Women and comedy?

Question

John Belushi supposedly said that women don't belong in comedy because they aren't funny. I think he may be right, in a way - probably the Marx Brothers, Monty Python and many other comedy acts wouldn't have been nearly as popular or successful if they'd been women.

Imagine a not terribly attractive woman who has a funny walk, waggles her eyebrows and spouts innuendo at all attractive or rich men in the vicinity. Or Belushi himself - would anyone want to see a movie where his female equivalent (who's described as "offensive-smelling") danced and sang with her sister while on the run from her very attractive ex-fiancé?

Would that be funny? Why? Why not?

Answer 1

Men and women like different types of humor. For example, how many men like "The Three Stooges" while many women don't?

Answer 2

hehe do you watch recent "tina fey" episodes of saturday night live?  How about sarah silverman..

how about kirstie alley...she can be pretty d**n funny!

woman are the best comics because a lot of them are cynical as h**l.  Men are just stupid comics (for the most part...although there are men who are funny too belushi, lange, 80's eddie murphy)

marx bro???

monty python (only monty pythons holy grail is mildly amusing)

you must like that british humor which is a totally different category itself

but that blue collar c**p and all those generic fat guys ...

mencia's def running out of material..he was only funny for one series

i think a lot of male comics are very typical and annoying really.

Answer 3

Kathy Griffin is really funny and she's a women.

Answer 4

Nah, women can be funny. There are plenty of examples of good female comediennes. Kathleen Madigan is funny.

But I think the average woman in everyday life takes herself more seriously than the average guy, so there may be a grain of truth in that statement.

Answer 5

Well, there are funny women and funny men and not all people think gross humor is funny.  I personally don't think Belushi was that "funny" he was gross I think to men he was great b/c he was ugly and pudgy and crude and he still go hot women in the movies and in real life.  So men think that they can do the same it gives them hope.  Although in the real world crude and crass people no matter their size are not funny and not attractive.  If he wasn't a movie star and wasn't incredibly rich would he have been able to be with those women?  Hmmm...

Answer 6

Yes there are funny women but women in generally aren't very funny compared to both the sheer amount of humourous men and the number of top tier legendary comics.

Answer 7

Monty Python had two women attached to the troupe: Carol Cleveland and Connie Booth. Connie Booth went on to be in "Fawlty Towers." "Absolutely Fabulous" was one of the most successful comedic shows ever in the U.K., and it was written by women.

There are plenty of women with strong comedic talent. Lucille Ball was the godmother of U.S. female comediennes and paved the way for Carol Burnett and all the women who came after.

I think Belushi was being ignorant and sexist when he made the comment, and I think those who perpetuate it are indulging in sexist generalizing, as well.

Answer 8

Because women are judged more for their looks than their personality/humor. Which is stupid. There are alot of funny women out there.

I saw a "heavier" female stand up comedian in New York and she was so funny. I later saw her on Comedy Central.

Lisa Lampanelli makes it work. She's a big girl and vulgar, and I think she's hilarious.

I love Kathy Griffin. Margaret Cho made it work.

It's also less acceptable for girls to say some things. Some people like it, others are turned off by it. Even just cursing.

Answer 9

I think there have been some very funny women in comedy.  'I Love Lucy' is one of the funniest TV shows ever made, I have watched it over and over again and it still makes me laugh.  Lucille Ball was absolutely brilliant in that.  Gracie Allen was pretty funny in the Burns and Allen Show, of the same vintage, with George Burns as her bemused straight man. 'I married Joan' with Joan Davis, another 50s comedy show is one I've never actually seen, but my brother remembers it with great affection, he thought Joan Davis was very funny in that.

In more recent times, I thought Golden Girls was pretty funny, and Absolutely Fabulous.  dinnerladies, the series written by Victoria Wood with a cast consisting mainly of women, is one of my all-time favourite comedy shows.  I thought Patricia Routledge created a pretty funny character in Hyacinth in Keeping Up Appearances.

There may be fewer great comediennes than there are comedians, but they are around.