Friday, September 20, 2013

Yin Comedy



Women In Comedy

A Little Yin with Your Yang

Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards… and in high heels
-    Bob Thaves


Every comic who hits the stage has a set of challenges that they must overcome in order to do stand-up. Women who do comedy have all the challenges men face, plus a unique set of our own.

The fact that the term “female comic” is so prevalent supports my point. You don’t often hear “female doctors,” “female lawyers,” “female senators” - even if men do outnumber women in those jobs. Working in comedy can feel a bit like working in the NFL (National Football League, for non-Americans) and sometimes you get harassed in the locker room. This is not meant to disrespect male comics or male industry at all. Many men in this industry support women - in and out of comedy. Many do not. Many women in and out of this industry do not support women. But, that is their baggage. I just want to make you aware of some of the challenges faced by women in comedy.  

I write this chapter on the heels of interesting developments in comedy. Within a few months in 2012, Daniel Tosh had his “rape joke” scandal, and we heard Adam Carolla tell us that women are always the least funny on the writing staff of television shows because of our “mediocre” sense of humor. Eddie Brill was kind enough to share that women aren’t “authentic” and go on stage and “act like men.” Long ago, Christopher Hitchens, Jerry Lewis and John Belushi told us flatly that women just aren’t funny. If that is not evidence to you of discrimination against women in comedy, you need to look up the words “evidence” and “discrimination.”  I’d be willing to bet that a similar story comes out between me writing this and you reading it.

According to Huffington Post, of the 48 spots given to comedians on late night television in the first half of 2012, only two went to women (Late Night TV Stand-Up Demographics: First Half Of 2012 Still Overwhelmingly Male, White: Huffington Post, July 28, 2012). You can turn on any stand-up show, see a comedy show live, look at the roster of comedy agents and managers and see a huge disparity between the number of men and women. Some people say this is because more men do comedy than women. True, but not nearly to the extent that we are underrepresented. Maybe not many women in Kansas do comedy, but I would say my experience in Los Angeles is that about 25% of comics are female. I would guess New York would be similar. Last time I checked, TV shows cast out of LA and NY, not Kansas.  Yes, there are a ton of women who aren’t funny or who are just not my cup of tea. But, there are also a ton of men who are not funny to me. People who say that women aren’t funny are not always getting the most exposure to comics who are women. My funny friend Rosie Tran pointed out to me that if all you watch is Comedy Central, whose dominant demographic is 18-34 year-old males, and you only see live comedy shows rarely, you aren’t getting a whole lot of exposure to female comics. There also seems to be a double standard when judging women. How often do people see a painfully unfunny male comic and say, “Men aren’t funny?” That’s the same as seeing a black comic you don’t like and saying “Black people aren’t funny.” Each woman does not represent all women’s abilities and should not be judged as such.

I’ve heard it said that “women aren’t as funny as men” because we aren’t  raised  to be  funny,   that  our   culture  does  not  encourage women to be funny. That may be true about our culture to some extent, but it’s not the 1950s anymore. It’s ok to be funny now. I think that our society does not encourage women to be empowered, to stand up and speak out and own their Selves and their thoughts and opinions. Women are encouraged to be submissive and sweet and quiet. I think that’s why I often hear the ridiculous accusation that women talk about sex (or their body parts) more than men on stage. All I can say to that is: WTF? Sit through night after night of watching men hump mic stands and stools and use the mic as their dick in a joke or do ten minutes of masturbation and blow job jokes, and then tell me men don’t talk about sex on stage. I think our culture does not see men talking about sex as unusual, and therefore, we don’t notice it as much. It’s unusual to see a woman publicly talking about sex, so it sticks out in our minds. Don’t let society norms fool you (or remain intact).

It’s great that TV shows like Girls, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Two Broke Girls, Whitney, The Mindy Project and Veep are out there and that more movies are also being made by women and starring women (in three-dimensional characters), especially since the success of Bridesmaids. But, is it a trend or are women here to stay in a big way? We have to work to make sure this is not a flash in the pan, and that diversity is achieved in the types of women and points of view that are represented. Also, I would like to see many women being given opportunities rather than (or in addition to) a few select women given many opportunities. There are going to be female projects that are weak, just like some male projects are not funny. When “female comedy” is not all lumped together in one package, we will be closer to having succeeded. I recently saw a cartoon that reminded me of the “women aren’t funny” debate. The cartoon had two panels. The first panel had a boy watching another boy trying to solve a math problem on a chalk board and failing miserably.  The boy watching said, “Wow. You suck at math.” The second panel had the same scenario except the person trying to solve the math problem was a little girl. The watcher then said, “Wow. Girls suck at math.” That’s what we are trying to overcome.

