Comments on: New York Post Page 6 writes about Algonquin panel http://lizadonnelly.com/archives/new-york-post-page-6-writes-about-algonquin-panel Cartoonist Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:49:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: carolita http://lizadonnelly.com/archives/new-york-post-page-6-writes-about-algonquin-panel#comment-270 carolita Mon, 05 May 2008 15:44:50 +0000 http://lizadonnelly.com/archives/new-york-post-page-6-writes-about-algonquin-panel#comment-270 I don't know, Liza. I know a lot of wiseacre women. They just don't try to make a living out of it. I'm beginning to think there are other cultural things at work here. Like for example, women have less earning potential over the long haul. Men still make more money. That is one thing that might make a woman choose a less risky career. You know, something a little more stable than cartooning might have more appeal as a safer bet than cartooning or humor or comedy. Also, a lot of women, because of society's pressures on them to be beautiful and young, also realize that if they go into humor, they can't be pretty forever. In all the creative arts, the pretty woman is used to attract an audience -- even in the opera! I worked at a telemarketing company for a summer where we were encouraged to point out that the soprano had undergone a makeover and had lost lot of weight and was "beautiful" now, not the fat lady everyone thinks is waiting for them at the opera house. So if a woman starts out using the hook of the "hot" comedienne/stand-up/personality, will people still be interested in them when they're older and more wrinkly? How do they sell themselves when they're not hot young things anymore? As the frumpy, self-deprecatingly amusing older woman? Sure, why not. But what if you're not good at that and have no gags about it because you have plenty of self-esteem and no problem with your aging? Look at Old Christine on TV: that is an example of how one comedienne has dealt with this problem. I'm wondering if Julia Louise-Drefuss is creating a whole new genre. I'm curious to see if men find her show funny or not. I have to admit a guilty pleasure in watching it. For society to encourage women to be "more funny", society would also have to let go of its desire to only see young, attractive women on their TVs, in the movies, and in the magazines. Society would have to give equal pay to women and men across the board. Women would have to stop feeling like they're unwanted both personally and professionally when they're over 40. They would have to feel secure in every sphere of society. So, rather than encourage women to be more funny, I'm all for encouraging society to be less superficial. :) I don’t know, Liza. I know a lot of wiseacre women. They just don’t try to make a living out of it. I’m beginning to think there are other cultural things at work here.

Like for example, women have less earning potential over the long haul. Men still make more money. That is one thing that might make a woman choose a less risky career. You know, something a little more stable than cartooning might have more appeal as a safer bet than cartooning or humor or comedy. Also, a lot of women, because of society’s pressures on them to be beautiful and young, also realize that if they go into humor, they can’t be pretty forever. In all the creative arts, the pretty woman is used to attract an audience — even in the opera! I worked at a telemarketing company for a summer where we were encouraged to point out that the soprano had undergone a makeover and had lost lot of weight and was “beautiful” now, not the fat lady everyone thinks is waiting for them at the opera house.

So if a woman starts out using the hook of the “hot” comedienne/stand-up/personality, will people still be interested in them when they’re older and more wrinkly? How do they sell themselves when they’re not hot young things anymore? As the frumpy, self-deprecatingly amusing older woman? Sure, why not. But what if you’re not good at that and have no gags about it because you have plenty of self-esteem and no problem with your aging? Look at Old Christine on TV: that is an example of how one comedienne has dealt with this problem. I’m wondering if Julia Louise-Drefuss is creating a whole new genre. I’m curious to see if men find her show funny or not. I have to admit a guilty pleasure in watching it.

For society to encourage women to be “more funny”, society would also have to let go of its desire to only see young, attractive women on their TVs, in the movies, and in the magazines. Society would have to give equal pay to women and men across the board. Women would have to stop feeling like they’re unwanted both personally and professionally when they’re over 40. They would have to feel secure in every sphere of society.

So, rather than encourage women to be more funny, I’m all for encouraging society to be less superficial. :)

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