Posted on 08/14/2006 8:00:16 AM PDT by Millee
How many truly funny women do you know? Seriously? Me, it's under six and the only chick I can think of who consistently makes me laugh is my cousin because she's just got no bottom line. She'll crack a joke about the most inappropriate topic, at the worst possible time, in front of the very people who'll get most insulted by it and, I'm sorry, that's just some funny shit. So, come on — name me some funny (not just slightly amusing) women? Jane Turner and Gina Riley are funny. Roseanne Barr was a good laugh in her prime. Dannii Minogue is absolutely hysterical in almost every interview she does but, somehow I don't think she intends it…
When I brought this topic up with a relatively amusing female colleague, she said it was all about commonalities. Men make men laugh because we're wired the same way.
Which is a fair call, but I just seem to have experienced more women laughing at men's jokes than the other way around.
In all the other arts there are standouts and megastars, regardless of sex: Madonna, Meryl Streep, Isabel Allende to name a few.
Who then are the female peers to the slay-them-in-the-aisles comics like Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Rodney Rude, and Bill Hicks?
Ellen de Generes and Whoopi Goldberg? Yikes.
I know I'm opening myself up here to accusations of misogyny (again) but really, women don't get called man-haters when they bring up obvious psychological differences between the sexes.
The problem as I see it, is that the art of story telling is not encouraged in girls like it is with boys.
Girls, then women, tend to talk about emotional issues with their friends while men tell tales/lies about their adventures, achievements and conquests.
Guys learn pretty quickly that if they're going to make their friends shut the hell up and listen for a few minutes, their story has to have a point of difference; a funny ending, some sort of killer twist, reversal or a piece of wisdom.
How many times has an over-excited woman told you about some "amazing experience" and when she gets to the end of the story, you're just sitting there blinking, thinking "holy crap, that's it?"
Women, by and large, are also more self-conscious than men and, I believe, the key to making people laugh is the ability to first laugh at yourself.
I don't think most women can do that: they take themselves too seriously. They take too much to heart. A self-deprecating woman is an oxymoron, but it's a given for a bloke.
So, let me have it.
It's all in the delivery.
ping!
Have you ever heard Nazi Pelosi or Babs Boxer speak??? You want funny? Just listen to either one of these natural morons...
Rita Rudner makes me laugh, but the author's observations have merit.
Whatever you might think of their politics and, ummm...lifestyle choices.
Erma Bombeck.
Lucille Ball & any of her female sidekicks.
Can't think of any current comediennes, though.
"Which is a fair call, but I just seem to have experienced more women laughing at men's jokes than the other way around."
Thats because we (women) dont want to make men feel bad by not laughing at thier stupid jokes.
I use'ta think Judy Tanuta was funny... nice cans too... for a lesbo.
Obviously, this moron never saw I Love Lucy.
Tea Leoni is hysterical. She had a short-lived sitcom a few years ago. There was one who used to drink out of the milk carton...can't recall her name.
talk about declining newspaper standards
Rosanne's early standup was funny. Then she got a TV show and went mental.
Ellen DeGeneres' early standup was funny. Then she got a TV show and went mental.
Brett Butler's early standup was funny. Then she got a TV show and went mental.
Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman were all funny on SNL. Gilda had a very funny standup routine post SNL. Jane got a TV show but didn't go mental.
pity laughes...is that all it is!!!!
Rita Rudner is awesome. She's quite funny, and glamorous as hell.
Some of my aunts are hysterically funny - but they're not famous. So I suppose that doesn't count. :-)
The older I get, the less I appreciate Erma Bombeck. Her hapless-housewife shtick was getting tired even in the '70s.
No, I think it does count! Everyone famous we've named has relatives, too, right?
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