by Cory Kahaney

Here we go again…my phone is ringing because some funny laaaady is getting lots of attention. In this case it’s ladies, and the movie is Bridesmaids. Someone is doing a piece on why this all female comedy is such an ‘anomaly’, and they want a female comic’s perspective. They always call me, they even called me when Nancy Pelosi became speaker of the house, to which I had to remind them, wasn’t a joke. Don’t get me wrong I am flattered that they still have me on the short list to call but the questions get really old.

“Why so few female comedians?” that’s how it always starts. And I dread this question not because it’s a dumb question, which it is, but because when I answer it honestly: “well, there are plenty, you just don’t see them” I end up sounding defensive. Over the years I’ve tried using other personalities to answer the question less defensively.

I’ve been Joan Holloway from Mad Men with pursed lips, dangling an imaginary cigarette explaining Comedy Central’s programming, “Because women don’t buy Axe Body Spray, Mountain Dew or Girls Gone Wild videos, boys do and in case you haven’t noticed, those are our customers.” When discussing someone’s comedy special I once turned into Mama Rose from the musical Gypsy and said “Butts in seats baby, that’s all it is, smart and funny gals don’t sell tickets, if they want smart and funny — they’ll so see a guy, you wanna reel em in, dirty and shocking now that, they’ll pay to see a girl do!” But even with alter egos I still sound defensive. My new one, and it’s kind of working I channel Tracy Morgan, and when they ask “why so few female comedians?” I just say “hey don’t look at me, I voted for Hilary!” [Read more...]