Dear Saira

You've got me thinking: What makes anything funny? For me, the funniest stuff is the contrast between what we wish things to be and what they really are, when it's heavily seasoned with pain and cooked in the juices of having to carry on any way, no matter how you feel. And both men and women do this all the time. So do men and women handle this kind of miserable situation differently, with men making fun / art of it, and women not? I don't think so.

The funniest person I know of right now is Craig Ferguson. One reason I react so well to his humor is I watch him when I'm working very late, and I don't want to be working. So his bursting of various balloons is hilarious to me, because I want to be bursting a few balloons of my own. It's vicarious satisfaction. Beyond that, he's sharp, subtle, witty, silly, compassionate and smart as hell. Do I know any women like that? Yes, but they're not on TV. The funniest women are immensely self-deprecating, just as Ferguson is. There are plenty of funny women around, in entertainment and in regular life. Maybe the pros don't get the best publicists?

Thanks for a thought-provoking post that combines entertainent with gender politics, and, implicitly, biology. I'm sorry I don't have more time to think about it actively. It will lurk in my subconscious for some time to come.

love, Heath

Xtreme Bad Woman Power

Liberation way
Woman used
Exaggerated provocation
No middle path found

The other side around
Looking false maturation
In fake laughing of self plastic-satisfaction
Nothing funny, not laughable.

------

scarlettamoretti: (from YouTube)

"If you are a girl and you like these air-heads, I would just like to personally thank you for putting us back only a century or two of hard-working true feminism. You should be admiring women who actually did something with their lives, you want to see a girl who didn't need a man? Take a look at Marie Curie, the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, for goodness' sake, real women who worked hard and achieved something contructive instead of just making money by being attractive."...

Dear Saira

Far too often I hear(both male and female)) tear down famous and successful women, not just comediens, but others like Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Martha Stewart, Opra Winfrey, Barbara Walters and others.

Prime example: The recent public flap between Rosie O'Donnel and Donald Trump. I, personally, am a bigger fan of Rosie than The Donald. She can be quite funny at times, abrasive too, and he can be annoying, abrasive and not funny at all. The question then becomes why is she considered to be more abrasive by some and somehow should be punished and not him? Is it considered male priviledge? Why are successful women so seemingly hated?

Why are jokes based on male experiences (penis jokes etc) considered funny and receive no censure while jokes of female experiences (sagging tits etc) considered gross. Or like in your example of Debra Messing---dare a woman actually fart? OMG, how could Grace possibly do that?

It is still a male dominated world(No offense intended to any male)with male dominated attitudes and many simply dismiss successful women as "I hate that bitch" My opinion is that some women can see beyond this in a more inclusive manner than men and accept successful people of all stripes more readily. I am in no way saying that men do not. Maybe that was the underlying intent in Ms. Dratch's comment regarding Will Ferrell.

Time permitting, will post more later. This should be interesting.

Bonnie

narcissism:

An excessive preoccupation with one’s own personal importance. Many psychologist will only use the word narcissism when the interest in one`s own body is of such a kind that it makes the person handicapped in his sexual or social relations to other persons.

misogynist:

Misogyny is an exaggerated aversion towards women. In feminist theory, misogyny is recognised as a political ideology similar to racism or anti-Semitism, existing to justify and reproduce the subordination of women by men. The etymology of misogyny comes from the Greek and means to hate (misein) woman (gyne).

Bitch - Sexual subordinacy:

In the context of prison sexuality, a bitch is a lower-hierarchy prisoner, typically physically weak or vulnerable, who is dominated by more senior prisoners and forced to adopt a servile role. According to convention, these inmates are used as sexual slaves or traded as personal property. To call a male a "bitch" usually suggests that he is sexually passive in this manner.

hysterical:

Marked by excessive or uncontrollable emotion; "hysterical laughter"; "a mob of hysterical vigilantes". Hysteria is a diagnostic label applied to a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses. People who are "hysterical" often lose self-control due to the overwhelming fear.

-----

There are differences between men and women. A joke is not the same depending on the place, the time, the surrounding, the peoples, the lips and the mood of the person telling the story.

A woman saying "fart" is not the same as a man saying "fart", why not?. The feminine hold a fine grace, naturally in her emotions. As a man, I personally try to reach to same fin level of emotions that women hold... that was killing my "man virility" energy. A big mistake.

I am a sensitive person, open with my emotions but I admit that women can quickly reach a higher level without too much difficulties. So I have to let go at some point and trust the other. It's hard on the Ego.

Human-duality has to be re-enforced from their own different characteristics while linked with this mystical link called spirit-love... All this Blog is about the wake-up call of the link. Because without it, separation is proclaiming itself as the only reality and sufferance is the consequence. Not funny at all.

Let's Face the Music and Dance

With a little something else that kill and bring birth...

Totally agree with you about Hitchens's remarks re: women and comedy. I also agreed with the reviewer of Hitchens's recent book about organized religion who said something along the lines of, "This is a well-written, well-argued book, it's just unfortunate that it is written by Christopher Hitchens because it comes with all the baggage associated with him." Nevertheless, I came across this clip this morning and it reminded me of why he is (or can be) a valuable and important voice in the political dialogue: The Left just doesn't have any attack dogs - not like the Right where it has essentially become an acknowledged, accepted mode of discourse. Not that I'm saying we want to foster a pugilist mentality in all writers and thinkers, but after watching this clip I am glad to have someone like Hitchens who is not only willing to go into the lion's den, but to acquit himself so impressively in the process. Dude is getting from three sides at once and never looks remotely rattled - impressive.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/05/17/hitchens-brutally-eulogizes-falwell-on-hannity-colmes/

If he'd just stick to doing conservative talk shows I'd be his biggest fan :-)

Hello Saira and Everyone,

saira asks,"Why don’t men think women are funny? Is it as simple as sexism? Or is there something else going on? Why do most – if not all --- leading comedic roles in Hollywood go to men?"

Why don't men think women are funny...because they are men, period. They also do not think women should earn as much as they do, they also do not think a women can lead a Nation, or run a Corporation, run a Church, say a Mass or direct a movie or whatever..men love men, really. Yes, it is simple sexism..Most leading roles go to men because the the folks buying the most movie tickets love the teenage adolescent boy humor of the Will Ferrell's the Ben Stiller's the Adam Sandler's...really, you have to pay me...lots to sit through their movies..Adam has stretched his roles over the years..but still I am not a fan..

God, Blades of Glory. Who sees that kind of crap?
It did well at the box office, I heard. But, really, when I saw the ads for that movie I knew that American has regressed, seriously regressed in what we take for humor and funny...yep, we might as well just "moon" one another on friday nights while driving down main street for entertainment..it would save us the price of a movie ticket..

btw...Paula Poundstone had two comedy specials on the Comedy Channel and both were brilliant..no one plays of an audience like Paula...laugh out loud funny...don't miss if you see a listing for her...

have a great day ruth

Sairaaji
Never one to comment on gravity issues, but heah give me a chance. I figure women are made by nature for real serious things. They have more center of gravity than males and thats why its difficult to change/drift/flip them with an equal effort,lol. You guys are designed for taking labour pain and your longeivity of life is more than us. They say laughter is a big medicine to increase your life's longeivity. Imagine you people laughing more and increasing your already long life,not fair...lol, bye