I firmly believe that stand-up comedy can be the very highest form of entertainment: at its best, the combination of story-telling, improvisation and interaction beats film, live music and theatre hands down. There, I’ve said it.
Sorry, Love
Last Friday, comic Jenny Collier experienced the problem that female comics face continually – her gig being cancelled because the venue didn’t want too many women on the bill (the promoter has since apologised). It’s not funny because it’s true.
Conservative Party
The audiences are as much to blame as the venue; apparently comedy-goers, not used to seeing many – if any – female comics, sometimes find it difficult to enjoy them.
(This has nothing to do with the idea that men are inherently funnier than women; they’re not. There have been many highly successful female comics through the years. Perhaps there are more because men find it easier to get up in front of a crowd and deliberately mess about.)
Keep It in Proportion
When I was a professional comic (2004 – 2006) male comics outnumbered female comics by about ten to one. Being on the same bill as a woman was pretty unusual, but a joy – as long as they were good, obviously – because they had a different perspective, and if you’re a true fan of any entertainment genre then you crave originality.
Ch-ch-changes
Comedy clubs: you need to bring your audiences kicking and screaming into the 21st century by getting on with the business of bringing funny people to your venues, regardless of who they are. Anyone who’s uncomfortable with the sight of a woman being funny on-stage are audience members you don’t need.