======================================================================
= Women in comedy =
======================================================================
Introduction
======================================================================
Women in comedy refers to females who participate in comedic works as
well as their experience within the social environment. While
primarily dominated by men throughout history, women have been
represented in the field of comedy since the mid 1700s. Comedy, or
creative works with the intention of humor, is thought to have
originated in ancient Greek theatre in 425 BCE. Some of the first
figures to enter the field, however, were faced with resistance and
discrimination. A sense of humor in women was previously thought to
have meant the ability to laugh at a man's joke, rather than tell the
joke herself. When women did finally enter comedy (in its various
forms), it was seen as niche, thus making bookings hard to come by.
Early acts were often based in the standard roles of women as a
housewife and mother. Comedy was tailored to what men would find to be
both funny and non-threatening. As women gained slow acceptance to
their presence in comedy, they were able to expand the topics that
they covered. Since then, women have made significant gains in the
field, having found fame through stand-up, television, movies, and
writing. Women such as Phyllis Diller, Wanda Sykes, Gina Barreca and
many others have contributed to the world of comedy, spanning both
time and medium.
As comedic license has grown, comedy has become a tool within the
scope of feminism. By reclaiming a previously male-exclusive art form,
feminist comedians are able to use the traditionally-male art of
comedy to critique what they view as patriarchal structures. Today,
feminist comedy draws attention to female issues such as menstruation,
rape, gender inequality, beauty norms, and machismo. As a readily
acceptable and understandable medium of communication, comedy lends
itself to the feminist movement, allowing women's issues to be more
wide-spread in general society.
Stand-up
==========
Stand-up comedy is a form of comedy in which performers act in front
of a live audience, creating an interactive dependency. Jokes range
from short one-liners to longer monologues. The comedic form requires
a takeover the stage, in order for the comedian's material to "kill."
For women, the direct contact with the audience puts their womanhood
on display. Many female comedians choose to wear loose-fitting
clothing to take their femininity out of the spotlight.
Late night television
=======================
American late night television ('The Tonight Show', 'The Daily Show'
etc...) has been dominated by white men for almost its entire
existence. With the exception of 'Full Frontal' with Samantha Bee, no
woman has had a late night show on a major network of her own. The
platform allows a variety of comedic (monologues and shorts) and
political (interviews and exposés) opportunities.
Film
======
Film in general, as well as comedic film, continues to show the gender
imbalance of other forms of comedy. In 2014, a study found that there
were 2.24 male characters for every one female character. Of the
movies surveyed, 30.9% of the speaking characters were female.
Additionally, one of the major storylines in the film industry (the
romantic comedy), consistently follows traditional female roles, women
to searching for a male partner.
Gender imbalance
======================================================================
The gender imbalance between men and women can be found all over, even
on Wikipedia. The page: list of comedians show a much higher number of
males than females.
In pay
========
In the United States, there is a large gender gap between men and
women in comedy with regards to both pay and number. In 2014, all ten
of the top ten paid comedians were male, bringing in a total of $173
million. In 2016, one female entered the list: Amy Schumer, at number
two.
In appearances
================
A study in 2017 found a large gender imbalance in UK comedic panel
shows, with 31% of the appearances. However, the same study also found
marked improvement since 1989, when the statistic was 3%.
Additionally, the UK industry website Chortle lists 269 female
comedian as compared to 1,279 male comedians.
Imbalance can also be seen at the level of the comedy club. For
example, the prestigious New York comedy club Carolines featured 20%
female performers to 80% male in 2014. Within the writers room, gender
imbalance persists. Women made up 10 percent of writers working on the
top 250 domestic grossing films of 2010 and 15 percent of writers and
18 percent of creators in prime-time television during the 2010-2011
season.
In South Korea, of 70 comedic variety shows, 13 had all male hosts and
guests, and 23 with all male hosts, meaning that more than half of
these shows lack female hosts. Only two shows had all females hosts
and guests. Shows without hosts often try to model marriages by
pairing up male and female celebrities. While this does achieve some
sense of gender balance, it uses very traditional roles.
Gendering of humor
======================================================================
The early female figures in stand up, such as Phyllis Diller, were
able to enter the mainstream through their willingness to
self-deprecate and declare themselves ugly. Other early female
comediennes, such as Mae West and Helen Kane, used sex appeal to
attract male audiences. In other words, they were able to enter, but
on the terms of male comedians. More modern female comedians cite a
need to tailor their comedy to what men would find to be funny, with
change in this mentality only coming very recently.
In stand-up
=============
Stand up comedy, in particular, is described as a masculine art form.
The words that are used to describe success are often violent, such as
'killed' or 'annihilated.' The performer must take charge of the
stage, claiming it as their own via the phallic symbol of the
microphone. The structure of joke is often centered on an attack on
another party. The aggression that such an art form necessitates is
encouraged in males but discouraged in females.
