We recently learned that it has been confirmed (confirmed!) that the male and female brain are totes different. Ragini Verma, a researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, commented that the findings support stereotypes such as the idea (now fact) that the male brain is made up of slugs, snails and puppy dog tails and the female brain is sugar and spice and multitasking. "If you look at functional studies, the left of the brain is more for logical thinking, the right of the brain is for more intuitive thinking. So if there's a task that involves doing both of those things, it would seem that women are hardwired to do those better...Women are better at intuitive thinking. Women are better at remembering things. When you talk, women are more emotionally involved - they will listen more."
Dean Burnett has critiqued these findings in more detail, cynicism and science here. It's always hard to know how to react to such stories. Partly because no doubt hot on the heels of these results will be another study which highlights the similarities between the male and female brain; partly because it is difficult to know whether difference is good or bad to acknowledge in these situations.
Emotional involvement, social skills, they aren't as highly regarded as logical thinking. Therefore what you end up with is a limiting sweeping statement that announces what men can be good at and what women can be good at - down to the capacity of their brain.
Emotional involvement, social skills, they aren't as highly regarded as logical thinking. Therefore what you end up with is a limiting sweeping statement that announces what men can be good at and what women can be good at - down to the capacity of their brain.
| However if such information is treated properly, pointing out differences needn't be limiting. As co-author of the study Ruben Gur notes: "It's quite striking how complementary the brains of women and men really are." | The continued absence of women from comedy panel shows demonstrates a lack of interest in what women have to say |
Which leads us to the age old question - if men are more logical, and women more intuitive... who is funnier? It might seem a little frivolous but this is an important question related to how much exposure (heh) women get on TV, for instance on panel shows. The continued absence of women from comedy panel shows demonstrates a lack of interest in what women have to say about current affairs and a suspicion they can't think on their feet and by funny.
The BBC has informed producers that there is "no excuse" for not having women on comedy panel shows, which fail to meet the new gender representation objectives of the BBC Trust.
BBC executive Mark Linsey, said: "Comedy panel shows are always better for having a good mix of people and of course that must include women. I'm making it clear to production teams that there's just no excuse for delivering all male guest lists."
The gloriously funny and talented Rebecca Front just oozes confidence in her abilities and spoke to the Telegraph about women in humour, panel shows and her claustrophobia. To get in a lift would be impossible, to present Have I Got News for You? No problem. Asked about female humour Front said: "You get a group of women together and they laugh and joke and are hilarious. But sometimes in mixed company they get intimidated into silence, although that is changing, too."
Jo Brand among other women comics have noted they do not enjoy the competitive atmosphere that comes with guesting on comedy panel shows, the guest presenter slot HIGNFY suiting Brand more as she is expected to take control. Speaking at Brunel University at the launch of the university's new comedy studies centre comedian Lee Mack stressed how much more he enjoyed panel shows that featured women who will interact instead of compete to get their material out.
Front suggested she did not experience anxiety about panel shows because: "I've got quite a blokey sense of humour. I'll speak up and shout, tell anecdotes and be rude."
Can you really sex a humour? When discussing her mental health and phobias Front said something that would be far more helpful when also applied to humour: "There's this whole attitude - 'I'm normal and the rest of the world isn't!' - but none of us is completely normal and that’s what’s interesting about us. To be normal is the abnormal."
Although if it absolutely came down to it, now we know women have better memories we might have the edge as at least we'll remember our comedy routines.
Squeamish Kate
The BBC has informed producers that there is "no excuse" for not having women on comedy panel shows, which fail to meet the new gender representation objectives of the BBC Trust.
BBC executive Mark Linsey, said: "Comedy panel shows are always better for having a good mix of people and of course that must include women. I'm making it clear to production teams that there's just no excuse for delivering all male guest lists."
The gloriously funny and talented Rebecca Front just oozes confidence in her abilities and spoke to the Telegraph about women in humour, panel shows and her claustrophobia. To get in a lift would be impossible, to present Have I Got News for You? No problem. Asked about female humour Front said: "You get a group of women together and they laugh and joke and are hilarious. But sometimes in mixed company they get intimidated into silence, although that is changing, too."
Jo Brand among other women comics have noted they do not enjoy the competitive atmosphere that comes with guesting on comedy panel shows, the guest presenter slot HIGNFY suiting Brand more as she is expected to take control. Speaking at Brunel University at the launch of the university's new comedy studies centre comedian Lee Mack stressed how much more he enjoyed panel shows that featured women who will interact instead of compete to get their material out.
Front suggested she did not experience anxiety about panel shows because: "I've got quite a blokey sense of humour. I'll speak up and shout, tell anecdotes and be rude."
Can you really sex a humour? When discussing her mental health and phobias Front said something that would be far more helpful when also applied to humour: "There's this whole attitude - 'I'm normal and the rest of the world isn't!' - but none of us is completely normal and that’s what’s interesting about us. To be normal is the abnormal."
Although if it absolutely came down to it, now we know women have better memories we might have the edge as at least we'll remember our comedy routines.
Squeamish Kate
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