I had a meeting with a movie executive one day. She looked at me and said..” I know about nine female comics, Kathy Griffin, MoNique, Whoppi, Sherri Shepherd, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes, Lisa Lampelli, Chelsea Handler and Joan Rivers.. and then she said, ” Now I know you so that’s ten”. This WOMAN could not name TEN female standups and really Whoppi is not a stand up, she’s an actor. I gave her some other names of women that I thought were great stand ups and suggested that she go on youtube to seek out new talent too. I believe in sharing info and told her that she was missing out on great talent!
But the reality is, those are the only main female stand ups. Stand up comedy is an agressive and hostile occupation. It’s low pay sometimes no pay at all in the beginning. I started out with alot of females in the beginning. We would have so much fun in the coffeeshops. We would go to the strip and sit in the back of the Comedy Store late into the night looking at the big time comics. We had writing sesstions, we took roadtrips. But then life hit alot of the women. Some fell in love and got married. Some realized that the comedy business was too hard and dropped out. Out of the group of women I came up with, I am the last one that stayed in.
Females that want to be sucessful in stand up have to be able to balance life and their career. It’s not impossible to do but if you want to be taken seriously in this business, you have to be serious and funny! Learn how to balance and you will be sucessful.
Very well stated Loni! I agree that stand up comedy is a tough road for many women and kudos to the women who remain standing! I have never heard a club owner try to “sell” a comic as being funny based on gender…as if being a woman would make us not as funny as men!
I survived and thrived in this business for 17 years and am proud to be in the company of my fellow female comics!
Great post and so true. Women comics impress me the most. Everyone told me I should go into standup when I was younger and doing improv in LA, and I thought, are they NUTS? I don’t think anyone understands how hard it is. We just saw Maria Bamford at Portland’s new comedy club, Helium. (please come) Place was sold out, she was a big hit. But you just know how hard she’s working, especially when she’s in the lobby after schlepping merchandise.
I LOVE it when you’re on Chelsea Lately and if you come to Portland, OR, I’ll be in the front row.
Thanks for hanging in there and being brilliant!
Allison
Loni,
This really spoke into my spirit. Thank you for sharing your experiences as this is exactly what I needed to hear today. As an up-and-coming female stand-up comedian, I’ve already experienced being one of the few females and sometimes the only female at open mics or in showcases. I really want to make it in this business and so I will take your advice and press on, work on my monologue, and continue being funny!
Thank you Loni.
I always thought that you had to be popular with alot of people to be a good stand up. Especially being female where it seems to me alot of females dislike each other,are jealous & incapable of being friendly at all.
And I always thought that you had to have a tremendous out going personality.
Thanks Loni,
It’s so great to see a sister who is funny & happy on tv.
I saw you on Smoking Gun Americas Dumbest. I watch it alot. It sure makes me laugh! And I have a depressive persoality disorder.
Much love
Loni, YES, I GET YOU!!!! I realize that EVERYONE is subject to comedy….Every lifestyle has it’s own comedic aspects…REALLY, who can’t make fun of gays??? But, I get you and it’s all about comedy and making people laugh….Love ya lots and will always be keeping up with you….take care…<3
It is so true. I am always getting hit by male comics telling me, “Women comics aren’t usually funny; but you are.” It surprises me everytime. Women comics are funny but they have more against them. I did stand up for five years before I started focusing more on writing for other comics, and working on my marketing degrees. I started comedy and went back to school at the same time, and in the same five years, I got my AA, BA and am now working on my MBA in marketing, with plans to get my Ph.D. (My daughter says that’s how you write it.)
When I finish the MBA, I will go back to stand up full time, and when I tell people that, I am greeted with surprise. “I am shocked you did it that long…don’t you have a teenager,(Yes, and she is the one that told me to get out there and do comedy.) But you are also in school…(yeah so what?) I have had male comic MC’s prejudice the crowd against me by telling them I was also in college, and then they see this old bat. Women comics aren’t funny. (Kiss ma butt(in case the censor is looking) (Hang in there, Loni Love) I think I will take my daughter’s advice and yours! Thanks again!
Yep, is hard to appreciate stand up female comedians when usually the media is more focus on guys than girls,it’s still a male chauvinistic world.
I just want to let you know that if they ever film the Stephanie Plum Series(from Janet Evanovich,)you would be the perfect Lula. Keep that role in mind if your agent hear about that movie, it will suit you perfectly.
Hugs from Nashville.