June 20, 2007
Help A Sistah Out: Broad Minded Comedy
A few years back, Diana Saez was an endangered species in the city's female comedy circuit. She and a few others dropped abortion, lesbian and self-deprecating body image jokes at Dremo’s, Rendezvous and other weekly stand-up gigs. They were typecast as female comics, and had to play that card to get attention. It was an era when Janeane Garofalo was probably the only "real" chick comic on anyone's radar.
But that crop of talent has quickly blossomed in Washington, and with so many comics with XX chromosomes moving into the scene, Saez and her cohorts have created the city’s first all-female, all-local stand-up show.
“Broad Minded Comedy” debuts tonight at HR-57’s Riot Act Comedy Club. While its reference to "broad" could be interpreted as anything from invoking promiscuous women to broad-chested females, above all this show is really about broad-mindedness. Beyond Saez, the show includes Andrea Fuller, the token mother; Leslie Cooley, a self-proclaimed whirling dervish of “expression, style and humor"; Aparna Nancherla, the newest girl in the D.C. comedy scene; and an old hand, Erin Jackson, known for her pearly white infomercial-caliber smile. Saez has been urging everyone in sight to “help her sistahs out,” and support the bastion of girl power. Of course, the boys are invited, too, cooties and all.
Broad Minded Comedy will begin with one show, but if -- or more like when -- it becomes a big deal, it might be a weekly fixture at Riot Act Comedy Club. The show is at 8:30 p.m. and admission is $12. Tickets can be purchased on their web site by clicking “tickets” or by calling 202 625-6229.
Riot Act Comedy Club at HR-57
1610 14th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
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Not to turn the clock back on feminism, but... I've never much enjoyed female comics, with the possible exception of Margaret Cho and Sarah Silverman (and even then it wears thin), and my experience has been that women in general just aren't as funny as men. I think it's a sociocultural thing, and maybe, god willing, it's beginning to change, but I've found that women seem to be more easily offended by edgy humor and female comics generally aren't as willing to push the envelope in terms of their jokes, presentation, etc., as male comics are. Are there other women out there who feel the same, or am I just kind of a misogynist?
Christine,
No, I wouldn't say you're a misogynist. There is plenty of bad/subpar female comedy out there. I'm not going to argue with that.
In fact, just last weekend, SNL had a great clip spoofing "typical" female comedians.
However, part of it is a numbers game. Overall, there are less female comedians than male comedians. I'm not even going to go into why I think that is (don't even get me started). But by proportion, it seems as though females are less funny than their male counterparts. However, I think we can all agree on the fact that, regardless of gender, there are a lot of bad comedians out there, period.
This particular show's name is not a coincidence. It's asking people to put aside their assumptions and be open-minded. Not on what's funny. Because let's face it, funny is funny. I would encourage you to come out tonight if you can. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Thanks for reading,
Aparna
Hey Christine--are you actually female, or are you just an asshole trying to undercut this very funny and talented group of comedians (who happen to be female) performing tonight? There are a lot of shitty male comics out there, too, but male comics as a whole aren't judged based on the performance of individual male comics--so why are you judging female comics as a whole based on the performance of individual female comics you've seen? Suspend your prejudices for a night, see the show, then comment...
Janeane Garofalo can be funny when she's not being a shrill harridan.
And this monkey always gets a chuckle watching the windtunnel-sculpted silicon-based lifeform known as Joan Rivers. Although it's mostly a kind of tragically comic/comically tragic laugh, like when a clown dies.
Did Christopher Hitchens put us all right on this?
Chicks ain't funny.
Chicks ain't funny.
I think we should dub today's spate of comments 'Broad Generalizations.' Yeesh.
HR-57 is a nonprofit stage named after a Congressional bill honoring Jazz. So what's with stand-up comedy? Granted, Congress often features comedy, but it gets a direct federal subsidy. So why should HR-57 present it? What's next, jugglers and mimes?
Katie --
I am actually female, and I am legitimately trying to gauge whether other females feel the same way about female comics. I made it very clear that my comment was a generalization (see "in general, "generally"), and probably a harsh one at that (thus the closing line), but have this nagging suspicion that I can't be the only one who feels that way. Sorry for saying what's on my mind, and thanks for implying that I'm an asshole for doing it.
See, that's the funny thing about humor (HA!). I don't think it's a case of "women aren't funny" so much as people find different things funny. I know plenty of people of both genders who can't stand Monty Python and think The Simpsons is just stupid. Then you go overseas and find people laughing at stuff that Americans would finder borderline retarded (and not in the good Special Olympics way).
The question should be: what do women find funny and who are the female standups playing to this subject matter? Because it sure as hell aint Paula Poundstone.
Women can be certainly just as funny as men, but a lot of women tend to go more towards the writing end of comedy rather than the stand-up end. I think women tend to make better comedy when it's written, but that's just me. There's only one or two female comics that ever did it for me, I've always loved Laura Kightlinger and Sarah Silverman, but couldn't stand Margaret Cho.
Pee Ess: I briefly dated one the comics on that bill. Very cool and funny girl, but we lost touch. I've been meaning to come to one of her shows (not to stalk her or anything - she actually was REALLY funny)
I think we can all agree that 90% of female comics are crap.
Well GUESS WHAT? 90% of everything is crap.
And probably about 8% of crap is funny, I'd say.
So we're not lookin too bad afterall are we. NO MA'AM.