Comics who are women face issues that men do not need to consider often:

·            Safety: Is the club safe for me to go to at night and walk to and from my car alone? Am I putting myself in a threatening situation? When on the road alone in a strange state: What if my car breaks down? What are the accommodations like?  Will I be in a trashy hotel in a scary part of town? Will I be in a comedy condo with two male comics I have never met?

·            Motherhood: Small children are harder to leave for women than men regarding dependence. Being on the road and doing comedy in general while pregnant is very difficult (and impossible toward the end). Mothers are typically considered the ones that stay at home and don’t travel all over the country rarely seeing their children. I know lots of male comics who rarely see their kids, but not a lot of moms on the road. A lot of famous female comics are childless or have children later in life, after their careers are established.

·            Sexual harassment: I could tell so many stories here, but I will be brief. Female comics face sexual harassment on a regular basis from other comics, club owners, bookers, club staff and audience members. We are given and denied jobs based on our “fuckability” and willingness to play along. We are intimidated, harassed and assaulted, verbally and physically. Some of us have been frightened and some of us have been attacked. I have personally been attacked on stage by a male audience member three different times; each time being groped in front of the whole audience. I know women who have been assaulted by other comics in the comedy condo and by the club staff or audience members after the show. While not always the norm, the level of harassment can be threatening and intimidating and, at times, overwhelming.


·         Discrimination: We face the stereotype that women aren’t funny by some male comics, audience members and industry gatekeepers. I have had a gig canceled at the last minute after being told, “We already have a girl. We don’t want two chicks in one week.” Women face a huge lack of opportunity on television, in agency representation, writers’ rooms and live shows. Sometimes when a woman goes on stage, you can almost feel the “oh great; a woman” attitude from the audience. Then she has to prove herself doubly: as a comic and as a female comic.

·         Misogyny: It’s hard being a woman and following male comics on stage who: do fifteen minutes of rape jokes (and not the insightful ones); talk about how women are all bitches or whores; use their entire set to dis “ugly girls” and  “fat chicks.” The maleness of comedy (particularly at open mics, in my opinion) can discourage women from starting or continuing comedy. I have heard it described by more than one female comic as “soul stealing.” Women have to work twice as hard to earn respect from our peers, audiences, and many factions of the comedy community.

I am in no way implying that women don’t make jokes about men. We do, and many of them are harsh, unfair generalizations. I believe you typically make jokes about who you date or mate. But, with so few women in comedy per male comic, men don’t have to listen to as many jokes about themselves as women do. They can feel safe in the sheer numbers of men vs women, especially at an open mic, putting them in a power position. I am also not saying that being a female comic is one big rape waiting to happen, or that most male comics, club owners, staff, industry gatekeepers, agents and audience are jerks. Most people in the comedy business are friendly and accepting. But, like in the real world, these are things you must be aware exist so that you can prepare yourself and get tough. Be smart, aware and safe. But, most of all, grow a thick skin and brace yourself for a rough business.

We often think of male comics when naming our biggest influences or favorites in comedy. There are tons of male comic role models (for me, as well). Women also have so many positive role models in comedy and those names should not be forgotten: Lily Tomlin, Phyllis Diller, Moms Mabley, Elaine May, Anne Meara, Gracie Allen, Mae West, Rusty Warren, Roseanne, Elayne Boosler, Wendy Liebman, Judy Tenuta, Lizz Winstead, Sandra Bernhard, Janeane Garofalo, Maria Bamford, Sarah Silverman, Gilda Radner, Andrea Martin, Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore, Betty White, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Ellen DeGeneres, Carol Leifer, Caroline Rhea, Ruth Buzzi, Margaret Cho, Brett Butler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lisa Kudrow, Kathy Griffin, LaWanda Page, Laura Kightlinger, Cloris Leachman, Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers, Kristen Wiig, Bea Arthur, Minnie Pearl, Madeline Kahn, Thelma Todd, Jackie Kashian, Amy Schumer, Sally Mullins, Kelly Carlin, Rain Pryor, Jane Lynch, Melissa McCarthy, Paula Poundstone, Rita Rudner, Margaret Dumont, Nikki Glaser, April Macie, Jane Curtin, Goldie Hawn, Diane Ford, Kathleen Madigan, Julia Sweeney, Tig Notaro, Rosie O’Donnell, ZaSu Pitts, Carol Burnett, Vicki Lawrence, Laurie Kilmartin, Tracey Ullman, Kristen Schaal, Emily Heller, Wanda Sykes, Susie Essman, Merrill Markoe, Gina Yashere, Cristela Alonzo, Morgan Murphy, Garfunkel and Oates, Beth Lapides, Samantha Bee, Chelsea Handler, Fortune Feimster, Anne Beatts, Lena Dunham, Eudora Welty, Julie Klausner, Aisha Tyler, Sara Benincasa, Jen Kober , Katie Halper, Mindy Kaling, Rachel  Feinstein,  Erin  Foley,  Michelle  Biloon,  Jena Friedman,  Jen Kirkman, Jessie Klein, Chelsea Peretti, Kelly Oxford, Jenny Johnson, Aubrey Plaza, Sara Schaefer, Amy Sedaris, Maysoon Zayid, Janine Brito, Kim Coles, Aparna Nancherla, Christina Pazsitsky, Jessica Kirson…. I could go on and on. This list is far from complete and is not intended to be. You are likely thinking of someone I left off right now. Good.