Discrimination against women
======================================================================
In many societies around the world, a woman's role has affected her
flexibility in comedy. In countries that historically view women as
inferior to men, comedy is seen as a masculine discipline. The common
perception that women aren't funny pervades all aspects of comedy,
including stand-up, television, and movies. The comedy establishment,
influenced by patriarchal society, has relegated women to the "side of
tears and loss." Systematic sexism can be found at the level of
audience members, bookers, agents, and male comics. As a powerful
social tool, comedy brings women outside of the traditional role that
has been defined as theirs.
Women have experience everything from heckling audience members
calling them gendered terms like bitches or sluts, to being invited to
fake comedic festivals (so the organizer could have sex with the
female comedian), to being introduced in roasts as the girl that
"slept with one of the judges."
Feminist tool
======================================================================
Humor has been used a tool of feminism both for its ability to point
out patriarchy and the structures it creates as well as identify the
common female experience. A distinction must be made between female
humor and feminist humor. Female humor is self-deprecatory, turning
inwards to the performer herself. Feminist humor, by contrast, looks
outwards at the societal structures that demean women. It is
aggressive and pointed, using comedic language formerly reserved for
men only as a tool of liberation. Feminist humor is to be an agent of
change for women by drawing attention to their lowered position in
society.
Bing argues that for feminist humor to be most effective at its goal
of change, it should be inclusive, rather than divisive. Divisive
humor, or jokes that focus on male structures or male-bashing, do not
advance feminism, but rather continue to marginalize females.
Inclusive humor that riffs off of the shared experience of women, can
be subversive without the negative effects of divisive humor. Bing
continues to say that when humor falls into this inclusive comedy it
contributes to feminism by first, contradicting the age old stereotype
that women cannot be funny, and second, by undermining the status quo.
Humor itself can be used to make strong structural changes in a
society. Many times humor has been used to subvert hierarchical
structures. For example, the Guerrilla Girls used humor to point out
the patriarchal, unchanging nature of the Tony awards, which give the
majority of their prizes to men. It also functions to establish an
in-group (those making and understanding the joke) and an out-group
(those on the receiving end). Through this process, humor can create
solidarity within a group, but can also make another feel excluded.
For women, this can serve to strengthen them as a community.
Bangladesh
============
Outside of the United States, women have been having similar
experiences in their attempts to enter field of comedy, colored by
their own cultural influences. One such women is Farhana Muna, a
Bangladeshi Muslim comic. Her material is focused on Bangladeshi life
and culture, from parties to relatives commenting on weight loss.
According to Muna, she often feels constrained by what is deemed
appropriate or not for a Bangladeshi Muslim women. She must watch what
she says and wears. Muna reemphasized the sentiment that there is a
wider range of comedy acceptable for men. She has also faced criticism
for her actions, including her choice to not wear the hijab, with
people calling her a bad Muslim. However, she continues her comedic
work due to the community of women that she has met through it. Muna
sees comedy as a collective platform of expression, a way to share her
experiences in a relatable way.
India
=======
Women have been on the rise in India's comedy as recently as 2016. In
a country that has deeply entrenched patriarchal values, these female
comedians face great amounts of cultural animosity. Despite this
discrimination women such as Aditi Mittal and Neeti Palta have found
success in an industry that did not readily accept them.
South Korea
=============
In South Korea, female comedians do not encounter many comedic
opportunities. Only two television programs are completely hosted by
females, with the other major television opportunity being couples
shows. South Korean TV shows only offer gender balance when women are
in gendered roles. Producers see men as more advantageous hires as the
shows' audiences are majority women. Additionally, there was a worry
that audiences would react badly to strong women in television. As the
woman's movement grows in South Korea, so too do the opportunities for
women. Rather than featuring beautiful women as prizes to be won by
males contestants, new shows such as 'Sisters' Slam Dunk' (which
premiered in 2016) feature women working together to solve problems.
Phyllis Diller
================
One of the most prominent early figures in American female comedy,
Phyllis Diller made her comedic debut at the Purple Onion Comedy Club
in the 1950s. Her stand-up routines focused on the problems of the
suburban housewife, a previous unaddressed area by male comics. By
opening acknowledging her lack of physical attractiveness and by
incorporating self-deprecation into her routines, Diller was able to
enter comedy in a time when funny and attractive women were seen as
threatening. However, by confining her comedy to her inability to
fulfill her traditional role, she reinforced female stereotypes rather
than dismissing them.
Joan Rivers
=============
Joan Rivers (active from 1959-2014) was one of the first female
comedians to utilize the "talk/conversational" method, one that was
suited to television talk shows. Unlike Phyllis Diller, who was quite
unlike her comedic personality, the comedy of Joan Rivers more closely
reflected her personality. She often drew on her own personal
experiences as a self-proclaimed Jewish princess. Unlike her
predecessors, Rivers did not downplay her attractiveness, but rather
incorporated it into her riffs on life as a single woman. Still, her
comedy was focused on the traditional problems of a women (trying to
find a boyfriend and husband, being a good wife etc).
Jane Curtin
=============
Jane Curtin was a part of the inaugural class of Not Ready for Prime
Time Players on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1975. On SNL, she was the
anchor for Weekend Update and started in many well known skits
including 'Coneheads'. On Weekend Update, she served as the liberal