Are Women Funny?
Bill McGurn ·
Jun 23, 2011 at 2:19pm
It's not my question. I merely pass on this latest report on what science tells us from the Chronicle of Higher Education. I report -- you weigh in:
Researchers asked 200 women and 200 men to write as many captions for three caption-less New Yorker cartoons as they could in ten minutes. They then had a panel rate the funniness of those captions on a scale from one to seven. The results: Men had “higher average humor production ability” — i.e., they wrote more funny captions.
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Jul '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Better yet, Are Muslims Funny?
Re: Are Women Funny?
Here's a great companion piece to the study you cite:
Christopher Hitchens: Why Women Aren't Funny
I had the great pleasure and privilege to have lunch with Christopher Hitchens a couple summers ago. I pressed him on his assertion that women lack humor, and he came up with a few caveats. "Women really aren't funny," Hitch said, "unless, of course, they're Jews or [lesbians]."
May '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
"What’s more, participants who wrote more funny captions had a higher number of sex partners."
This relates to, and possibly reinforces, the Fredösphere Conjecture Regarding the Predictive Power of Sex Jokes on Cultural Momentum.
Re: Are Women Funny?
Diane Ellis, Ed.: Here's a great companion piece to the study you cite:
Christopher Hitchens: Why Women Aren't Funny
I had the great pleasure and privilege to have lunch with Christopher Hitchens a couple summers ago. I pressed him on his assertion that women lack humor, and he came up with a few caveats. "Women really aren't funny," Hitch said, "unless, of course, they're Jews or [lesbians]." · Jun 23 at 2:29pm
I always thought the timing of his piece was off, coming out during a high point for comediennes such as Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and presaging Kristen Wiig. None of whome are Jewish or lesbian, I believe.
But I think that comedy is generally a service provided to others. And I'll agree with Hitch that the sex drive leads to a female comedy deficit. I'm just glad my husband makes me laugh at least once a day. Was a big factor in my attraction to him, to be honest.
Aug '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Are women on average less funny than men?
I think that may well be true.
Are there many women funnier than the average man, and many men less funny than the average woman?
Yes, definitely.
My sister-in-law and mother-in-law crack me up -- way funnier than either of my parents, especially my Dad (it's nice to have in-laws you can laugh with). I'd actually say my female friends are on average funnier than my male friends -- and only a few of them are Jewish or lesbian. (But then, I'd also say that my male friends, out of chivalry, tend to curb their dirty minds around me, which likely affects their humor performance, too.)
My husband actually thinks that I am funnier than he is. But he may be blinded by the eye of love.
Edited on Jun 23, 2011 at 3:00pmRe: Are Women Funny?
It could be that women have a more elevated sense of humor. It is far from scientific, but the women I know or am related to do not seem to find, say, an anvil dropping on Wile E. Coyote's head as funny as most of the men I know do, or have the gene that enjoys the Three Stooges. I'm sure there are exceptions.
Years ago the WSJ did something similar in what kind of advertising appealed to the different sexes.
Nov '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Manslaughter is a terrible thing. Women's laughter is even worse.
Nov '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Were all of the judging panel male?
If so, it may simply be a within-group bias. Maybe males prefer male humour, and females female humour.
Jun '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Come on Diane, what word did he really use for "[lesbians]"?
On another note, I've been telling my wife (39 years this summer) and my children (they range from 25 to 34) that I am one of the funniest people in the world. They all roll their eyes. Now I can confront them with the truth. (Strangely my grandchildren, until they get to about age four, find me very funny--then something happens).
Aug '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Both of my daughters are pretty funny, having been steeped in practical jokes, irony, wordplay, sarcasm, and nonverbal communication since they were old enough to focus their eyes. They really see the world around them as fodder for jokes, which is good for the soul.
I think that women's general refusal to watch The Three Stooges has been a problem.
And having recently seen the Bridesmaids, they have a ways to go. Their humor has so much to do with pathos and that effort was so self-centered. Slapstick is always about the other guy (whatever) isn't it ?
So a woman walks into a bar with a frog on her shoulder...........
Aug '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
I always thought the timing of his piece was off...
Sorta ironic, seeing as comedy is "all about the timing."
May '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
I think my jokes are funny. My girlfriend does not. Everyone else agrees with her.
I don't get it.
Mar '11
Re: Are Women Funny?
tabula rasa
Come on Diane, what word did he really use for "[lesbians]"?
· Jun 23 at 3:04pm
I believe Ricochet style would be to use "Jews or [expletive]s" in this context.
Jul '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Are Women Funny?
I'm pretty certain that's a trick question Bill.
Nov '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Interestingly, the talented John Belushi asserted that women weren't funny because they weren't as willing to push the envelope and allow themselves to play the fool.
May '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
Basil Fawlty
tabula rasa
Come on Diane, what word did he really use for "[lesbians]"?
· Jun 23 at 3:04pm
I believe Ricochet style would be to use "Jews or [expletive]s" in this context. · Jun 23 at 3:43pm
I've never been made to laugh by a [expletive]. Not even sure I know one.
Jun '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
You cannot discuss this question without first agreeing on the purpose of humour. And also, who are its best practitioners. As Mark Steyn has put it innumerable times, Canadians seem to fall into being funny Americans because they present a view outside of the American culture. Further humour has historically been a safety valve used by minorities—especially oppressed minorities—against dominant and oftentimes bigoted majorities. Historically, Jews have occupied a position outside of every culture they were ever nominally part of. An often cited example joke that illustrates this has a travelling Jew in Moscow forgetting to tip his hat to a passing Russian, then required of Jews by the norms of the day. In response to the perceived slight the Russian demands of the Jew, "Where are you from?" To which the Jew replies, "Minsk." As a rejoinder the Russian indignantly demands, "And your hat?" The Response, "It's from Minsk, too." This example is illustrative because it shows the disarming/defusing nature of humour. Women have been historically protected from this sort of assault by men, who have had to develop coping skills when confronted by this sort of assault/threat.
Jul '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
I love the Roadrunner – Wiley and all, but not so much the Three Stooges. Dunno why the difference.
In my book (getting promotions) I borrowed from Florence King – funny, funny lady! (see quoted line). Granted, the following applies to the workplace.
One of the commonest complaints men have of us is that we have a tendency to take ourselves far too seriously. We may do this in an attempt to be taken seriously by others, but this isn’t how it plays out in real life.
… Even on our best days of nurturing we come across a bit unapproachable with men thinking “Her briefcase sucks forth my soul.”
May '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
barbara lydick:
One of the commonest complaints men have of us is that we have a tendency to take ourselves far too seriously. We may do this in an attempt to be taken seriously by others, but this isn’t how it plays out in real life.
Question: How many radical feminists does it take to change a light bulb?
The answer is that's not funny!
Jun '10
Re: Are Women Funny?
How many trans-gender types does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer: One, but the light bulb must really want to change.