I include this list because it is important to me to encourage women to go into comedy and stay in it, despite the challenges.  Comedy needs both male and female voices. We need the balance, the yin and the yang. I don’t want fewer men to do comedy. I want more women to. Women are 51% of humans, but only about 25% of the voices in comedy. When people are saying that women are not funny and not giving us opportunities  in   and   out  of  comedy,  when  they  are  discounting  the experiences and reactions of rape victims, when women continue to get paid less than men for the same job, when laws are being passed stripping women of rights to our own bodies, when harassment and violence against women happen in large numbers each year and are swept under the rug, when countries around the world oppress women and misogyny reigns – the voice of women on the microphone (and behind the scenes) becomes more and more essential. The more they tell us to shut up and sit down, the more we should stand up and shout. Pick up a pen. Pick up a mic. Your voice matters. Use it.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

My Feminist Writings Regarding Comedy

Since I have been posting so much of other people's stuff, my 
writing got lost. So, here are the three pieces I wrote lately: 
 
 
 
I'm very honored to have been asked to write a piece for the 
feminist website 
EveryDayVictimBlaming!
 
Here's my perspective on victim blaming in comedy:

The Subtle Oppression of Women by Comedy 

Portrait of a Feminist Comedian

  
The Pen is Mightier than the Rape Whistle 

My Hubby Comedian Chris Oliver Gets in on the Rape Joke Debate


It's OK To Have A Complicated Relationship With Art: More Thoughts On Rape Jokes

psychedelicatessen



http://www.psychedelicatessen.blogspot.com/2013/06/its-ok-to-have-complicated-relationship.html

Steubenville and the misplaced sympathy for Jane Doe's rapists

 Since the last article referred to this and it's great, check out...
 

Steubenville and the misplaced sympathy for Jane Doe's rapists

 
 
 
http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/mar/18/steubenville-misplaced-sympathy-jane-doe-rapists

Tennis Star's Disappointing Comments and Apology


What Serena Williams 'taught me' about rape




http://m.guardiannews.com/commentisfree/2013/jun/19/serena-williams-rape-comments-what-learn

Take Your Comedy Seriously – By Dylan Brody

 
 
http://www.americascomedy.com/take-your-comedy-seriously-by-dylan-brody/


http://jezebel.com/vice-published-a-fashion-spread-of-female-writer-suicid-513888861

Friday, June 14, 2013

Patton Oswalt Changes His Mind About Rape Jokes!!!!

Holy shit this just made me SO freaking happy!!!! Patton Oswalt admits he was wrong about rape jokes!! I love him again!!

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/06/patton_oswalt_on_rape_jokes_joke_stealing_and_heckling.html


Here's is the part pertaining to rape jokes: 

3. Rape Jokes
In 1992 I was in the San Francisco International Comedy Competition.  Out of a field of 40 competitors, I think I came in 38.  Maybe.

One of the comedians I competed against was named Vince Champ.  Handsome, friendly, 100% clean material.  He would gently – but not in a shrill or scolding way – chide some of the other comedians about their “blue” language, or “angry” subject material, or general, dark demeanor.  But nice to hang out with.  Polite.

