Women in Comedy to Watch
Let’s face it, men still dominate the world of comedy, whether it’s standup or sitcoms. There’s never been a better time for women in comedy— but whatever way you slice it, comedy is still a man’s world. Think about it, how many times have you heard someone refer to John Mulaney (who I absolutely love/ is one of my comedy idols) as just a comedian, but refer to Leslie Jones (whose standup special, Time Machine on Netflix is uplifting and hilarious, I highly recommend) as a “female comedian.”
Some people are still so desperate to believe that women aren’t funny. There was even a study done in 2019 by Aberystwyth University in Wales and the University of North Carolina that “proved men are objectively funnier than women.” Maybe it’s just me, but aren’t there bigger fish to fry? Like, I don’t know … Climate Change? But no, you go ahead and set women back 20 years.
This study is frustrating and sure, I’m no scientist, but last time I checked humor was subjective. Whether a man or a woman is telling a joke, some people just might not laugh. That’s just how comedy works. Then again what do scientists know about joke writing? I haven’t really run into any hilarious scientists, probably for good reason.
My point being, it’s infuriating that we’re still having this conversation. It’s easy to get caught up in defending funny women, but the best thing we can do for women in comedy is to support their work!
There are SO many funny women thriving in their careers and they deserve recognition. So without further ado let’s start with these 3 hilarious women that you should know about:
Patti Harrison
From Netflix’s I Think You Should Leave
I first came across Patti as the hilariously deadpan Ruthie from Shrill, and was immediately so in awe of the way she owns every scene she’s in. If you’ve seen Shrill you know that Ruthie can get extremely dark, which only works because Patti’s so good at making awful things funny. For example, just watch her perform this song she wrote for Dua Lipa.
Patti’s done a host of voice acting on shows like BoJack Horseman, Bob’s Burgers, Raya and the Last Dragon, and more. She even owned her too-brief scenes in A Simple Favor. Not only is she a talented standup, and actress, but her new movie Together, Together, where she stars opposite Ed Helms, has gotten rave reviews. Patti plays a loner who becomes a surrogate for a single man, and ultimately an unlikely friend. It first debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and has been praised for its absence of romantic tension between the two straight characters (something we don’t really see in movies) and has been described as a genuinely sweet love story between two friends. I’m so happy for Patti and can’t wait to sit down and watch this movie. You can find Together Together on VOD and Apple TV.
London Hughes
From To Catch A D*ck on Netflix
London is a British comedian who moved from across the pond to the states in the middle of the pandemic. She jokes about it with Nicole Byer on Nicole’s Podcast, Why Won’t You Date Me. I’m a big fan of Nicole Byer, I’m a religious WWYDM listener, which was how I discovered London! This episode with London, titled “Sleeping with Your Uber Driver,” (something she touches on in her standup too) was so fun to listen to. I loved how funny and honest their conversation was about the lack of diversity in roles for black women in Film/TV. Listen to the podcast, I promise, you won’t be sorry. Plus—they pitch a pretty fantastic idea for a movie at the very end.
Basically, I was missing out on London and you are too. The good news is, you can watch her special, To Catch A Dick, on Netflix. London covers everything from dating as a woman in comedy, and the obvious absence of black women in Judd Apatow movies (get on that Judd, seriously, it’s pretty alarming). Her special got high praise at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe festival. For anyone who’s unaware, the Fringe festival is huuuuge for comedians. Phoebe Waller-Bridge debuted the stage version of Fleabag at the 2013 Fringe festival, which ultimately won her an award, a ton of praise, and eventually led to the TV adaption which went on to win several more awards. So doing well at the Fringe is a great jumping-off point for comedians’ careers. London’s set was nominated for the Best Comedy Show Award, making her the first black woman to ever be nominated.
London is set to star in the reboot of the 80s sitcom Perfect Strangers alongside Black Lady Sketch show star, Robin Thede on HBO Max!
Michelle Buteau
From Welcome to Buteaupia on Netflix
Michelle is pretty easily one of my favorite comedians— I can’t say enough nice things about her. I wasn’t aware of her until a short clip of her standup came up on my YouTube recommended. Thanks, YouTube algorithm! Then I binged every single clip of her standups I could find until I was blessed with her Netflix special, Welcome to Buteaupia. Her special is hands down one of my favorites! There’s no better feeling than watching a special that not only makes you belly laugh, but also makes your day.
You might also recognize Michelle from her hosting gig on The Circle, which I only recently started watching (because I live under a rock). Even though we don’t see her for the majority of the episodes, her comments genuinely made me laugh, which I think is incredibly rare in that sort of format. You can also catch her in Always Be My Maybe, Happiest Season, and First Wives Club. She’s also set to star in the new film Marry Me alongside J-Lo, Sarah Silverman, and Owen Wilson.
These are just three of many amazing women making waves in the comedy world! Support them and keep a lookout for more Women in Comedy to watch.
