Women in Comedy: Why Is There Still A Lack Of Visible Female Comedians?

Ordinarily, comedy is regarded as one of the most challenging genres to transcend. More often than not, it has been affirmed that it may be easier to make the audience cry than to make them laugh. Living in a world that's far away from the notions of equality, women are left as silent spectators in this field with the massive male association. 

Every domain of life is stereotypically divided between genders, to state a few: 'women can't be good drivers,' 'women can't be good engineers', and of course, 'women can't be funny.' Ergo, they tend to face engraved prejudices in the sphere of comedy as well. 

For centuries, feminism has crusaded vigorously for equal rights. The whole series of the women emancipation being demonstrated as waves is because, to speak psychologically, humans are eternally dynamic. The needs we have tend to change their course more often than we realize. 

Every wave of feminism had its agendas to fulfill; for example, the first wave that gained popularity back at the end of the 19th century aimed to secure women's necessary legal and political rights, i.e., their right to vote. As women in most countries have earned this right, we possibly can't claim that the collective aim of the whole movement of feminism has been effectuated. 

Even though the first wave was successful in its implementation, the fight for equal opportunities is a battle we're yet to procure. The current wave (the fourth wave) prioritizes women's empowerment while relating it to the usage of the internet, which comes in play for realms like comedy. 

Stand-up is one of the most go-to entertainment; we seldom witness female comics gaining as much admiration and fame as the male ones. This doesn't happen due to lack of talent, but due to lack of opportunities. The traits such as commanding the room & reciting a funny tale required in the arena of comedy, are said to be the attributes of an alpha male, and this preconceived notion adds to lesser female representation.

Being funny is not perceived as a feminine trait, considering in the eyes of the society they'd rather be seen as consumers of humor, not its creators. Despite obtaining the chance to perform, women are judged on their gender stereotypes first, and then as a comic. 'You're too funny for a girl' is something they've frequently heard as a comment, that too if the audience finds the person humorous. 

If not, they're consistently trolled, openly given rape threats, and sexually objectified. In one of her interviews, Comedian Supriya Joshi, stated that she was fat-shamed so immensely that her material went unnoticed most of the time. Improv Comedian Kaneez Surka was trolled tremendously for her accent, and Stand up Comedian Aditi Mittal was continually asked to ''desexualize herself, and try not to look 'too feminine.'  

In conclusion, the answer to the question 'Where are women in comedy?' is that they're right here, just devoid of uniform recognition. While the shows such Ladies Up and Queens of Comedy have tried their best to alleviate the difference, we still have a long way to go. We shouldn't have to prove that women can be funny too continually. 

There exists a myriad of unfunny male comics as well. To put it straightforwardly, comedy is subjective. All we ask for is not to view every female comic through a blurred vision caused by prejudiced-glasses of ignorance and give them as much acceptance and space to excel in their craft as we give to men.