Later that same year Vince won Star Search.  $100,000 grand prize.  A career launched.  Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

He’s now sitting in prison in Nebraska, serving a 55 to 70 year sentence for a string of rapes he committed at college campuses where he toured as a comedian.  College bookers loved him because his material was squeaky-clean and non-controversial.  I guess the Star Search producers agreed.
Vince is one example – there are others, believe me – where some of the friendliest, most harmless-seeming, and non-offensive comedians carry around some pretty horrific mental plumbing.  The comedians I’ve known who joke about rape – and genocide, racism, serial killers, drug addiction and everything else in the Dark Subjects Suitcase – tend to be, internally and in action, anti-violence, anti-bigotry, and decidedly anti-rape.  It’s their way – at least, it’s definitely my way – of dealing with the fact that all of this shittiness exists in the world.  It’s one of the ways I try to reduce the power and horror those subjects hold for me.  And since I’ve been a comedian longer than any of the people who blogged or wrote essays or argued about this, I was secure in thinking my point of view was right.  That “rape culture” was an illusion, that the examples of comedians telling “rape jokes” in which the victim was the punchline were exceptions that proved the rule.  I’ve never wanted to rape anyone.  No one I know has ever expressed a desire to rape anyone.  My viewpoint must be right.  Right?

I had that same knee-jerk reaction when the whole Daniel Tosh incident went down.  Again, only looking at it from my experience.  And my experience, as a comedian, made me instantly defend him.  I still do, up to a point.  Here’s why: he was at an open mike.  Trying out a new joke.  A joke about rape.  A horrible subject but, like with all horrible subjects, the first thing a comedian will subconsciously think is, “Does a funny approach exist with which to approach this topic?”  He tried, and it didn’t go well.  I’ve done the same thing, with all sorts of topics.  Can I examine something that horrifies me and reduce the horror of it with humor?  It’s a foolish reflex and all comedians have it.

And, again, it was at an open mike.  Which created another knee-jerk reaction in me.  Open mikes are where, as a comedian, you’re supposed to be allowed to fuck up.  Like a flight simulator where you can create the sensation of spiking the nose of the plane into the tarmac without killing anyone (or yourself).  Open mikes are crucial for any working comedian who wants to keep developing new material, stretching what he or she does, and keeping themselves from burrowing into a creative rut.

Even Daniel admitted, in his apology, that the joke wasn’t going well, that when the girl interrupted him (well, heckled, really) he reacted badly.  The same way I reacted badly when an audience member started taping one of my newer, more nebulous bits with her camera phone a few months earlier.  Daniel’s bad reaction I don’t defend.  His attempting to find humor in the subject of rape – again, a horrifying reality that, like other horrifying realities, can sometimes be attacked with humor?  I defend that.  Still defend.  Will always defend.
What it came down to, for me, was this: let a comedian get to the end of his joke.  If it’s not funny then?  Fine.  Blast away.  In person, on the internet, anywhere.  It’s an open mike.  Comedians can take it.  We bomb all the time.  We go too far all the time.  It’s in our nature.

And don’t interrupt a comedian during the set-up.  A lot of times, a set-up is deliberately meant to shock, to reverse your normal valences, to kick you a few points off your axis.  If you heard the beginning of Lenny Bruce’s joke where he blurts out, “How many niggers do we have here tonight?”, and then stood up and motherfucked him into silence and stormed out?  You’d be correct – based solely on what you saw and heard – that Lenny was a virulent racist.  But if you rode the shockwave, and listened until the end of the bit, you’d see he was attacking something – racism – that he found abhorrent and was, in fact, so horrified by it that he was willing to risk alienating an audience to make his point.

So that’s how I saw the whole “rape joke” controversy.  And, again, my view was based on my experience as a comedian.  25 years experience, you know?  This was about censorship, and the limits of comedy, and the freedom to create and fuck up while you hone what you create.

But remember what I was talking about, in the first two sections of this?  In the “Thievery” section and then the “Heckling” section?  About how people only bring their own perceptions and experiences to bear when reacting to something?  And, since they’re speaking honestly from their experience, they truly think they’re correct?  Dismissive, even?  See if any of these sound familiar:

There’s no “evidence” of a “rape culture” in this country.  I’ve never wanted to rape anyone, so why am I being lumped in as the enemy?  If these bloggers and feminists make “rape jokes” taboo, or “rape” as a subject off-limits no matter what the approach, then it’ll just lead to more censorship.  
They sure sound familiar to me because I, at various points, was saying them.  Either out loud, or to myself, or to other comedian and non-comedian friends when we would argue about this.  I had my viewpoint, and it was based on solid experience, and it…was…fucking…wrong.

