Are girls funny?
I overheard a few of my editors talking yesterday about a "Senior Superlative" survey that had been distributed this week. All schools have these things, where students are asked to vote on who is "Most Likely to Succeed", who has the "Best Hair" and who has the "Best Buns" (seriously). The students vote for one guy and one girl for each category. My seniors were discussing the category "Class Clown" and decided that they couldn't decide on a female for this category because girls aren't funny. There were even girls in this conversation who went along with this claim.At first, I was offended, mainly because I think of myself as funny. But then I started thinking about it, and I wondered if they weren't on to something. I tried to think about female actresses that people think of as "funny." *Debra Messing? Not funny. Megan Mullaly? I guess. Lucille Ball? Not my type of funny, but widely-considered "funny" by people that know what's "funny." But even as I listed in my mind the women we consider funny, none of them can make me laugh in the same way male comics can, especially **Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Eddie Murphy, and Richard Prior, ***Jerry Seinfeld, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Johnny Carson, and George Carlin.
And then I was reminded of a conversation I once had with my ex. ****He said he couldn't find a funny girl. He said he hates that he feels like he has to be funny all the time. Like girls just sit back and wait to be entertained. So what do you think? Are girls funny? Who is the funniest woman you know? And . . . do you think of yourself as funny?
*Of course, both of these women have funny people writing for them, and when I searched, I found that most of the writers on this show are men. And it's not like I think this show is the funniest in the world, or even the funniest on TV right now, but I've heard people compare Debra Messing to Lucille Ball (including Ms. Messing herself) so the leading ladies of Will and Grace came to mind.
**Uh-oh, these are all black men... are black men the funniest people in the world?
*** ok, that's better
**** He claims I'm one of the only funny girls he knows.
posted by Sue Ellen Mischke at 9:04 AM
14 Comments:
1. Black men are the funniest men in the world.
2. I am funny, but in a point-and-laugh-at-her way, not a laugh-with-her way.
3. High school girls, in particular, are decidedly unfunny.
4. She makes me laugh. Hard. In a with her, not at her way.
Tracey Ullman used to be funny but then she went to the States. Joyce Grenfell was sorta funny but she's dead anyway. Joan Rivers isn't funny but thinks she is.....no....no funny women....not as funny as men anyway, but is that a bad thing?
E, I think Kathy Griffin is pretty funny. I wonder why it is that black men are the funniest.
4D, I guess it's not a problem that there are no funny women. Joan Rivers used to be funny too though. Then she went to E with her ANNOYING daughter.
I have to agree with you. I can't figure out why, but there seems to be a very disproportionate number funny men to funny women. I wonder if it is some sort of cultural thing since most of the funniest comedians can also be highly offensive, and if there is some societal obstruction that is not as accepting of offensive women.
OH MY GOD ND, you are right! That's it! It's not socially acceptable for women to be funny! That's why if on the rare occassion a guy hits on me at a bar, and then I say something funny, they laugh but then they start talking to the other girls I'm with. It happens every time. Now, sure, maybe sometimes maybe my jokes aren't funny, but that can't be it every single time. And it's often offensive or negative or inappropriate. Men are turned off by funny women- well, at least the dumb ones at the bars in Chicago are. That's it! You've solved it!
But, I don't know if that makes me feel any better. So if and when I'm single again, am I going to have to dumb it down and giggle and twirl my hair and keep all my funny thoughts to myself? Shit. I wish you hadn't solved it.
Well, you could dumb it down, but I kind of have a feeling you couldn't do that in good conscience. Try to think of it as a weeding out process. That's why I always act like an ass:-)
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Also funny as hell women: Absolutely Fabulous.
Funny women exist, but you are right - they are rare birds.
Thanks for the advice, ND. I'd like to think you are right. So if a girl can handle your being an ass, you figure she's a keeper? Not a bad approach I guess.
E, I've always meant to watch that show.
no, no girls r funny.at least not haha funny some r "funny" tho
I crack myself up all the time, and I have a lot of friends that tell me I am funny. Then again, I am offensive sometimes, in that sort of sarcastic, dry, Rockford sense of humor kind of way.
I think Ellen is funny.
I think I'm hysterical.
Ok, no, I don't.
But have you ever seen Queens of Comedy? Those ladies are funny.
In HS you're not worried about being funny, you're worried about your breasts and not consuming more than 678 calories.
The posting about Absolutely Fabulous was spot on. There are no funnier members of the animal kingdom than Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
Cathy Jones is a Canadian comedienne who also may be one of the funniest people alive.
The three women on the BBC com "Coupling" provide unending humour, especially Kate Isitt, but Sarah Alexander and Gina Bellman are no slouches.
Kathy Burke on Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, DEFINES outrageous, and she was insanely funny in her recurring role on AbFab, when you could understand what the hell she was saying.
I think the problem is, there are no funny American women.
Canadian Uncle? Hmmm.... I'm thinking my mom and dad showed you my blog?
Heather B, I think you're hysterical.
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