]

Jo brand

Yes

 

[Dancingman]

Wanda Sykes is an old favorite, Sarah Silverman tries too hard and winds up looking like a poser, now that I got rid of everyone who is unique, all I have left is the bitter feminists, most of whom I would absolutely love to see as 50's American housewives.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Joan Rivers, Jo Brand? Heard of those?

Joan Rivers is still alive?

She is actually immune to conventional weapons now.

You could have also had Donna Mcphail, Chloe Annette, Meera Syal, Nina Wadia, Gina Yashere, Hattie Jaques, Sandi Toksvig, Ruby Wax, Tracey Ullman, Josie Lawrence, Joan Sims, Pauline Quirke, Dawn French, Joanna Lumley, Julia Salwallhala(?), Sue Perkins, Mel Gedroyc, Carol Cleveland, Lorraine Chase, Lucille Ball, Diane Keaton, Lesley Joseph, Dame Edna Ever...ok, maybe not, Goldie Hawn, Kathy Griffin, Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne Barr, Helen Atkinson-Wood, Miranda Richardson, Jennifer Saunders, Linda Smith, Caroline Aherne (The Royle Family?), Arabella Weir, Pamela Stephenson, Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan, Sally Phillips, Jane Horrocks, Rhona Cameron, Josie Long, Pam Ayres, Barbara Windsor, Diana Dors, Jan Ravens...

 

[Cheesus333]

Jo brand

Yes

Jo Brand is quite funny, but very very feminist and very very pessamist. While i do enjoy her stand-up, I find myself worrying that the next joke will offend me in some way, rather than the relaxed state I feel when in the hands of comedians like Dara O' Brien, Ricky Gervais, Jack Dee and loads of others who appear on Live at the Apollo. Joan Rivers was quite good on that too.

 

[Zephirius]

What about Sarah Silverman or Ellen

I saw Silverman's TV show once, and it was so bad. So incredibly unfunny. She just seemed like a mentally retarded stuck-up *****, to be frank. That's all I saw of her, dunno about stand-up or anything else. I think it was the episode where she put on blackface and her black friend wore stereotypical jewish crap. It was one of the worst things I ever saw on TV.

I agree with the OP insofar as sex life not being funny as a major part of the routine. Sometimes they will get a slight chuckle out of me but most of the times it seems so forced and desperate for material I get bored within a minute.