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?

Katheryn Ryan is hilarious.

Funnily enough the funniest person I have ever known was a male, it was his only saving grace really as he was very difficult company in every other respect, and he couldn’t stand someone else in the room being funny too, especially women funnily enough.

It says more about his own personal sense of humour and what he finds funny than it does about comedians in general.

In any case, until very recently male comedians probably outnumbered female ones by about 20/1, so if he's looking back on his past career and the comedians he's met over the years, then the chances are that the overwhelming majority were men.

Doesn't make him any less of a twat though.

So when people make blanket statements that reveal they have put very little thought into something, that they regard a disparate group of people as one homogenous (and inferior) mass, they ARE being prejudiced, I'm afraid, even if they say it with a chuckle and a wink. Prejudiced, stupid, and not very nice.

Perhaps he has thought about it.

Maria Bamford, Linda Smith, Jo Brand and Victoria Wood were or are much funnier than McIntyre and his ilk. But then Bill Burr has probably made me laugh the most in recent years. About fifteen years ago I saw a mixed-race guy from the Midlands at a Canterbury venue and he was absolutely extraordinary. If he made it, I never encountered him again, but he was sublime.

@MashedSweetSpud

I always found him smug and patronising when he had a talk show. The last I saw of him was him flogging life insurance for over 55’s where you get a free pen.

LOL! Sorry the way you wrote this made me laugh especially because I remember the ad and that was my last time too.

That said, I believe there is also an element of unconscious bias acting against female comedians insofar as they are expected to "prove themselves" or otherwise justify their place on a comedy panel in a way that their male counterparts are not (that last one is just my opinion, feel free to disagree until I find a citation grin )

Completely agree.
I do think a lot/some men find funny women puzzling and are unsure how to respond.

*Of course he can say what he thinks, but it doesn’t make him right or mean I have to agree with him!

Absolutely.*

But earlier you implied that he has probably acquired wisdom from age, which would suggest that his opinion is more important than mine (as a 21 year old woman?)

Also, me saying that his statement makes him sound like a cock does not actually equate to cancelling him, or denying him freedom of speech.

But earlier you implied that he has probably acquired wisdom from age, which would suggest that his opinion is more important than mine (as a 21 year old woman?)

I did not. Please read what I said again.

I must say it’s a pretty unusual stance you’re taking on this OP, on MN at least here we happen to think women are pretty cool in general. I’d call it refreshing but it isn’t.

Also, me saying that his statement makes him sound like a cock does not actually equate to cancelling him, or denying him freedom of speech.

Of course not.

Excellent insights, @kingofbears, and very true.

Mind, OP is probably the type to disagree with positive discrimination, so will no doubt say that female comedians don’t need to be given equal opportunities in television appearances.

Perhaps he has thought about it.

Don't say that! My opinion of him is already very low... if I thought this was his considered opinion I'd believe him to be even more unintelligent!

I must say it’s a pretty unusual stance you’re taking on this OP, on MN at least here we happen to think women are pretty cool in general. I’d call it refreshing but it isn’t.

I do think women are cool. I am a woman. I’m extremely cool.

if I thought this was his considered opinion I'd believe him to be even more unintelligent!

I can’t see how it is a matter of intelligence.

tbh your choice of funny comedians is pretty poor.Joan Rivers was far funnier than those 4.

And so you prove that many women have an appalling sense of humour.

He probably shouldn’t have said it publicly but I think I agree with him actually!

He probably shouldn’t have said it publicly

I really don’t see why not.

@flaviaritt

If anyone says they find X group funnier/cleverer/nicer than Y group my view is they are either a) prejudiced or b) plain weird. Why would anyone even say that?

Because they do? He was making a point (it seems) about male emotions. Why shouldn’t he say what he thinks?

Again, I didn't say anyone couldn't say what they think. I said I view people who speak in such terms as wrong.

And so you prove that many women have an appalling sense of humour.

🤣

I do think women are cool. I am a woman. I’m extremely cool.
Just not funny 🤷🏼‍♀️

He has always been a misogynist - look at his interivews...he mentions Lisa Tarbuck's weight and Dawn French's weight...they both tell him their weight isn't an issue for them. Multitudes of condescending interviews. God help his wife

• SueEllenMishke

Some women are very funny, as I said above.

I can’t see how it is a matter of intelligence.

You can't see how a person's thought processes or opinions are affected by their intelligence?

When I was 3 I cried because I thought the ducks in the park were laughing at me when they quacked. I don't do that any more...

You can't see how a person's thought processes or opinions are affected by their intelligence?

Of course they are. But I expect whether they find men or women funnier (if either) is affected by more than intelligence. So I don’t think it is a matter of intelligence.

I heard an argument on a podcast sort of discussing this, can’t remember who, when , what now but the jist was that due to political correctness, female comedians nowadays get more breaks to get on TV. As there are fewer of them and and an even tinier subset that are brave enough to want to get on TV, the few that do get on TV , get on earlier in their careers and with less experience and less competition than a male comedian would need, hence they are crapper. It is actually harder for male comedians to get on TV and by the time they do, they are more experienced, been doing standup longer etc, hence are less crap.
That was one guys theory anyway