Women on comedy panel shows
In this month's edition of Word, Rhona Cameron complains that women get ignored on comedy panel shows. Last night Lucy Porter appeared on Mock the Week and there was hardly a pip from her for the whole show, when she did have a gag there was generally a weak ripple of laughter compared to the riotous guffaws that greeted everyone else's contributions.
In the case of Rhona Cameron I think the problem is likely to be that she is simply not as funny as panel show regulars like Paul Merton, Marcus Brigstocke, Clive Anderson, David Mitchel et al and she's got sour grapes. Plus everyone thinks she's a bit of a sellout for going on that rubbish reality TV show.
On the radio things are a little different. Obviously the sadly departed Linda Smith was the queen of radio panel comey but Shapi Khorsandi was excellent on a recent Just a Minute and Sandi Toksvig and Sue Perkins are always hilarious.
So are TV comedy shows too bloke-ish or are today's female comedians just not funny enough to compete with the boys?
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without getting into a huge discussion
of the glass ceiling , if you never have experience of tv you will not get any better ,Paul Merton didn't spring completely formed as an entertainer. So woman get judged quickly and dispelled add this to the lower numbers in the trade ,showing off being a blokes prefered speciallity leads to less chance for woman.
There is also the competitive nature of male "comedy" as seen round here. We love to top each others jokes to get a bigger laugh and without generalising again too much, female comedy has different strengths.
Also it does come down to whose sharpest on panel games being funny there and then is the skill.
I think cameron has a point there are some male comedy who aren't that good who have had long and prominent careers on tv where of equal standing are no longer around.
Rhona Cameron, Sue Perkins
Those two are clearly not funny (enough or maybe at all). Both have had a crack at the big time and have failed. Both of them appeared on Big Brother or other reality shows, and it says something that even that didn't resurrect their careers.
So a glass ceiling might exist but it doesn't necessarily mean that it is the reason Rhona's career has been hindered. Look at Jo Brand - very very funny and stands up well on those panel shows.
Another generalisation
Men have loud booming voices. Women have soft voices.
The person who shouts loudest gets heard. So I think the women have a tendency to get talked over. I watched Mock The Week last night, and I did notice that the men all shout - with the almost except of David Mitchell and the Russell Howard.
Bloke from the Proclaimers
World class. And the baldy-guy on the other team. Both reliably, consistently funny. Russell Howard, not sure about him, seems weak compared to the other two.
Seconded.
Frankie Boyle is the absolute best in the world, I'd argue.
Out-f*ckin'-rageous.
Out-f*ckin'-standing.
Thirded
I've got tickets for his show in Cambridge in November. If he's that outrageous on TV I'm wondering what he's going to be like on stage.
Women, eh?
JO Brand is always great when she's on QI - the best of the bunch usually.
She's great on Radio 2
When she's with Mark Lamarr covering for Jonathon Ross when he's on holiday. In fact that pairing are far funnier than 'Wossy' ever is.
Saturday mornings wouldn't be the same
Naw man, Ross is brilliant - absurdly, unapologetically random, offensive and very, very funny. Unlike Friday Night With Jonathan Ross...
I'm with Niks on this one.
The J Ross radio show is always better when he's away and Lamarr's sitting in. Better music, better laughs. Better guests? Seems that way to me. Or maybe it's that they're better interviewed, by someone with an undeniable passion for - and a broad knowledge of - popular music.
In defence of Mr Howard
I'd also second that about Frankie Boyle but I'd stand up for Russell Howard too.
I went to a comedy show in York without nowing who was on the bill and he was the headliner. It was incredibly funny; especially because of his hyperactive delivery. There were so many funny lines coming so quickly you were missing some as you were so busy laughing at the last thing.
Thsi might actually back up the argument the the panel shows are a bit too blokeish. Some of these those who seem a little, say, meeker on the panel could well be very funny in other settings (radio, stage, sketch, etc).
Bring back 'The Comedians' format
What I like best on Mock The Week is the stand up routines. Imagine 8 comedians (all the good uns from MTW plus others like Sean Lock) doing a minute of stand up one after the other. No game show, no frills, no set, no topics, no limits. It'd be excellent.
Sounds a bit like...
...28 Acts In 28 Minutes, which was on Radio 4 and BBC 3 a few years ago. Quite interesting concept, if a bit A.D.D.
I have a fond memory of Dara O'Brien taking the stage after a roller-skating performance artiste (the show was mainly comedians, but added a smattering of cabaret now and again) to spend half his minute complaining how she'd stolen his act.
Oh sweet irony...
...given the title of the thread, that discussion of female comedians soon vanished in preference to discussing favourite comedy blokes on Mock The Week. Mind you, I go along with the view that combining Russell Howard, Frankie Boyle, Dara O'Briain and Andy Parsons in one show is pure comedy bliss. And I loved the way Frankie Boyle grinned in delighted appreciation whenever guesting David Mitchell went off on one, the other week.
Bring on the girls
While I have to admit Rhona Cameron is irritating (Does she see herself as a comedian or does she just want to be famous? If it's the former then her recent career choices make no sense whatever problems she has encountered.)But I think Lucy Porter is brilliant, Jo caulfield always hits the target and of course the much missed Linda Smith was the only HIGNFY guest to get as many laughs as Paul Merton (Both Neil Kinnock and William Hague must shudder at the sound of her name).