No joke, the women of the comedy world can crack us up any day of the week. These days, it feel like at present there is no shortage of funny women these days. With the help of the internet and streaming platforms such as Netflix and YouTube, we now have access to more comedy than ever before. Whether you’re looking for a joke-per-minute type female comedian or one who’s more anecdotal, there’s someone for everyone.
Unfortunately, though, this wasn’t always the case, as women not too long ago were said to be innately unfunny. In fact, in 2007, Vanity Fair published an article by Christopher Hitchens, who claimed it was widely accepted that women just weren’t funny. His article was mostly rejected by its readers, but it nevertheless shined a light at the misogyny that has existed in the world of comedy, which forced women to work harder to break through. And girl did they ever: joke by joke, female trailblazers paved the way for other women to be brutally honest, aggressive, and raunchy, all as long as they were just a funny if not more so than their male counterparts. They’ve certainly come a long way from the way things were.
Never forgetting the struggles they had to endure to gain recognition, many female comedians flipped the script by shining a spotlight on their own insecurities, joking about feeling less than perfect or even passable, and along the way helping their audiences relate them more and laugh – often at themselves. This kind of self-effacing material, which made stars of Amy Schumer and Margaret Chow, made it okay to be different than the cookie-cutter version of traditional femininity, and their fans just love them for it.
Women comics aren’t afraid to push the envelope or try to be likeable or attractive by only discussing palatable topics, and there have been several long-lasting female comedians who have built decades-long careers by challenging the status quo. They can joke about hot button issues such as politics, race, gender, and orientation in ways that men won’t even dare broach. Many, like rising star Tiffany Haddish, have described stand up comedy as a form of therapy. Not only are these women funny, but they are equally bold, daring, and thought-provoking.
We have your guide to the funniest women in the country. Check out how they got their start and what they’re up to these days.
[post_page_title]Sarah Silverman – Then[/post_page_title]
Nearly a year after Silverman began performing stand-up she was hired as a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live. After failing to write a sketch to air Silverman was fired. She didn’t let the blow ruin her and she continued to perform stand-up and audition for a variety of shows. She landed her first big acting role the following year on HBO’s sketch comedy series Mr. Show. The Emmy winning-comedian won over audiences with her sharp and biting commentary on celebrity culture and politics.