Let’s go backwards through those bullshit conclusions, shall we?  First off: no one is trying to make rape, as a subject, off-limitsNo one is talking about censorship.  In this past week of re-reading the blogs, going through the comment threads, and re-scrolling the Twitter arguments, I haven’t once found a single statement, feminist or otherwise, saying that rape shouldn’t be joked under any circumstance, regardless of context.  Not one example of this.

In fact, every viewpoint I’ve read on this, especially from feminists, is simply asking to kick upward, to think twice about who is the target of the punchline, and make sure it isn’t the victim.

Why, after all of my years of striving to write original material (and, at times, becoming annoyingly self-righteous about it) and struggling find new viewpoints or untried approaches to any subject, did I suddenly balk and protest when an articulate, intelligent and, at times, angry contingent of people were asking my to apply the same principles to the subject of rape?  Any edgy or taboo subject can become just as hackneyed as an acceptable or non-controversial one if the exact same approach is made every time.  But I wasn’t willing to hear that.

And let’s go back even further.  I’ve never wanted to rape anyone.  Never had the impulse.  So why was I feeling like I was being lumped in with those who were, or who took a cavalier attitude about rape, or even made rape jokes to begin with?  Why did I feel some massive, undeserved sense of injustice about my place in this whole controversy?
The answer to that is in the first inc
orrect assumption.  The one that says there’s no a “rape culture” in this country.  How can there be?  I’ve never wanted to rape anyone.

Do you see the illogic in that leap?  I didn’t at first.  Missed it completely.  So let’s look at some similar examples:

Just because you 100% believe that comedians don’t write their own jokes doesn’t make it so.  And making the leap from your evidence-free belief to dismissing comedians who complain about joke theft is willful ignorance on your part, invoked for your own comfort.  Same way with heckling.  Just because you 100% feel that a show wherein a heckler disrupted the evening was better than one that didn’t have that disruption does not make it the truth.  And to make the leap from your own personal memory to insisting that comedians feel the same way that you do is indefensible horseshit.

And just because I find rape disgusting, and have never had that impulse, doesn’t mean I can make a leap into the minds of women and dismiss how they feel day to day, moment to moment, in ways both blatant and subtle, from other men, and the way the media represents the world they live in, and from what they hear in songs, see in movies, and witness on stage in a comedy club.

There is a collective consciousness that can detect the presence (and approach) of something good or bad, in society or the world, before any hard “evidence” exists.  It’s happening now with the concept of “rape culture.”  Which, by the way, isn’t a concept.  It’s a reality.  I’m just not the one who’s going to bring it into focus.  But I’ve read enough viewpoints, and spoken to enough of my female friends (comedians and non-comedians) to know it isn’t some vaporous hysteria, some false meme or convenient catch-phrase.
I’m a comedian.  I value and love what I do.  And I value and love the fact that this sort of furious debate is going on about the art form I’ve decided to spend my life pursuing.  If it wasn’t, it would mean all of the joke thief defenders and heckler supporters are right, that stand-up comedy is some low, disposable form of carnival distraction, a party trick anyone can do.  It’s obviously not.  This debate proves it.  And I don’t want to be on the side of the debate that only argues from its own limited experience.  And I don’t need the sense memory of an actor, or a degree from Columbia, or a moody, desert god to tell me that.

I’m a man.  I get to be wrong.  And I get to change

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Hate Speech


Hate speech

From Wikipedia

Hate speech is, outside the law, communication that vilifies a person or a group based on discrimination against that person or group.[1][2]



In law, hate speech is any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group. The law may identify a protected individual or a protected group by certain characteristics.[3][4][5][6]

In some countries, a victim of hate speech may seek redress under civil law, criminal law, or both. A website that uses hate speech is called a hate site. Most of these sites contain Internet forums and news briefs that emphasize a particular viewpoint. There has been debate over how freedom of speech applies to the Internet.

