Do I laugh now? Image: Yohaan Creemers
I have never been able to quite make my mind up about positive discrimination or women only short lists. Obviously, obviously, what I want is for people to get jobs or rise to the forefront of politics or entertainment (are those two interchangeable? I fear so) on merit alone rather than because they are on the right side of general popular prejudices. But it seems difficult to smash such mindsets without force and, well, women only short lists.
One mindset that seems oddly to be increasingly widespread is the idea that women aren't funny. Worse, that women don't have much of a sense of humour. I wrote not that long ago (I seem to have a comedy subject only short list of writing ideas) about my disappointment in Jongleurs comedy club owner Maria Kempinska suggestion that women don't go to comedy clubs for love of comedy, but because they are merely accompanying their male partners – from whom they take their cue to laugh. In a discussion about misogyny becoming more and more fashionable on the stand up circuit Kempinska told Jenny Murray that: “women often go into comedy clubs because of their men.”
One mindset that seems oddly to be increasingly widespread is the idea that women aren't funny. Worse, that women don't have much of a sense of humour. I wrote not that long ago (I seem to have a comedy subject only short list of writing ideas) about my disappointment in Jongleurs comedy club owner Maria Kempinska suggestion that women don't go to comedy clubs for love of comedy, but because they are merely accompanying their male partners – from whom they take their cue to laugh. In a discussion about misogyny becoming more and more fashionable on the stand up circuit Kempinska told Jenny Murray that: “women often go into comedy clubs because of their men.”
It was just so deflating to hear a woman who has carved out a successful career in comedy – presumably for the love of it – to say women need a laughter prompt. As though Kempinska regularly saw women in the audience sitting there, dead eyed, as the comedian drew laughs from the male punters who occasionally nudged their lady companion: 'That was the punchline Munchkin, you can laugh now, remember just like we practised. There we go, just let the air escape in a staccato like fashion. Good girl.'
Kempkinska said this in a discussion with stand up comedian Michael J Dolan, who had recently taken out all the misogynist jokes from his set. It is a complicated question, why there aren't more women in comedy or why there aren't more successful women in comedy. It gets even more complicated we try to address the problem with solutions. This only implies funny, adult women need someone to hold their hands before they can reel off a joke. Everybody needs a thick skin or an overwhelming determination to do stand up, male or female.
Kempkinska said this in a discussion with stand up comedian Michael J Dolan, who had recently taken out all the misogynist jokes from his set. It is a complicated question, why there aren't more women in comedy or why there aren't more successful women in comedy. It gets even more complicated we try to address the problem with solutions. This only implies funny, adult women need someone to hold their hands before they can reel off a joke. Everybody needs a thick skin or an overwhelming determination to do stand up, male or female.
| Dolan has demonstrated support for women by removing misogyny from his set. Before anyone comments about women making jokes at men's expense – Dolan's zinger was about burying his girlfriend alive HAHAHA. Bit different from being rubbish at shopping for instance. How else can the comedy world make way for more women? | This could be called an all male short list but instead we call it the norm. the Default. |
Well, you know, looking back at recent comedy history, it wasn't so long ago that comedy was making a concerted effort to create a safer environment for women. In Ben Elton's documentary Laughing at the 80s Elton recalled that: “For a brief period, comedians made a conscious effort to avoid getting laughs by massaging popular prejudice – against women for instance, or gays, ethnic minorities, the poor, the disabled. I think perhaps that self-censorship has largely disappeared again. Easy options are sometimes being taken, often in the name of being bravely and boldly and shockingly post-modern and ironic. Bashing down the barriers of political correctness…barriers which, to my mind, were only ever there for 5 minutes in the first place anyway and which I never really saw as barriers, more as gateways…”
It is kind of infuriating to see that this year's Comic Relief – founded by Elton's sometime collaborator Richard Curtis and Lenny Henry – will feature an all male list of comics to host. This could be called an all male short list but instead we call it the norm. The default. I doubt anyone would notice or care like they do when there's more than one token women on a QI panel or Have I Got News For You.
I recently attended a workshop where one of the speakers said she no longer spoke at venues that were inaccessible. She realised this one woman boycott might not shake the world any time soon but it's a gesture that makes the people concerned think. It might seem churlish to boycott something that raises money for charity but you know what I would really like to see? What I think would make a difference? Male comedians boycotting men only lists.
Squeamish Kate
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It is kind of infuriating to see that this year's Comic Relief – founded by Elton's sometime collaborator Richard Curtis and Lenny Henry – will feature an all male list of comics to host. This could be called an all male short list but instead we call it the norm. The default. I doubt anyone would notice or care like they do when there's more than one token women on a QI panel or Have I Got News For You.
I recently attended a workshop where one of the speakers said she no longer spoke at venues that were inaccessible. She realised this one woman boycott might not shake the world any time soon but it's a gesture that makes the people concerned think. It might seem churlish to boycott something that raises money for charity but you know what I would really like to see? What I think would make a difference? Male comedians boycotting men only lists.
Squeamish Kate
Related Posts
Sheer or Cystitis: Which is Less Funny?
Women Unite, Take Back the Mic
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