Is Sir Michael Parkinson within his rights?

[flaviaritt]

Says men are funnier than women. He says, ‘It's a very contentious statement, but they're much better'.

My view is that, by the age of 85, if you think men are funnier than women, it’s just your opinion based on your experience and nobody should be getting riled up about it.

Reasonable?

@flaviaritt

But that’s going on the basis that he’s seen exactly the same amount of male and female comedians. He can’t possibly have seen the same breadth of female comedy as male, because it doesn’t exist.

Where did I say that? I didn’t. What I am saying is very simple: in his experience, based on the female comedy he has seen, he doesn’t laugh as much at female humour as he does at male humour. He thinks men tend to be funnier. I can’t see what there is to argue about here; it’s just his opinion.

What I am saying is that he has probably seen enough to know whether he finds them funny.

Here’s where you said it. Is all female comedy exactly the same? Otherwise what’s the common factor here?

I can't stand MP, but I've no problem with what he said. Who cares? It's just an opinion. The only stand-up comedians I like are men, but in real life it's more mixed. Whatever.

Here’s where you said it.

That does not say what you are saying it says. I didn’t say he had seen the same number of male and female comedians.

Are people drunk tonight or something?

Is all female comedy exactly the same? Otherwise what’s the common factor here?

And of course it isn’t all the same. I don’t see your point. He is saying - very simply - that women don’t tend to make him laugh as much as men do. What does whether their comedy is all the same have to do with that? It is a simple enough concept.

This is just nonsense. I can’t continue to discuss it with you because it’s like arguing with a ball of wool.

You can say that again!!

If you're going to argue about a topic at least make sure you understand it. Nothing I have said is nonsense and can be supported by thorough academic research and study which I'm still happy to share.

Some of the women/ threads on here are fucking hilarious!

Doubt parkie reads MN though somehow!

SueEllenMishke

It’s fine. Really. Please do not send me your research.

@flaviaritt

Here’s where you said it.

That does not say what you are saying it says. I didn’t say he had seen the same number of male and female comedians.

Are people drunk tonight or something?

Is all female comedy exactly the same? Otherwise what’s the common factor here?

And of course it isn’t all the same. I don’t see your point. He is saying - very simply - that women don’t tend to make him laugh as much as men do. What does whether their comedy is all the same have to do with that? It is a simple enough concept.

You said he’s seen enough female comedians to know he prefers men. So, since you admit he can’t have seen as many women as men, how could he make that preference? As a Pp said - he’s not saying he prefers Sean Lock over Jo Brand, he’s saying women generally are less funny. And the only thing that groups those women together, since it’s not their type of comedy which isn’t the same, is the fact that they’re women.

So it’s sexist.

But you know that, which is why you’re accusing people of being drunk. It’s the old Trump style of refusing to admit you’re wrong, just deflect by being insulting.

@flaviaritt

SueEllenMishke

It’s fine. Really. Please do not send me your research.

Then stop telling me I don't know what I'm talking about or can't back up my comments. I can and have offered to do this but you're unwilling to engage.

You said he’s seen enough female comedians to know he prefers men. So, since you admit he can’t have seen as many women as men, how could he make that preference?

This does not make sense. A preference is a feeling. He either laughs or not. You don’t have to qualify to have a preference. He has one whether we like it or not. And if he has seen sufficient female comedians to be basing his preference on a sensible exposure, there is nothing sexist about it. He just doesn’t tend to laugh as much at women, hence he thinks they are less funny than men.

I don’t get why you don’t understand.

Then stop telling me I don't know what I'm talking about

I will indeed stop telling you.

@flaviaritt

You said he’s seen enough female comedians to know he prefers men. So, since you admit he can’t have seen as many women as men, how could he make that preference?

This does not make sense. A preference is a feeling. He either laughs or not. You don’t have to qualify to have a preference. He has one whether we like it or not. And if he has seen sufficient female comedians to be basing his preference on a sensible exposure, there is nothing sexist about it. He just doesn’t tend to laugh as much at women, hence he thinks they are less funny than men.

I don’t get why you don’t understand.

Because that doesn’t make sense. He’s essentially saying that comedy is less funny if it comes from a woman. It’s the vagina that makes them less funny, not the type of comedy they do, or the kind of laughs they get. All women, less funny.

I get why you don’t want to understand. It’s a bit pathetic though.

Because that doesn’t make sense. He’s essentially saying that comedy is less funny if it comes from a woman.

Why doesn’t that make sense? He thinks it is less funny.

@flaviaritt

Because that doesn’t make sense. He’s essentially saying that comedy is less funny if it comes from a woman.

Why doesn’t that make sense? He thinks it is less funny.

Because of the vagina?