Critics have argued that the term "hate speech" is a contemporary example of Newspeak, used to silence critics of social policies that have been poorly implemented in a rush to appear politically correct.[7]
 

CUNT

I want to write for Jezebel, Bust, Jane or Ms. Magazine. Or maybe I should just make this blog the new feminist mag and call it Cunt

Why It’s Okay to Tell Rape Jokes by Roseanne

I disagree with this. When I have time, I will write why.


 
http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/06/10/why-it-s-okay-to-tell-rape-jokes.html?source=socialflow&account=thedailybeast&medium=twitter

Monday, June 10, 2013

The Pen is Mightier than the Rape Whistle by Bobbie Oliver

Comedian Jim Norton never sent anyone rape threats. Daniel Tosh never threatened to rape anyone (ok, except that one time). But, their fans sent a barrage of rape and death threats to women who spoke out against them (or in Norton’s case, to a woman who just had a civil debate with him on TV, Lindy West). Joe Rogan seems like a smart caring guy who would never personally hack the comic Jamie Kilstein’s Twitter account and post rape jokes. But, his fans did it with the hashtag #deathsquad during the fight between Rogan and Kilstein.

Why use rape jokes as a form of putting people in their place who disagree with you or “act up”? Why are the fans going that route? Is it only because rape was the topic at hand? Or does it go deeper than that? Can we consider just for a moment the idea that a comic’s words can affect individuals and groups of people. Comics, is it possible that maybe the fans aren’t processing the subtle nuances of your jokes and ideas the way you hoped they would? [Someone came up to me once and said, “I love your Paris Hilton joke.” No!!! It’s a Scooter Libby joke!] A lot of comics believe that feminists are seeing something in their jokes that isn’t there. Could it be that the fans see the same thing the feminists see?

Every comic worth his/her weight in chicken fingers knows that words have power. In the new documentary on Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney said “Richard understood that words are powerful.” If you don’t get that, maybe you should make your living off something other than words. We comics choose words very carefully in our jokes, to create imagery, melody, metaphors, similes, to invoke emotion…. to provide the most bang for our buck. We care so much about words that free speech is our number one issue over all else. Or as Jamie Kilstein sarcastically put it: "As comedians, we don't have health care, get paid shitty, and have no union. The hill we chose to die on was rape jokes."

I am here to protect Lindy West’s free speech. I am here to defend and protect the free speech of the women that spoke out against Daniel Tosh. The issue is not rape jokes. The issue is that people have the right to respond to and have a dialogue about those jokes without getting death threats and rape threats and silenced. Lindy West was not a heckler who went to a comedy club and interrupted a live performance and deserved to be shouted down. She wrote her opinions in Jezebel magazine and, when invited, participated in a televised debate, and then got overwhelmed with threats to her safety for SPEAKING HER OPINION. Her right to free speech is under attack. Comics, to the rescue!!! Um, comics? Comics??

These women and men have the right to respond to art, to anything. But, what are they even going on and on about? What is this rape culture anyway? What does comedy have to do with any of this? The Pen is Mightier than the Sword. Do you believe that comedy, poetry, art, journalism, writing, etc can be forces for good? Do you believe that movements have been started from the powerful words of charismatic leaders? Or sustained in the universal pep talk telling us that we are ok and to stay the course? Richard Pryor and George Carlin had the same thing that Martin Luther King, Jesus, Maya Angelou, John Kennedy and Barack Obama have: words and charisma. 


If you believe that words can be used for good, then why not evil? How can words stir people to act, to respond, to feel? Jokes reinforce the status quo or challenge the status quo. The status quo in our culture (not just “over there”) is that rape is treated differently than other crimes. Rape and rape victims are treated like a joke, dismissed, diminished, questioned, interrogated. It is a common belief that rape accusations are often false, when studies show that rape has no higher a % of false claims than any other crimes and, in fact, is underreported and under-convicted. When people are robbed or murdered, we never hear: Well, why did he go up to the room with him? He must have wanted to get murdered. Why did he wear that expensive watch if he didn’t want his wrist broken and his watch stolen? He flaunts that watch all over town. Watch whore.

MRA groups tout that in domestic violence cases, often the “women started it” by pushing a man and he just pushed her back to defend himself blah blah blah. Cut to your mental picture of Rihanna’s beaten and bloody face. I have heard in conversations about violence against women, men bring up alimony and gold diggers as if a woman’s behavior (however misguided) is an invitation to a beating. In all the mass shootings in America over the past few years, I wonder if any of the victims were gold diggers. C’mon! They clearly had it coming. Especially those kids. Or maybe victims are just victims and the perpetrators are to blame…. Nah!

What did the Stubenville kids hear about rape besides what they were taught in our culture? What they heard was: jokes from comedians that make fun of victims and condone non-consensual sex, the media coming out against sports figure’s rape victims blaming the women’s behavior and doubting their stories, movies that sexualize and glorify rape and other violent crimes and, finally, feminist writers and speakers representing the other side that those kids are not exposed to and would never listen to anyway (because everyone knows feminists are man-hating lesbians who should be threatened with rape for speaking).

