HUMOR AND GENDER IN STAND UP COMEDY: ASCRIBED INFERIORITY AND THE ILLUSION OF FEMALE EMPOWERMENT

Abstract

Why are there less successful female comedians than male comedians? I propose that humor caters to the majority, males, and forces women to compensate in a variety of ways in order to transcend gender expectations. This paper examines gender expectations for qualities like humor by comparing the sexual content and vulgarity in 20 stand up comedy shows representative of male and female comedians. The ability for the study to apply to different characteristics and contexts makes it important for concerns of gender equality in U.S. society. Results show that female comedians do use different tactics to achieve relative fame, confirming further inequality in the different and necessary means to compete with their male counterparts.