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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

Only 2 "non-male" comedians in British Top 20 - and one is Eddie Izzard

75 replies

FightingTheFoo · 05/02/2021 17:22

According to a "scientific" study commissioned by some random website and covered by LadBible.

No women at all in the top 10. The first "woman" to appear on the list is at #15 and that entry is Eddie Izzard. (Izzard's new gender must have cost them at least a couple of places because women aren't funny, are they?)

Sarah Millican comes in at #19.

This is how Lad Bible puts it: "Interestingly enough, the only non-male comedians to feature on the list were Sarah Millican and gender-fluid Eddie Izzard."

So, Sarah Millican is now a "non-male". Has anyone asked Sarah if that's how she identifies? I suspect not.

Oh, and the disingenuousness of putting her name before Izzard's in that sentence when she is actually four places below him on the list - to hide the MISOGYNY.

I feel a rage blackout coming on.

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/tv-and-film-jimmy-carr-is-the-funniest-british-comedian-according-to-science-20210204

OP posts:
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AnyOldPrion · 05/02/2021 17:28

Jimmy Carr is not funny, so if he’s been put in the top spot the list is nonsense anyway. Watched him on Netflix and he relied heavily on misogyny and ... well I can only think of the word “smut” but that doesn’t come close to how grim and abusive his material was.

Jo Brand is a million times funnier than him. Presumably these misogynists hate her for it.

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Grooticle · 05/02/2021 17:42

FFS. So many excellent female comics out there being ignore in favour of men.

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Looneytune253 · 05/02/2021 17:46

To be fair I'd struggle to name any more female comedians than sarah millican. And none that are bigger than the ones on the list. It's hard to argue with it when the male comedians are more popular with the public.

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midgedude · 05/02/2021 17:53

It's circular though, those who get more air time and general adulation will be more popular with the public,

the more mysoginisyic ( that is not spelt correctly) society the less popular the female comedians will be

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Londonmummy66 · 05/02/2021 17:53

Find it astonishing that Jo Brand doesn't make that list. I'd quite like to see Sue Perkins on it too.

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CranberriesChoccyAgain · 05/02/2021 18:02

Huh...... I don't see EI's name here.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:English_women_comedians

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ZuttZeVootEeeVro · 05/02/2021 18:05

So, the basis of the study was to take an hour of comedy from a whole host of British comedians and then see how much of that hour the audience spent laughing away.

They are all a bit pants if audiences are only laughing for less than 5 minutes in an hour set.

Can you imagine been on a night out and only laugh for a couple of minutes?

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Xanthangum · 05/02/2021 18:10

Ellie Taylor should definitely be on that list

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OvaHere · 05/02/2021 18:16

In what way do they think Izzard is non-male? Magical thinking again.

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LiveintheNow · 05/02/2021 18:22

Rachel Parris should be on there too

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ArabellaScott · 05/02/2021 18:27

Female comics? Shappi Korsandi, Jo Brand, come to mind instantly. But yes, it's not a very women-friendly field, is it?

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ArabellaScott · 05/02/2021 18:32

Janey Godley has pissed me off too much for me to mention her.

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AdultHumanCantRememberWhat · 05/02/2021 18:34

I really miss Victoria Wood.

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MissBarbary · 05/02/2021 18:35

@ArabellaScott

Janey Godley has pissed me off too much for me to mention her.

She is awful in several ways.

Shappi Korsandi isn't awful in the same way as Godley but she isn't funny.
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Fembot123 · 05/02/2021 18:38

@Londonmummy66

Find it astonishing that Jo Brand doesn't make that list. I'd quite like to see Sue Perkins on it too.

This 👌
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WendyTestaburger · 05/02/2021 18:39

Stand up comedians have to start out doing gigs all over the country, zig zagging between places that are nowhere near each other. Gigs can be late at night in all manner of venues, on random week nights. They get paid very little so it's preferable if you can kip on a couch rather than stay at a hotel.

It's not rocket science to see that women's preference for lipstick and long hair would make the above life style inaccessible and potentially dangerous. Well done to those that make it!

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bitheby · 05/02/2021 18:42

Sarah Pascoe isn't really my cup of tea but could be on it.

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MissBarbary · 05/02/2021 18:45


Is that correct about the Isle of Man?
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HermitsLife · 05/02/2021 18:51

I know that comedy is subjective but Jimmy Carr really????? He's not even the funniest comedian named Carr.

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Vermeil · 05/02/2021 18:53

No Susan Calman? 😕

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ChestnutStuffing · 05/02/2021 18:57

What a weird way to determine who is "top".

However - they are clear about their methodology, so I don't know that I'd argue it's sexist as such. Maybe people do laugh more at male comics. Maybe it's a statistical anomaly.

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ArabellaScott · 05/02/2021 19:00

New to me. She's funny.

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MissBarbary · 05/02/2021 19:02

@Vermeil

No Susan Calman? 😕

Awful. The Scottish Sandi Toksvig. Aiming for "oh , aren't I lovely , I'm a national treasure" status.

Not funny, rigidly scripted , painfully obvious lines and laboured delivery.
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Mycatismadeofstringcheese · 05/02/2021 19:07

How many female vs male comedians did they assess with their laughometer?

I did check to see if Stewart Lee was on the list, because I went to see him and he took 2 hours to tell 3 jokes. None of which were funny. Anyway, he wasn’t.

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HermitsLife · 05/02/2021 19:10

Caroline Aherne RIP
Victoria Wood RIP
Joyce Grenfell RIP
Dawn French
Jennifer Saunders
Arabella Weir
Saly Phillips
Catherine Tate
Helen Lederer
Meera Syal
Jo Brand
Patricia Routledge
Sarah Millican
Andi Osho
Sue Perkins
Tracey Ullman
Pam Ayres
Shappi Khorshandi
Lucy Porter
Ashing Bea
Jocelyn Esien
Gina Yashere

No can't think of any "non-male" British comedians

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