University gigs - Why young crowds generally hate women

ruff · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 387 Location: London

whereas by the time you're my age you're just used to asking people out
and them saying No ...to the extent that you realise that most of them are actually flattered
to be chatted up even by an ugly twat.

ahh Rolling Eyes

javascript:emoticon(':roll bless you
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Andreas · Joined: 09 May 2006 Posts: 307 Location: London

I happen to find female comedians unfunny more often than I find male comedians unfunny.

This may be because I less frequently relate to the material of a female comedian.

This does not mean that I will refuse to laugh if I do find a female comedian funny.

Sarah Silverman seems to be quite funny. Ellen Degeneres is quite funny. I have laughed at them both.
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Little Bird · Joined: 12 Nov 2008 Posts: 4

I wonder if drink might have something to do with it?

Most British stand up is watched in a context where drink is taken, and perhaps more nuanced - or more feminine - comedy is less welcome to a brain fuddled to some extent by alcohol. Even the less laddish male comics like Eddie Izzard had to get out of the Store/rooms above pubs and into the theatres & art centres before his stuff started to gel.

The original post was specifically about women acts going down badly with student audiences... might it be relevant that student audiences get pissed even quicker than other comedy audiences?

imac hunt · Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 3396 Location: London

Have you seen this article?
http://www.chortle.co.uk/correspondents/2008/10/24/7663/women%3A_were_just_not_funny._period

Spankabuttux · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 216

1. Please don't post on such old forum comments, as I get sucked in and feel a need to read from the start which takes ages (I was going to read Mein Kampf tonight, no time now).

2. The only way to clear the argument is for a male and a female comedian to perform the same set to similar audiences a few times, and guage the responses.
A less accurate, but easier idea is to watch a set and picture the other gender deliver it as you watch; i.e. watch Ricky Gervais' Animals and imagine it performed by Josie Long.

(Although I do accept that each gender has its own subject strengths.)
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Spankabuttux · Joined: 24 Oct 2008 Posts: 216

nevillehubball · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 91 Location: Birmingham

maybe you remind them of their mums?

I mean if they're uni students then they've only recently left home and they don't want their "mum" on stage telling them jokes.

Either that or it's because they have seen Gina Yashery somewhere.
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Anthony Miller · Joined: 21 Jun 2001 Posts: 11023 Location: Chavdon

They can't get a shag?
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Khartoun · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 120

[quote="nevillehubball"]
Either that or it's because they have seen Gina Yashery somewhere.[/quote]

How come nobody on these forums seems to like Gina Yashere?

I met her once and she was really nice to me!

Khartoun · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 120

[quote="imac hunt"]Have you seen this article?
http://www.chortle.co.uk/correspondents/2008/10/24/7663/women%3A_were_just_not_funny._period[/quote]

Just read this article.

What a load of bollocks.

So stand up is like fucking the audeince in the throat is it? What a weird comparison.

Seriously, that article was shit.

imac hunt · Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 3396 Location: London

Khartoun · Joined: 26 Oct 2008 Posts: 120

I agree that there is aggression in stand up comedy - in fact without a certain type of aggression we couldn't get on stage at all and be, or at least appear, relaxed.

But I do feel that article went to far, claiming that stand up is not only akin to violence to the audience, but somehow akin to a sexually violent encounter in which the comedian dominates.

Fuck knows what that makes heckling.... Shocked

Marty Rogers · Joined: 27 Feb 2009 Posts: 114

I just don't find women funny. Period!

nevillehubball · Joined: 05 Jul 2008 Posts: 91 Location: Birmingham

mariana · Joined: 03 Mar 2009 Posts: 27

The article about women comics was crap. Near pointless. But, there was one salient point, and let me work up to it:

Standup isn't the beach where you want people to look at you because you're cute. A comic should approach their work in a genderless fashion. You want the audience to, as the article said, literally "be your bitch." What that means is you control them, not vice versa. You want their undivided audial attention.

Every audience is different. Sometimes vastly. A woman comic must learn that being nice and saying a friendly "hello" helps your set (as some vapid respondee pointed out early in this thread (and unfortunately, it was a woman and thus furthered the misnomer that women are not, when it comes to comedy, funny or profound)).

Be bold, work with confidence (even if your schtick is appearing woody allenesque - that is unsure of yourself, weak, stupid, whatever - be confident in your choice). Have a number of good responses to hecklers always at the ready because as a woman, chances are more than likely that some drunken sod of a bastard will pick on just because you are.

Put them in their place and you earn the extra dividend.