Girl-Power

One of the comedy user groups I frequent (by frequent I mean I read the posts but don't comment and instead silently scream at most of the stuff but am too chicken shit to post) had a long-running debate [debate in this instance means a trash-talking, poopy flinging free for all where nobody quite remembers what the topic was but they want to get in their zingers] on male versus female comics and who is funnier.

I think just by sheer numbers there are way more funny male comedians out there than females. How can it be 50/50 when there are probably 5 male comics working the clubs for every 1 female working the same rooms? It's just not physically possible, even using "new" math.

It's a rare evening, indeed, when I'm doing a show and there's another girl in the lineup. Usually it's me smack in the middle of 8 pretty-white guys, the one black guy and maybe an Asian. Of course they all figure I'm one of the other comics' old lady, and it's not 'til I get on stage that they realize that I might actually be doing comedy and not just being a pathetic open-mike groupie slut (that’s my day job). But that's not even the point of this blog entry.

I remember watching Season 2 of Last Comic Standing and a female comic got on stage and forgot what she planned to open with. The judges started throwing out topics, “your boyfriend is a jerk...relationships are hard,” something like that. Then they did a montage of female comics talking about relationships and dating..I decided then to leave all my relationship material behind and work on building up other bits. I didn’twant to feed into the stereotype that all female comics talk about is dating and their menstrual cycle, and I didn’t want to be seen as one of THOSE comics.

But what I’ve realized is that it’s not a stereotype. All comics, male and female, do material on relationships and dating, ‘cause it’s a universal subject and a huge pool for material. I went up one night and the five male comics ahead of me all talked about their girlfriends. So why should I throw out a bunch of killer material, just ‘cause some people roll their eyes at yet ANOTHER female comic talking about relationships?

And why should any subject be off limits based on a person’s gender? Just 'cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't talk about the hilarity that ensues while trying to write your name in the snow or showering with 12 guys after gym class.

Do I think some women take relationship and menstrual jokes too far? Yes. Are some hacks? Sure. Do some only get stage time 'cause they blow the booker? Absolutely. But you could totally say the same about the guys out there. So the entire argument is absurd.

I could go on, but I have cramps.