We at Her Campus Exeter want to have our say on Female comedians…
There is a common misconception that women are simply just not that funny. Lost in world of dominant stand up male comedians, where is the place for funny women in Britain? In a country where equal opportunities are promoted at every corner, why is there a female funny bone shaped gap on our televisions? Is it true, are women just not that funny?
Of course they are. We at HCX think that women can be, and are, extremely funny. Look at the feisty and fierce bunch of American ladies taking over the comedy scene one laugh at a time. Zooey Deschannel in the hit TV show ‘New Girl’ (An HCX favourite), ‘Park and Recreations’ star Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling in ‘The Mindy Project’ and who could forget the sassy women of ‘Orange is the New Black’? These are girls at the top of their game, demonstrating some undoubtable hilarity. They are blurring the boundaries; they are the anti-heroines who can be as daring as the men, making both sexes laugh in the process.
Each of these popular American TV shows celebrates funny woman. So why is British television still editing female comedians out of panel shows? Why does it continue to be unusual for Mock the Week to have two guest women?
The growing American culture of the televised independent funny woman just isn’t making an immediate impact on Britain. This is not to say us Brits haven’t produced a number of hilarious girls: the ladies of Absolutely Fabulous, The Vicar of Dibley and Gavin and Stacy have created nationwide laughter. We also have the exception of the (undoubtedly hilarious) Miranda Show and the UK’s favourite female stand up Sarah Millican. But where have the rest of the female comedians gone?
The answer is, they are right here. The British female comedy circuit is alive and kicking behind closed doors. It is often easy to forget the dingy comedy clubs that are on our high streets, but these have been the birthplace of many huge comedians and are continuing to produce great ones. Check out some of the rising female stars on the circuit: Aisling Bea, Lou Sanders, Katherine Ryan, Celia Pacquola, Nina Conti, Felicity and Tiff Stevenson who are just a few of a group of ladies with a seriously funny attitude.
YouTube them, follow them on Twitter and if they’re performing near you, head out and see them – who knows what future star you could be seeing! With their humorous take on life… why leave a night club in drunken tears when you can leave a comedy club in drunken hysterics? WHILST supporting Britain’s next generation of laughing leading ladies?
So why aren’t these girls hitting our TV screens? It is no secret that the world of TV is a machine for generating fame and popularity, often dominated by big named male comedians. But we think it’s time that the TV sector based their shows on what the public want to see; we want more women comedians on our screens.
At a time when Emma Watson’s viral UN speech has the world looking feminism in the face, we should expect a woman to grace 8 out of 10 Cats without being drowned out by the infamously predatory Jimmy Carr. Maybe The Miranda Show could develop some sassy sister shows, and finally we could even see two women on Mock the Week!
All we know for certain is one thing: the British female funny bone is not dead, it’s just preparing to storm into 2015.