Pumperthepumper

Are you suggesting the only difference between male comedy and female comedy is the presence of a vagina? Not the scripting, the conceptualisation of what is funny or ironic, not the delivery, not the choice of targets for humour?

@flaviaritt

Pumperthepumper

Are you suggesting the only difference between male comedy and female comedy is the presence of a vagina? Not the scripting, the conceptualisation of what is funny or ironic, not the delivery, not the choice of targets for humour?

No - I’m the one who said he probably hasn’t seen the same breadth of female comedy as men. You said that wasn’t it, because he’s probably seen enough women comedians. So how can he say they’re less funny? What makes them less funny if it’s not their type of comedy? What do they have in common?

You said that wasn’t it, because he’s probably seen enough women comedians. So how can he say they’re less funny? What makes them less funny if it’s not their type of comedy?

Maybe it’s me but this is making less and less sense to me. He has seen enough female comedians to know there is something he doesn’t find as funny as when men do comedy. I don’t know what that thing is. I suspect it is something other than the vagina.

Anyway, I’m going to leave it there because this is giving me a headache.

@flaviaritt

You said that wasn’t it, because he’s probably seen enough women comedians. So how can he say they’re less funny? What makes them less funny if it’s not their type of comedy?

Maybe it’s me but this is making less and less sense to me. He has seen enough female comedians to know there is something he doesn’t find as funny as when men do comedy. I don’t know what that thing is. I suspect it is something other than the vagina.

Anyway, I’m going to leave it there because this is giving me a headache.

I know what that thing is, and so do you - it’s because they’re women.

Which is why it’s sexist.

He can say what he likes but it's kind of unfair and discouraging to young girls who are listening and having their thoughts and confidence shaped by what they hear.

During lockdown there have been some funny women come to the fore, like Julie Nolke. I also love Joanna Rants. (Joanna Hausmann).

It may just be that women are funny in a different way or appeal to different people.

It's not the same as saying that men are physically stronger than women, or taller because those things are less influenced by society (although they will be slightly).

I mean we all believed that men were more intelligent until we educated women and discovered that they weren't.

Men were better at languages, until they weren't.

Men were better authors, until they weren't.

Men were better at biological sciences, until they weren't.

Men were more watchable on screen, until they weren't.

Men were more logical and less emotional, until they weren't

It just seems that men like MP are just pissing around their every decreasing circles of what is exclusively theirs.

So just wait another 50 years before you decide anything about what women are and aren't because it might have changed by then.

I think it's entirely possible he finds men funnier than women.

I think some people probably find women funnier than men, overall. So I'd say I think he's making it sound too objective, it would have been better to say that he finds men funnier than women.

But that might be what he meant anyway, not everyone is nitpicky about details and words.

OP I do appreciate that you admire MP's honesty, and I do agree that the world would be a very dull place if we all thought the same thing.

But I think you're missing the point. Fine, MP finds men funnier than women. That's allowed.

But he has expressed it in such a way that does not acknowledge that others think differently. That he may have unconscious bias. That women have not historically had the same opportunity to seek a career in comedy, or appeal to male shared experiences when they have done so.

OK, he's under no obligation to think about or reference these things. But all it would take is a self-effacing "I think..." or "In my experience..." You have supplied these for him, but he didn't have the foresight to include them. To me, that is staggering arrogant.

But he has expressed it in such a way that does not acknowledge that others think differently. That he may have unconscious bias. That women have not historically had the same opportunity to seek a career in comedy, or appeal to male shared experiences when they have done so.

I’m not missing this point. I don’t agree with this point. I don’t think he has any obligation to write a thesis every time he opens his mouth to express his opinion. It doesn’t matter (for the purposes of what he is saying) that there are historical structural inequalities between men and women. It might not even be the reason he finds men funnier. He might not know why.

You are right, though, it does feel (if the standard is as you suggest, and people are no longer allowed to express a simple opinion without everyone giving it large about unconscious bias) that the world is taking a very dull direction indeed.

(As for unconscious bias, can we stop saying it? He is conscious of his bias and expressed it, that’s why this thread exists.)

He might not know why

He does. And so do you.

No, Pumper, I do not.

If this thread has demonstrated anything, it is that some people truly cannot bear non-conformity to their opinions. It’s like kryptonite to you, isn’t it?

I don’t know why he doesn’t laugh as much at women. There.

@flaviaritt

No, Pumper, I do not.

If this thread has demonstrated anything, it is that some people truly cannot bear non-conformity to their opinions. It’s like kryptonite to you, isn’t it?

I don’t know why he doesn’t laugh as much at women. There.

Yes you do - it’s because they’re women.

Yep I was in a bar with him and a disabled shuffling relative... He said '' ha... Don't go breaking any speed limits '' in a really cynical unpleasant way.

Awful nasty man.