After reading Adam Carolla’s statements about women not being funny, I think my eyes rolled about as hard as they ever have. Of course this isn’t the first time us girls have heard this, and it certainly won’t be the last. I actually thought I wasn’t going to write about it, as my words would just fall on the deaf ears of the commentariat that loves to troll in our neck of the woods. However, by the off chance that I could actually make someone see things in a slightly different way, allow me to introduce the following video that both starts off my extended metaphor and proves my point at the same time:
First thing’s first, Mean Girls is living proof that women are funny. It was written and produced by a woman, and a majority of the comedy comes from the female characters. I would also point you towards Bridesmaids, written by two women, and has only funny female characters. The boys plan straight men.
To me, men are like Regina George and women are like Gretchen Weiners (bear with me here!). Especially at the beginning of the movie, Gretchen is completely submissive to Regina, so much so that she is often thought of as an extension of Regina instead of an individual. This is completely understandable as Regina is naturally more dominant in that relationship. But, while Gretchen cracks (say crack again), she realizes something very important: she can do anything Regina can do and just as well as Regina can do it. Just because she hasn’t yet been recognized for her talents doesn’t mean they don’t exist. It’s not that Gretchen thinks she is better than Regina and wants to supersede the dominant role at North Shore, she just wants to be recognized as an equal. Treated as a companion rather than continuing to play second fiddle.
The fact that there aren’t as many female comedians or comedic writers (as Carolla claims in his statements) doesn’t mean that women aren’t inherently funny, it’s that their slightly different take on comedy hasn’t been deemed equal yet. This is true in almost all other occupational fields. Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female Supreme Court Judge, and though she was underestimated at first, she went on to be one of the most important votes in the Supreme Court. She often wrote her own additions to the majority opinions released by the Supreme Court about why she saw things a little differently. Those writings are still regularly referred to today when discussing the cases she oversaw. This isn’t a new idea, or an obnoxiously feminist idea. Believe me, I’m not trying to make an “Annie Get Your Gun” argument. Ladies just have a different way of going about things, and that includes the ability to have a successful career and be the cornerstone of her family unit (it’s called multitasking and scientists have been saying it’s an instinctive female quality for years). We are still ladies, and men gentlemen, but we seek companionship instead of servitude. That includes the world of comedy.
“…remember the ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.” – Abigail Adams, First Lady and Badass
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