Double Standard In Comedy

Stand-up comedians are some of my most favorite things on Instagram. The Laugh Factory posts some of the funniest comedian acts, but the comments on their posts are not that funny. 

There is a common belief between most males in the comedy community that women are not funny. I found it odd that a community about bringing people joy and laughter insults and berates people for pursuing something that they enjoy. I first noticed it when watching one female comedian who I thought was hilarious, but when I saw the comments they were split. The women commented on how funny she was, but the men said she was trying too hard and “not funny like every female comedian”. After that I realized that what female comedians mainly joke about is something other women relate too. The woman the men made fun of, was making jokes about her boyfriend of 13 months never officially calling her his “girlfriend”, something almost all women relate to because we have had situations with guys with commitment issues. Another woman I watched made jokes about a police officer cat-calling her, which is something men have never experienced. 

Also, I realized many male comedians make sex jokes and are thought of as comic geniuses, but when a woman makes a sex joke, again, she is trying too hard. Also when women comment on those videos the same thing that men comment on female comedian videos, they get called out for not having a sense of humor, or being a snob. 

However, while the comments get heated up, the people who run The Laugh Factory’s instagram are very good at calling out the people who post negative comments and praising those who are positive. The split and obvious double standard between male and female comedians and comedy enthusiasts dampens the mood on a should-be happy environment.