In Stubenville, the parents, teachers, law enforcement officials, coaches and friends all thought that the future of those boys were more important than the rape victim and dismissed what happened to her as unimportant and worse, a joke. Now tell yourself this just happens in Stubenville. Anonymous, the group that exposed the Stubenville rape cover-up, stated that they were inundated with requests for help from rape victims all over the country (and the world) after that incident.

We can’t even protect our women in the military. While 1 in 4 civilian women are raped, that number goes up for women in the armed forces. [Men, think about why you are afraid to go to prison] What helped begin to change the attitudes toward rape in the military and how the victims are treated? A documentary: The Invisible War. Art started the change. Words. The pen is mightier than the rape whistle. We can not be silenced. Our very lives depend on free speech.

We are very lucky to have free speech. I could not do my job without this right. It is precious and must be protected. But, if you read the U.S. Constitution, you’ll notice that free speech doesn’t just cover comedians. It includes feminist bloggers, and gasp, any people who don’t agree with you. Comics, while you may still not believe your jokes contribute to culture or that your words have any effect, watch how your fans are reacting to what you are saying. Maybe they aren’t in on the joke. Maybe this issue is complex and the dialogue deserves to be continued. Maybe both sides should be allowed to speak.

Dylan Brody's Neighbor's Couch

Check me out on America's Comedy: my interview on Dylan Brody's Neighbor's Couch regarding the Tao of Comedy and rape jokes 












http://www.americascomedy.com/bobbie-oliver-and-the-tao-of-comedy-interview/

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Lindy West Backlash for Speaking Up



http://jezebel.com/if-comedy-has-no-lady-problem-why-am-i-getting-so-many-511214385

Hilarious comic Paul Cibis regarding rape

Great video. This is how you use comedy for good and not evil 
 
 
 
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_a_d0xqivCc

Psychedelicatessen Radio: Misogyny.0

In case you missed it:
This is a year old, but I never posted it here. 

Chris and Bobbie discuss misogyny in the world of stand up comedy, including recent events involving Daniel Tosh, Adam Carolla and Eddie Brill.



The Rape Joke Debate Between Lindy West and Jim Norton

Lindy West and Jim Norton debate rape jokes 
from this week's Totally Biased 
 




http://t.co/QGze23Yda8 

Friday, May 31, 2013

Portrait of a Feminist Comedian

After getting such a positive response to my piece “The Subtle Oppression of Women by Comedy”  by female and male comics and engaging in so many interesting discussions with male comics afterward, I realized that more needed to be said about this subject. (If you haven’t read the piece, please do. I bring up things in it that I don’t address here as so not to repeat). I realized that while all female comics know what happens to us on a regular basis, many men have no idea what is going on. So, I thought I would share a small example of things that I have faced as a woman in comedy that you may or may not be shocked to read (or give a shit about).


Being a feminist is hard. Being a comedian is harder. Being a feminist comedian is almost fucking impossible. Louis CK said that feminists and comedians are natural enemies, which I guess means I don't exist. Damn it, Louis. I was sure I existed.

A lot of comics have pet subjects they like to address. A lot of comics are political like I am sometimes. I have a friend who is very interested in the Fed (Federal Reserve) and he talks about it a lot in his act because it is important to him and he wants to educate people while making them laugh. Feminism, fighting for the rights of women and all people, is important to me and is my pet subject because of what I have experienced in my life. I am pro-woman. I am NOT anti-man. Don’t take it so personally. It’s not about you. It’s about the struggle.

Comedy is different. When women in comedy get sexually harassed, groped, attacked, discriminated against, we have no HR we can report it to. We can’t cry “hostile work environment,” get someone fired or sue anyone for mistreatment, nor do we want to. Female comics get that this is not a normal business. We have to roll with the punches, and, damn it, we do. But, just like men don’t want to be silenced, women do not want to be silenced either. Free speech goes both ways. I, in no way, claim to speak for all women. Women are very different, just as all people are different. A lot of women completely disagree with the things I say and write. That’s ok. I get that. This is about my experience.

