Have no fear, there are no ukuleles here. This is a collection of my favorite funny female singers who happen to actually rock. I thought it would be a good way to end the year at FnS.
I want to thank all of our columnists and contributors and everyone has helped to make FnS a geat place to go for comedy by women. You have kept me laughing all year. Watch for the “Year of FnS” for our top 20 list of most viewed posts that I’ll publish sometime on the 1st.
Happy New Year!
Jacki Schklar
Margaret Cho
Kate Rigg – Slanty Eyed Mama
Killy Dwyer – Kill The Band
Jessica Delfino
Shayna Ferm and Carolyn Castiglia
Lady Scoutington
Penny Pollak – The BTK Band
Camille Harris
I appreciate this effort of recognizing women in comedy, however, unfortunately the only clip that stood out to me was Camille Harris’s. Her intelligent lyrics and repartee, not to mention her skill as a pianist and vocalist, make the other material appear amateur and at times vulgar. The best comedians are sometimes highly educated but always intelligent. For instance, the Monty Python clan and Stephen Fry were all educated at Oxford and Cambridge. Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, and Jon Stewart attended good American universities (UVA, Denison, and William & Mary respectively) and Canadian Colin Mochrie (who was his high school class valedictorian) are some of today’s most successful comedians with broad appeal. On the other hand, Wood Allen flunked out of university and is one of the most respected personalities known for his smart humour.
Now, the problem with the comedians I’ve referenced, is clearly that there is only one woman among them. So, I commend you for highlighting those trying to fill this void, but the accolades are really meant for Camille for attempting (and most emphatically succeeding) to perform material that should grant our comediennes a greater share of comedy’s spotlight.
Yeah, it’s really too bad I only graduated with honors from a lowly university called NYU. I mean, imagine the kind of comedy I could write if I had accepted my early admittance to the University of Chicago’s Economics program! If only I had been Valedictorian of my high school class (oh wait, I was)! And just think of all those years of gifted summer programs wasted!
Just because last year in a fit of anger over being constantly pigeonholed into the “sexy, but dumb” bit parts in my male-dominated comedy groups, I decided to write a rap parody that not only brought to light feminist issues but also made fun of the rap form itself (which is based upon absurd bravado), doesn’t mean that I’m dumb. Yeah, I told Christopher Hitchens to suck a dick, but if you can’t tell someone to suck a dick in a rap video, then what’s the point? I think part of being broadly appealing is not acting like you are too smart for everyone all the time. It’s okay to just have a bit of fun, especially when that bit of fun is at your own expense.
Well, Freddi. It sounds like you have a great CV. I wasn’t insulting your intelligence nor any of the other women listed here. I just meant that some of the best comedy comes from intelligent people – not that those things are mutually exclusive. For me, comedy doesn’t necessarily have to cover cerebral topics and is often times very silly. In fact, I’m a big fan of silly. (Ever seen a little skit called “The Ministry of Silly Walks”?)
And I agreed with many (and from memory, probably all) of the issues you highlighted in your video, I just didn’t find it that funny. I do of course understand that it was satirical and not expected to evoke side-bending laughter, but I just found that it wasn’t really anything that hasn’t been said before and wasn’t presented in a way I haven’t seen before, which is usually the recipe for comedy that suits my palette. On the other hand, it’s important that your video’s message is spread, so I’m glad that people like you do what you do.
And finally, I don’t wish failure on anyone: I really hope you do succeed. So try to remember that I’m just one person and you’re not always going to please every one, and you wouldn’t have made this list if other people didn’t find you funny.
All the best.
You lost a majority of respect from me by blocking youtube comments on the video that you posted.
Is Anne Della Gaurdia serious? She can’t possibly be serious? Is this a troll?
Freddi,
I loved the rap video, but I went to an SEC school so my opinion doesn’t matter a whole lot. Please do NOT tell Anne Della Guardia that I did a PSA video on the dangers of Vaginitis, and then posted it on my blog. She would be so upset.
Why not a rap about you trying to be funny but failing miserably in a funny way? Then you’d be playing within the stereotype to disprove the stereotype. A rap about self-empowerment doesn’t really play.