Jezebel 
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New York, 1:58 AM
Mon Nov 30
18 posts in the last 24 hours
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09/14/09
How 'bout this: People(read:men) who say that women aren't funny have been, universally, in my experience, unfunny and misogynistic.
09/14/09
This is my difference with most of my straight white male friends -- they'll still laugh when someone calls someone else a faggot or a bitch because they do something vaguely feminine, or at the South Park episode where Hillary has a 'snude' (a nuke in her snatch). If its making fun of someone at their expense, that's where I draw the line, because I know what its like to be on the receiving end of sexist or racist humour. Its not that someone has made fun of me directly, say, its being in the same room when someone makes a sexist joke, and you're the only one who doesn't find it hilarious. Its even worse when other girls in the room laugh along with the guys, because they don't want to look as if they can't take a joke, or they're too sensitive.
Its always incredible to me how otherwise caring and compassionate people can not understand how certain kinds of humour can be genuinely offensive, because they have never been placed in a situation where they are part of the marginalized group. More women than men have had that experience, simply because they are female. Therefore, we're less likely to engage in mean-spirited jokes, because we generally know the damage it can do.
Of course, when we point out how some jokes probably shouldn't be told, we're considered too much of a buzzkill to be funny.
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As a comment made in a very specific framework, I think that she was right as far as summing up what they were all talking about -- which was professional funny people getting past caring if people didn't find them funny.
I don't follow Sarah but a lot of what I have seen of her work I've liked. It's perfectly valid not to like her, but when someone says "she just isn't funny" then that person is wrong. She isn't funny *to them* but a person can't decide for the planet on the funniness of another person.
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Maybe instead of making offensive statements about women, sexist men could just tell better jokes? They're just proving how humorless men must all be.
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I've known since I was 12 that many men find the Three Stooges and the fart scene in Blazing Saddles funny. Or fill in a more recent relevancy - aspects of South Park, Family Guy or Judd Apatow's movies.
So if I wanted to generalize from those examples I'd say men like broad, crude humor. Women like something a little more subtle.
But again, that'd be generalizing. Just like whatever oaf who says women aren't funny -just because women's humor is different than theirs.
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My opinion is that, like most things, men have a very narrow view of funny. Just like how novels about women's issues and lives aren't considered universal, our humor is easily swept aside if men don't deem it important to them. I've noticed that a lot of guys I interact just don't get my brand of humor--or they're so confused that they just think I'm being accidentally funny. Not to mention, when I first meet men, I always tone down the funny because those fuckers can't handle it. They ALL think they're funny and you can't be funny too because, well, biology or something. Therefore, men who don't just have female friends usually don't interact with women on a personal enough level to get to know our humor. Basically, like a lot of things, they get intimidated and insecure so they're in denial.
Their main argument is usually: Why are there more successful male comedians? As if they're not proving their own point with statements about how women in general are patently unfunny. Maybe if I ever meet Sarah I'll ask her what she thinks about that question.
09/14/09
He too thinks that me and ALL of his funny female friends (and he has TONS) are very rare examples of hilarious girls. Everyone else? Boring as a rock.
09/14/09
Whenever I heard the whole "there are more men comedians" thing, I make sure to respond with: "Why have we never had a woman president? Why are there more men in Congress and as CEOs of companies?" It's like they just can't imagine a world with institutionalized sexism and racism, and if they can, that this would extend to art and performance.
He also tried to tell me that evolutionarily, men have to be more funny to attract women and they have adapted because women find humor attractive. This is probably why all men like to THINK they're hilarious or TRY to be funny, but it doesn't mean every guy is funny because of evolution. You can defend almost any human behavior with evolution.
When my female friends and I are together, we say things we just wouldn't in front of guys. Just like groups of guys do the same, with inside jokes and routines--but this behavior is brought to us in movies and TV and media as the go-to funny behavior. I've heard tons of guys talk about how Ellen and Margaret Cho and Kathy Griffin are so unfunny, but just because they don't cater to you as an audience member doesn't mean they're unfunny! That's what pisses me off. Their critiques always have a tinge of cluelessness and sexism.
Um, sorry. I think I should probably go back to school so I can write about this for those who care (no one).
09/14/09
It isn't quite "get a sense of humor, you feminazis," but it still rubs me the wrong way.
09/14/09
Besides, for me, "offended" is too strong a word.
When Christopher Hitchens wrote his VF essay on how women can't be funny, I was annoyed that anyone would give creedence to such an obvious ploy to create "controversy", not ready to take sword in hand to defend the lady funnies. It's a lightweight issue and deserves a good, hard eyeroll, not much more than that.
But why is it necessarily grim and humorless to call bullshit by its name?
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I wouldn't have such a problem with her being not funny if she was unfunny in a way that was something other than her doing her best impression of a foul and untalented male comedian.
Luckily, I think there are many hilarious women who make up for her. Not as many as there should be, but a lot nonetheless.
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Shocker.
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This isn't even about her comedy. This is her making a very relevant point about comedy today. The fact that I clicked on this post and both of the comments were "oh, God, isn't she horrible," rightly pissed me off.
Does she kind of suck? Yes. Does that matter to the post at all? Not really.
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The other thing that I really find offensive about that statement is it's limiting. It only allows for one type of woman to exist in the/her comedic realm and that is the realm of "guy" (which I have put in quotes to indicate that it is not really only for the male sex) humor.
That is the only way in which I find her statement offensive. Maybe the other posters are trying to say, "she's not funny, so she has no right to call someone else unfunny for taking offense."
Sorry, it's the best I can come up with on the fly. Just trying to smoothe things over.
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