Female comics

[Jim Mendrinos]

jane_haze,

Very fewe comics have an edge, and do comedy of substance. Shirly Hemphill was one, as was Bret Butler. Unfortunately the industry softens up femal comics when they go to TV. Pity

[SweetLuchia]

Jim Mendrinos,

I've noticed this. That's why I don't GIVE A FUCK about ever getting on TV. I'll do my act in Central Park if I have to but I REFUSE to go on stage as something I'm not

[Vee]

Jim Mendrinos,

shirley Hemphill...is that shirley from What's Happening?

[Jim Mendrinos]

Vee,

yes it is. I worked with her a few times out here in Govenors before she passed, she was so much funnier live then she was on the show, and sweet too. The first time I worked with her I was just an MC, and she took the time to learn my nime, watch my act, and give me advice. 7 years later, when we worked with each other again, she remembered me, and commented on my growth as a comic. A class act all the way.

[jane_haze]

Jim Mendrinos,

I'm female and would like to try stand-up...so I'm staying within the boundaries of this topic. Firstly, I'm 19 and 2 days. I've never done stand up, but would like to get into it. I've got some "material"-about 10 minutes worth taking to a stage and unendless amount that could use a bit of tweaking and revising--adding brevity, as it were. Any suggestions? Or just get to a stage, try it out, then come back and talk to ya?

Jane

[MisterTee]

Jane I don't have any advice cuz I aint a comedian, but good luck (PS yeah you should do your written material at open mic night maybe add some of you 'unendless' material too and tweak it onstage.)

Anyway to add to the obvious list of female comedians the rest of yall forgot:

Joan Rivers, Moms Mabley, Elaine Boosler and Jeaneane Garafalo (somebody mentioned her, but butchered the hell out of her name. It was unrecognizable) And of course Sandra Bernhard.

Aisha Tyler. Fine as hell AND funny as hell. rare.

Phyliss Yvonne Stickney ("Talking Dirty After Dark") She aint a comedian as much as spoken word/performance, but I enjoy her a lot.

Thea Vidale. I saw her at a live taping of Comic View. She looked beat. No more big blonde wigs and she was sweating up a storm. But she was still bad ass onstage. She said something that night that I had a serious problem with but I'll put that on a seperate message on this same thread and see what you all think. It's too long for me to go into at this time. Anyway, someone told me Thea had to audition for her spot on Comic View. I was like "She had her own show in the 90s and she STILL has to audition for COMIC VIEW!?" Damn. If I had my own sitcom at one time and somebody wanted me to audition for a show (on BET no less), I'd tell the producers to 'Look at these tapes mother fucker' and walk away.

And last and probably least, Margaret Cho. Her promotions try to paint her as breaking the same ground as Lenny Bruce, Pryor and Carlin. I think not. She wouldn't have the heart to break any ground. The only reason she can say what she does is because those guys opened the doors before she was even born.

[MisterTee]

P.S. about Margaret Cho.

She relies too much on bad impressions of stereotypes (her gay friends and her momma) Especially WHere her mother's "character" is concerned. What's the differene between Cho relying a Chinese stereotype character with broken "engrish" and an unfunny racist like Rich Voss doing old racial stereotypes? Answer? None.

Oh yeah. The thing that the comedianne Thea Vidal said that bothered me had to do with her assertion that there were no more 'real men'(When a couple of brothers in the audience protested, she ripped them to shreds.) She claimed that men should be like the James Evans character in Good Times (angry and broke?) She went on to tell a story about how her real life boyfriend came back home after they had broken up. She told him to go away. Her forced her over the back end of the couch and fucked her from behind. She said she had to marry him after that.

So what she saying? That men need to rape, beat and /or intimidate their spouses? If that's what she wants that's her business, but don't go assaulting the manhood of men who don't suscribe to this point of view. (which she did.)

[NickFlanagan]

I haven't gotten to really check out enough female comics, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for Susie Essman, if only because she's so funny on Curb Your Enthusiasm. I also like Joan Rivers' stuff, even though it verges on self parody(isn't comedy that verges on self-parody still funny, though?)...
I never really got into the deadpan stylings of Ellen or Paula Poundstone, but Sarah Silverman and Margaret Cho both make me laugh, even though I know neither are groundbreakers...Margaret Cho definitely takes a lot from Richard, though--but I think she does so funnily. I also have no problem with her doing an impression of her mom, as I think it's based more on the age-old idea of 'ridiculing your family' than the also age-old idea of 'taking advantage of people's willingness to laugh at comically exaggerated asin accents'.

By the way, this website is my new favourite thing about the internet.

[Jennifer]

SweetLuchia,
Be true to your school girl!! Love your integrity-someday-they'll come calling!!!

[SweetLuchia]

[Font size=4 face=v color=purple]THANK YOU JENNY!!! [/font]