Non cis-gender male comics have to work harder. I worked in a comedy club 6/7 days a week for a year. At least once a week I heard

"female comics just aren't funny"

A thread

They are, in my experience. They bombed less often, and the great ones could see if the room was balanced against them (almost always) and adjust their set so that if they had to pander to the "guys, am I right?", they did it effortlessly

They didn't like doing it, you could feel them roll their eyes from the back of the room. Comedy, in my experience working under a national agency brand, is unforgivingly built to keep women out. Men bombed - all. the. time.-, but they still got ample mic time the next week.

Women didn't. They had to "earn" their mic time, not on their craft, not on their mastery of writing, or delivery, or timing - they were measured against how well they could read the room and adjust their set to pander to the "guys, am I right?"

Week, after week, male comics were late, they hadn't prepared, legitimately no effort put into their sets, they just grabbed the mic and rambled incessantly because "guys, am I right?" are easy to please. It's lazy comedy. It's- unintelligent comedy.

Intelligent comedy isn't comedy you need to have a degree to understand, it's comedy you must be skillful to craft. You are an entertainer performing to people who paid money to feel that release and communal comfort that comes from sharing a laugh.

Female comics delivered. They more often than their male counterparts delivered on that wholeheartedly, consistently, and more importantly, brought the women in the room into the experience. They saved them the need to laugh along awkwardly at another "X-rated" joke

The first comedian I saw land in a city and spend the entire day reading local news, and asking staff what was happening in town and spend -the entire day- writing and tweaking material to fit was @Carla_Collins. She killed, my face hurt.

That's when I learned comedy was more than just ramblings about your life hoping others would share in what you think is funny. Like any other form of entertainment or skill, it's worked, and honed.

My best memories working in comedy, the most fun nights, the biggest laughs, were most often from female comics.

-but female comics aren't funny.

I can't say for certain there was 2 weekends in a row where female comics headlined where it wasn't just to recoup costs of travel

And we had some great ones. @AFabulousState, @KiddoWalsh, Nicole Downton (there's more, I'm sorry.)

And we brought in some great ones too not limited to: @walkinsauce @kvonhagen @NikkiPayne @NikkiGlaser @TraceMacDonald

But still, the billings pandered to "guys, am I right?".

Cause women aren't funny.

The only time -the only time- a comic's rider included "security escort required from green room to stage" was for a female comic.

That's the other side of pandering to "guys, am I right?", to make money off of cheap shots, and knuckle dragging jokes - it breeds an industry that caters to that group.

And again, women have to fit in that box or they - don't get booked.

And even when they do, even when they sell out, they're still told their gender isn't funny, it's not relatable.

-because men find women uncomfortable.

It's uncomfortable that they might have to share the space with a gender they were told needed them, but clearly, do not

The club I worked at was a tough spot. The location was awful, the climate system never worked, the drinks couldn't get to the tables fast enough, and influx when the doors opened bogged down the kitchen. That club was a hard business to run.

When things got tough, it wasn't a male comic that was brought in to guarantee a sell out and profit - it was @NikkiPayne. It was always "is it too soon to bring Nikki back?"

And after building a career where women are told they're not funny - she knew(I hope), and we knew

That we needed Nikki.

And in A BLACKOUT in January, in snowpants, with a battery operated mic and speaker, with contractor lighting pointing up at her -Ms. Payne delivered.

My stress desolved that night when before the show, seeing me stressed, Nikki goofily danced her way across the house floor lit only by a row of tea lights singing "There's no business like show business!"
I cackled. Our night was set. Nothing else mattered, we had a show to do

THAT'S the inherent value of female comics, and other marginalized comics, who in order to be seen and respected, have honed their craft tenfold because they have a bias against them based on gender, or skin colour, or sexuality, or cause they're in a wheelchair bring to the room

I don't work in comedy anymore, so I can't do much, but if you do, if you own a club, if you're in an agency franchise where you can talk to the booking agents
-Book women as headliners.

Stop thinking that "guys, am I right?" Is where the money is.

You're being lazy.
Build your business out. Invest in your local industry, expand your reach.

Women don't go to comedy clubs for "a night out"

Cause pandering to "guys, am I right" feeds a cesspool, and women know it.

You know it.

Don't make that your place in society

And to those marginalized comics, and staff, and industry people I worked with and I didn't do more, and didn't push these things to change that environment - I'm sorry. Complacency isn't an excuse. I promise to do better.

Also, @maggiecassella , Bring back the Flying Beaver Pubaret