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Related: About this forumThis is why we keep talking about gender and comedy
Related: Letterman firing his long-time booker over sexist comments
http://feministing.com/2012/01/13/guest-post-this-is-why-we-keep-talking-about-gender-in-comedy/
Every few months, another article pops up about women in comedy. Perhaps it is by some dude boldly proclaiming that women arent funny, patting himself on the balls in self-congratulations for his bravery. Or its a response to some such article, or a narrative from a female comedian talking about her experience. These articles happen a lot. For people who like to read about gender in comedy, its exhausting. I am here to throw another article into the fray. Heres why:
Yesterdays New York Times features a profile of Eddie Brill, the 53-year-old comic who books Letterman. It positions Brill as an older comic stylistically outside of the younger alt generation but portrays him unquestioningly as an expert in his field. It describes Brills background, his skill in training comics to succeed on television, and his taste. Brill likes vulnerability in comedy, the piece tells us. To me, this is a little like saying you like lyrics in music of course you do. Most people do. But not all comics have that persona, so fine, its worth noting, and also he likes punchlines (again, not especially surprising) and also he doesnt think women are funny.
That last one kind of sneaks up on you. In 2011, the NYT tells us, Brill booked only one woman for the Late Show. Even if that alone doesnt stand as sufficient evidence of Brills sexism, he also said this:
...
Every few months, another article pops up about women in comedy. Perhaps it is by some dude boldly proclaiming that women arent funny, patting himself on the balls in self-congratulations for his bravery. Or its a response to some such article, or a narrative from a female comedian talking about her experience. These articles happen a lot. For people who like to read about gender in comedy, its exhausting. I am here to throw another article into the fray. Heres why:
Yesterdays New York Times features a profile of Eddie Brill, the 53-year-old comic who books Letterman. It positions Brill as an older comic stylistically outside of the younger alt generation but portrays him unquestioningly as an expert in his field. It describes Brills background, his skill in training comics to succeed on television, and his taste. Brill likes vulnerability in comedy, the piece tells us. To me, this is a little like saying you like lyrics in music of course you do. Most people do. But not all comics have that persona, so fine, its worth noting, and also he likes punchlines (again, not especially surprising) and also he doesnt think women are funny.
That last one kind of sneaks up on you. In 2011, the NYT tells us, Brill booked only one woman for the Late Show. Even if that alone doesnt stand as sufficient evidence of Brills sexism, he also said this:
"There are a lot less female comics who are authentic," Mr. Brill said. "I see a lot of female comics who to please an audience will act like men."
...
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This is why we keep talking about gender and comedy (Original Post)
redqueen
Jan 2012
OP
mistertrickster
(7,062 posts)1. Good post. Brill deserves to be fired.
Glad to see that the Letterman team made the right decision.
Warpy
(113,093 posts)2. Oh, Mr. Brill, do try to look beyond your great manly appurenance one of these days
Women in comedy are usually hilarious to other women who share their experience. If they make the Mr. Brills of this world uncomfortable, perhaps the Mr. Brills would do much better to examine why. He might also ask himself just why he thinks such women "act like men" when they're up on a stage, vulnerable, and acting like themselves and speaking from their own experience.
Mr. Brill is an example of what's wrong with much of the world. Mr. Brill is a bigot.