Top 10 Funniest Female Comedians: Dispelling the Myth that Women Aren’t Funny
There I was, sophomore year in high school (not my best year after getting a Michael Jackson haircut and acne), everyone is quietly bubbling in the demographic section of the SATs, and I am desperately looking for the option “comedian” under the category “desired future occupation.”
So, I didn’t quite make it as a comedian (my current credentials = clinical psychology), but I can remember why I was so passionate about becoming one. They are bold, can make anyone laugh, and most of all, they are role models.
Recently there has been some discussion about whether female comedians are as funny as male comedians. With comedian Amy Schumer’s new movie “Trainwreck” coming out this July and Bonnie McFarlane’s documentary “Women Aren’t Funny,” it is time to set the record straight and prove that women are just as funny as men.
Here is my list of the top ten best female comedians:
10. Maria Bamford
Many of you may be scratching your head trying to figure out who Maria Bamford is. She may not be as popular as some of the other women on my list, but she certainly has earned her right to be mentioned. She is recognized by her unique child-like voice and her ability to imitate many of her dysfunctional family members’ voices. In recent years she appeared in the hit series “Louie” and been the female voice for many characters on “Adventure Time.” I personally love Maria Bamford because she is fearless. She integrates her Bipolar II diagnosis into her skits by singing about depression and anxiety, and shares personal stories about her family. In a NY Times article the author referred to Bamford as “weird, scary, and ingenious.” She is this and so much more.
Favorite Joke: “So, we have this new game in my family called whackajoy. It is basically a game where someone tells you something nice that has happened to them, and before they can feel good about themselves, someone WHACKS the joy out of it. My mom is the best at it.”
9. Amy Poehler
If I could choose a fictional best friend it would be Leslie Knope from “Parks and Recreation.” She always has me laughing and she displays true loyalty toward her friends. While we may all know Amy Poehler from “Parks & Rec,” she has been appearing on television since 1996 and doing improv before we could even walk (well, maybe before some of us could walk). Since that time has starred in several movies, been cast member on SNL, and directed “Welcome to Sweden” and “Broad City.” Poehler stands out from other comedians because she doesn’t have to be vulgar or unkind – she’s just original.
8. Joan Rivers
Say what you must about Joan Rivers….she’s shallow, fake looking, and incredibly offensive. However, Rivers got ahead of the game by her honest jokes and not her appearance. In the words of the late Rivers “I succeed because I say what everyone else is thinking.” She certainly did. I give her the credit for helping more recent comedians say outrageous things without worrying about censorship.
Favorite Quote: “I don’t exercise. If God had wanted me to bend over, he would have put diamonds on the floor.”
7. Betty White
Who’s that grandma cracking jokes on the screen? That’s right folks, it’s America’s sweetheart, Betty White. For many she is recognized as the lovable, but ditzy, Rose on Golden Girls. She has been making quite a comeback as a comedian, despite her age. She has made guest appearances on SNL, starred in her own reality show, and becoming more popular to a much younger fan base. Perhaps some of her humor comes from the fact that she is an older woman doing activities that typically fit in the younger generation, but hey, if you got it….flaunt it.
Skit to Watch: Go back and watch Betty White on SNL’s Scared Straight skit.
Click to the Next Page for the rest of the list!
6. Carol Burnett
Before “Key and Peele,” Amy Schumer, Dave Chappelle, and even SNL, there was “The Carol Burnett Show.” For those of you who are fans, is there anything funnier than Carol Burnett parading down the stairs with velvet drapes stuck to her? While the official Carol Burnett show ended in 1978, her legacy is long from gone. In 2013 TV Guide rated The Carol Burnett show as one of the top greatest shows of all time, and it won 25 prime-time Emmys proving that it has what it takes to stay a classic comedic show.
5. Lucille Ball
Vitameatavegemin… Vitameatavegemin. Trying saying that ten times sober. It not only took talent for Lucille Ball to bring humor to the words “Vitameatavegemin,” but she stole the hearts of many through the iconic show “I Love Lucy.” She also went on to became the first woman to run a successful television studio that produced shows such as “Star Trek” and “Mission Impossible.” “Lucy you got some splainin’ to do!”
Best Episode: Job Switching (The Chocolate Factory)
4. Whoopi Goldberg
It’s going to be hard to find a woman on my list that won’t blow your socks off in comedy and in her personal life. Whoopi Goldberg is no exception.
Her breakthrough role as Celie in “The Color Purple” is far from the comedian that we imagine today dressed up as a nun. But Goldberg has been one of those unique actresses that struck a balance between drama and comedy early in her career. She has appeared as the host alongside Robin Williams and Billy Crystal for cable specials and has classic stand-ups still airing on Bravo. On the flip side, she is also the second African-American woman in 50 years to win best supporting actress for her role in “Ghost.”
Click to the Next Page for the final three!
3. Amy Schumer
Coming this July Amy Schumer will be starring in her first major motion picture “Trainwreck.” Haven’t heard of Amy Schumer? Perhaps she hasn’t been around as long as some of the other comedians on my list, but she made her first debut in 2011 on Last Comic Standing and since then has skyrocketed. In April 2013 she created “Inside Amy Schumer.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show (*tsk, tsk), it has a very similar setup to Dave Chappelle’s show. She spends a few minutes doing stand-up, devises hilarious skits that typically focus on shedding light on gender inequalities, rattles off some questions to pedestrians on the street, and interviews some of most interesting professionals (i.e. prostitutes).
While I’m not certain if Schumer came at the right time in comedic history to teardown sexism and misconceptions about women, or if she is just that damn brilliant, her jokes will cause you to take a look closer into society’s archaic standards.
2. Ellen DeGeneres
Talk about a progressionist and comedian! DeGeneres can just about do it all and has done it all. Currently she is hosting her own talk show (which isn’t a bad replacement for Oprah), hosted the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, and doing voice-overs for children’s movies. Going back to her core talent in stand-up, she has always managed to relate to people by talking about human quirks and tying in life-lessons along the way.
Aside from DeGeneres’s career, she has also been an advocate for human and animal rights. In 1997 DeGeneres shared with her fans that she was a lesbian. Around this time there were very few public figures that were willing to take the bold step of announcing his/her sexual orientation, but DeGeneres not only put it in print she allowed for her own character on the hit television show Ellen to come out in the last episode. Bravery at its best.
Favorite Joke: “I’m gone a lot from home…and that’s hard…cause then I have to ask my friends, “Would you mind going to the house and watering the plants, and turn some lights on and make it look like somebody’s home, and make sure that the mobile over the crib isn’t tangled or the baby’s gonna get bored…”
1. Tina Fey
Drum roll, please! Tina Fey is by far the best female comedian out there today. She started her career doing improv (where she met Amy Poehler), became the head writer for SNL, actress for SNL, directed/wrote/starred in her own hit series “30 Rock,” wrote a NY best-selling memoir, and directed the new Netflix original “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” She can basically do it all. On top of that, Fey has shown people that being pretty and on television is just not interesting anymore. You have to be more than that. She is a great example of how female comedians are evolving and going against the grain when it comes to society’s standards for women.