Are Men Threatened by Funny Women?

There is a thought out there that women are just not funny. As a recovering stand-up comedian I found that many people, especially men almost dared me to make them laugh. They were sitting in the front row of a comedy club with their arms folded, almost saying, "So you think you are funny? I will decide that!" Research came out last year from the scientific journal "Evolution and Human Behavior." And it shows that men, are in fact, threatened by women's humor.

"Men see being funny as a male thing," explained Dr, Rod Martin, who led the project. Hundreds of men and women in their twenties were questioned. Asked if they found a sense of humor to be attractive in women, most men said yes. But when they were asked if they would want to be with a woman who cracked jokes herself, the answer was a resounding NO!

"When forced to choose between humor production and humor appreciation in potential partners, women valued humor production, whereas men valued receptivity to their own humor," said Dr. Martin.

More than half the men who took part in the survey revealed that a witty woman was not what they were looking for in partner. Dr. Martin said the findings suggested that men see themselves as the ones who should be delivering the lines and feel threatened by humorous women.

This study helps me understand the reluctance of the male members in my audience to laugh at my humor. Dr. Martin, who did the study and who is a psychologist at the University of Western Ontario, says the research may shed light on the failure of female stand-ups who struggle to impress some male audiences.

"One of the reasons why men don't life female comedians may be that humor is seen as a masculine thing," he said.

One of Britain's funniest females, Meera Syai, who co-wrote the starred in the BBC comedy show, "Goodness Gracious Me," said: "The idea that men are more interested in having an audience rather than sharing banter doesn't really surprise me. Women see men with a sense of humor is a mark or intelligence. Many men don't really want to be the recipient of a cutting remark in public that will make them look small or stupid."

Comedy definitely mirrors the culture, says comedian Kelley Lynn, who is also an adjunct professor who teaches a comedy class at Adelphi University, in Garden City, N.Y. She says she is amazed at the differences between her male and female students. "The boys just seem to come in with all this confidence, whether their material is funny or not. Whereas the girls come in and say, 'Is this funny?' Almost always the material is just as funny, if not more so, but the girls lack the confidence to deliver it with conviction. There will continue to be progress for woman in the world of comedy as the world changes, but it may take generations."

Certain roles have been acceptable for women since the rise of the mass media: the sexy vamp (think of Mae West), or the ditsy klutz (everyone from Carole Lombard to Lucille Ball and Debra Messing). "These roles aren't threatening to men, " says actress Jennifer Coolidge who has made a career of crafting cunning klutzy air headed females. She adds, "They play into men's stereotypes of women as sexpots or stupid."

Witness the recent column in Vanity Fair, which declared "Women Aren't Funny" (written by Christopher Hitchens) And despite the fact that his ABC comedy employed numerous funny women, comic Drew Carey says the prejudices are real. "It's not so much that women aren't funny, as that men don't want them to be funny. Comedy is about aggression and confrontation and power. As a culture we just don't allow women to do all that stuff."

All of this just goes to show that men are threatened by funny women. And I say, Too Bad! And get over it!

I want to leave you with some jokes:

My parents had a typical Catholic wedding. My father was a repressed homosexual and my mother was sedated.

How do you know if it's time to wash the dishes and clean your house? Look inside your pants. If you find a penis in there, it's not time.

Never trust a man with testicles.

And a Jana Ruth, because that's my name, joke.

Men may still rule the world, but can they fake orgasms?

Material taken from: "Why Men Don't Fancy Funny Women...because it scares the poor dear." by Roger Dobson in "The Independent" August 18, 2007 and "Are Women Allowed to be Funny," by Gloria Goodale in "The Christian Science Monitor," February 2, 2007

Jana Ruth
Author of "Laugh and Live Happier: P.L.A.Y.S. for Life
http://www.janaruth.biz
http://www.laughandlivehappier.com
http://www.onewomanslaughter.blogspot.com