We know the “Are Women Funny?” dilemma is confounding and enraging and makes jets of blue flame shoot out of our eyes whenever we even even think about it. That being said, we could use more discussion about how exactly we should to help people disabuse themselves of this erroneous conceit, and get more women hired into the comedic job of their choosing. Enter Twitter!
In response to those in the industry who say they just aren’t seeing enough female candidates seeking to be hired/booked, WitStream argues that Twitter can help women foster the comedic potential that doesn’t necessarily get encouraged IRL. “Now we can be funny and deactivate that ‘don’t say it’ switch that we’ve integrated into so many areas of our lives,” says WitStream. “Because we’re only quietly typing it into our computers (not saying it face-to-face) we’re disinclined to soften the message through tone of voice or a flip of the hair. We don’t have to see the looks on people’s faces as they try to figure out why we’re so desperate as to try and be funny (’She must be lonely and bitter’).” The idea, of course, being that encouraging women to unleash their comedy beasts from the privacy of their own smart phone can off-set societal pressure to sit there quietly and clap for the nice men. I would also add that, from my own experience, social media helps you naturally find fans that respond to your type of humor, and what could be more encouraging than that? See, the Internet isn’t all loneliness and social isolation! Well, maybe it is, but it’s also hilarious.
