Not Laughing Over Cartoons
DAVID Kuhn, male chauvinist pig? The literary agent stirred up a flock of feisty feminists at the Algonquin the other night during a panel discussion led by New Yorker cartoonist Liza Donnelly celebrating her new book, “Sex and Sensibility: Ten Women Examine the Lunacy of Modern Love . . . in 200 Cartoons.” After some panelists and audience members hammered The New Yorker for not running more cartoons by women, Kuhn, a former New Yorker editor, argued the that it isn’t the number of female-drawn cartoons in the weekly, but the percentage of those submitted that make the cut. After he was shouted down by some Amazons, Ann Hall, who worked in the magazine’s cartoon department for years, defended him, saying how the vast majority of submissions came from men. Imagine what the fems would have done to Christopher Hitchens, author of “Why Women Aren’t Funny.”
Say what you will about the tone of this, but remember it’s The Post. It was very civil and an interesting discussion. Nobody hammered anyone, and there were no “Amazons” (whatever they are) at the party! Kuhn and Hall make very good points. However, what is not said here is that our culture still does not encourage women to be funny, although that is changing, thank god. And what is considered funny needs to be wider in mainstream media. I’m talking about our culture, not one particular magazine! Today’s NY Times has two articles about Hollywood that speak to this issue. Will post later.
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. 🙂