This is why we keep talking about gender and comedy

[redqueen]

Related: Letterman firing his long-time booker over sexist comments

http://feministing.com/2012/01/13/guest-post-this-is-why-we-keep-talking-about-gender-in-comedy/

Every few months, another article pops up about women in comedy. Perhaps it is by some dude boldly proclaiming that women aren’t funny, patting himself on the balls in self-congratulations for his bravery. Or it’s a response to some such article, or a narrative from a female comedian talking about her experience. These articles happen a lot. For people who like to read about gender in comedy, it’s exhausting. I am here to throw another article into the fray. Here’s why:

Yesterday’s New York Times features a profile of Eddie Brill, the 53-year-old comic who books Letterman. It positions Brill as an older comic stylistically outside of the younger “alt” generation but portrays him unquestioningly as an expert in his field. It describes Brill’s background, his skill in training comics to succeed on television, and his taste. Brill likes vulnerability in comedy, the piece tells us. To me, this is a little like saying you like lyrics in music– of course you do. Most people do. But not all comics have that persona, so fine, it’s worth noting, and also he likes punchlines (again, not especially surprising) and also he doesn’t think women are funny.

That last one kind of sneaks up on you. In 2011, the NYT tells us, Brill booked only one woman for the Late Show. Even if that alone doesn’t stand as sufficient evidence of Brill’s sexism, he also said this:

"There are a lot less female comics who are authentic," Mr. Brill said. "I see a lot of female comics who to please an audience will act like men."

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