Okay. I'm not as caught up by the idea of one gender being funnier than the other, but more about why the comedy field is so male dominated on stage. In its simplest form, when we hashed it out among our improv group, it was basically that being funny (especially where wit is not concerned) isn't ladylike. For that matter, neither is surrendering to humour.
However, ladylike is less and less of a concern these days, but it still takes a while for a pendulum to swing. I'm willing to posit it's notably a societal phenomenon, and not anything in our nature.
Back to this Hitchens guy:
There are more terrible female comedians than there are terrible male comedians,
Really? I can only go from Montreal open mike nights, but those were full of guys trying to flex their humour muscles--I'd say that the hack comedian population skewed more male than the people actually respected. Montreal-wise, anyway.
but there are some impressive ladies out there.
A generous concession.
Most of them, though, when you come to review the situation, are hefty or dykey or Jewish, or some combo of the three.
As far as I can tell, hefty's code word for "wouldn't bang her sober." Speaking as a woman with a bit of a thing for the comedy...it's not field filled with Adonises either.
it could be that in some way men do not want women to be funny. They want them as an audience, not as rivals
This I have experienced. Won't argue with it. However, it applies to other male dominated areas I've been in. So not very special.
Men can tell jokes about what happened to John Wayne Bobbitt, but they don't want women doing so.
And? PMS jokes go over better among women when told by women. See also: gay jokes, "black people can be so..." jokes.
Damn. I meant to go on, but there's so much that needs quoting, and my head really hurts.
Okay, one more and then I'm going to go lie down...
Whereas with a man you may freely say of him that he is lousy in the sack, or a bad driver, or an inefficient worker, and still wound him less deeply than you would if you accused him of being deficient in the humor department.
REALLY? I think that begs for a survey.
I think that whole article can basically be summed up by "the wimmins don't seem to find my drunken advances as charming as they clearly are - whatever could be the problem?"
Nope. Monday, probably.
Awesome. I will likely confess later that I did already buy the book, and offer to send the other two back to you if you want them.
Dear Christopher Hitchens: @@
Okay. I'm not as caught up by the idea of one gender being funnier than the other, but more about why the comedy field is so male dominated on stage. In its simplest form, when we hashed it out among our improv group, it was basically that being funny (especially where wit is not concerned) isn't ladylike. For that matter, neither is surrendering to humour.
I'm willing to posit it's notably a societal phenomenon, and not anything in our nature.
OK, this is what I wanted to talk about. I go to 1-2 comedy shows a week, and they are by and large male-dominated. There are more funny male performers than females, IME. (However, there is nothing preventing women in the NY comedy scene from getting stage time, and there are scores of talented ladies on the scene. Amy Poehler is just one example.) But Bob and I think that it's because many groups of adolescent males prize a sense of humor, and that's rarely the case with girls growing up. Plus, one of the few points Hitchens can be credited with, it's a more successful romantic strategy for guys than for girls.
There are more terrible female comedians than there are terrible male comedians,
Really?
Agree with you that this has to be false on absolute numbers alone.
Most of them, though, when you come to review the situation, are hefty or dykey or Jewish, or some combo of the three.
The tone here is classic Hitchens, and again, completely false. And what does "dykey" even mean in this context? Does he mean lesbian comediennes who were in the closet for a long time? Is that dykey? (I'll go ahead and say he must mean Rosie O'Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres.)
Also, he gets the only factual thing in his article (the Stanford study) so wrong it makes me dizzy.
Today I was told that they want to hire me at the place I've been working at, and I've agreed to it because I'll get benefits and paid days off again. Of course, I'll have to search for something else sooner or later, because I'm not making as much money as I'd like, but it's all right for now.
And what does "dykey" even mean in this context?
It means that if Christopher Hitchens doesn't want to have sex with you, it doesn't matter whether or not you're funny.
Bob and I think that it's because many groups of adolescent males prize a sense of humor, and that's rarely the case with girls growing up
I totally agree. Boys try to crack each other up, in my experience, more than girls do. I basically think it's nurture than nature, but I haven't yet done a survey.
I find that I am overtly socially rewarded for being funny these days, but only from other women. Not saying that guys don't like it--just that they're not wont to "ita's so funny! I like her!"
I do like funny in the menfolk. Really truly and badly. I even like "guy" humour executed properly (with wit, originality or just plain baseness--which is probably a chick-oriented definition of properly).
Today I was told that they want to hire me at the place I've been working at, and I've agreed to it because I'll get benefits and paid days off again.
Whoo! Benefits good! One might even say they're beneficial!
I am surrounded by funny people of all genders. Maybe it's what you grow up with. My Mom can't tell a joke to save her life but she is funny as hell.