Here is my story…


I started doing stand-up comedy when I was 19 years old in college on a theatre scholarship (25 years ago). After I graduated, I did comedy on the road full-time for about seven years up and down the East Coast, in about 14 states regularly. It was seven years of sharing comedy condos in unsafe neighborhoods (and sharing bathrooms) with two men I had never met before in my life (I know of no other profession where that would happen). Seven years of having gigs canceled at the last minute because “We already have a chick. We don’t want two chicks in one week.” Seven years of being sexually harassed by club owners and other comics at the gig or in the condo. Only once did I perform with two women (even one woman was rare), and one of them told me about being attacked in a comedy condo by the headliner. She had the whole thing on tape because she was working on her set and her recorder was on. Like the woman in my other piece, she never reported it. I bought a gun.

Three different times while I was on the road, I was attacked on stage by a man in the audience. All three times the man ran on stage and grabbed my boobs and crotch in front of the whole room. All three times, the comedy clubs did NOTHING. The third time, the man was wearing a gorilla suit (which was scary as fuck for me) and the audience thought it was part of my act. Because why wouldn’t it be? At first, when I was very young, I waited for the club to do something. I thought surely they would not tolerate me being assaulted in their club as their employee. I thought wrong. I punched the gorilla in the face as hard as I could and he ran away, screaming. The audience was wondering where the funny part was. So was I. Unfortunately, that happened at the beginning of my set and I had to do about ½ hour of jokes after a strange man groped me in front of everyone in a crowded room. I was 25.

I moved to Los Angeles from Athens, GA in 1998 because I couldn’t take being on the road anymore. Living in one place was weird for a while, but I became immersed in the comedy scene in LA. The numbers were better here; about 25% of comics are female. But still, it’s not uncommon to be the only girl in a show (or in the room period during an open mic). I got used to being the lone girl in the room with about 20 men with guy after guy going on stage and telling jokes about rape, violence against women, “ugly girls,” “fat chicks,” “bitches” and “whores.” Then I would walk to my car in the dark after, wondering why I kept going. But I kept going. (There are lots of great male comics out there who make jokes about none of those things. It can just feel overwhelming sometimes)

Last year, I was approached online by a male comedy club owner and manager of a famous comedian. He asked to see my comedy. I was excited. I directed him to a ton of video and audio on me. He said he didn't want that, but wanted to Skype with me. I told him I was unable to do that. He said he was in search of the world's "funniest shaved vagina" and asked me if I shave. I refused to answer. I tried to keep the conversation about comedy because I thought he really did want to book me, and was just the usual crude booker with no class. When I continued to refuse to Skype with him (in the middle of the damn night), he began to go on a two hour Twitter rant about me, publicly calling me hack. I have been called a lot of things in my life, but never a hack. I blocked him on Twitter and literally cried all night. The next day, he went on Facebook and posted about me, saying he had offered to give me advice on my comedy and that he had called me a hack and that I had freaked out on him because I could not take criticism. I sent him a private message that read: “Perhaps I should post our entire Twitter private message exchange on your Facebook wall so your wife and everyone else can read it.” Surprise surprise: he took down the post. (Both my husband and another comic who was with us read the entire “shaved vagina” private message exchange)

When Daniel Tosh had his incident at the Laugh Factory with the female heckler in which he said something to the effect of, “Wouldn’t it be funny if that girl got raped by like 5 guys right now? Like right now? What if a bunch of guys just raped her…” I wrote about it because I felt it was important to not only shine a light on rape jokes in general (I feel that rape jokes perpetuate the dismissal of violence against women in our culture and make the brutal act of rape literally a joke), but also to point out that this particular response felt like an incitement to violence. Whereas so many male and female comics came out against Michael Richards calling a heckler a “nigger” and saying that “40 years ago we would have strung you up in a tree,” that did not happen with Tosh. I was attacked online and called a “cunt” and a “feminazi” by strangers and men I knew for my comments because allegedly, I, who make my living telling jokes, am against free speech. That’s ok. I’m a comic. I can take it. The point is that NO ONE, BUT NO ONE ever suggested censoring jokes. No one. We aren’t trying to censor you. We are just asking you to think. Just because you CAN say anything you want, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. By the way, there are rape jokes out there that shine light on the subject, do not victim-blame and do not condone rape. Those are not the ones I am talking about. Some jokes slay demons. Some feed them. A bully wrapped in rubber chicken is still a bully.

Then I decided to share my own rape story online because, after watching Joe Rogan and Jamie Kilstein on Rogan’s podcast, I felt that men will never believe the 1-in-4 rape statistic if more women don’t speak up to their male friends and share their experiences. So, terrified, I tweeted about being raped when I was very young and told everyone my horror on Twitter. The tweet was clearly not a joke. Then, much to my surprise, a male comic I sort of knew replied to my tweet: “Bobbie, rape is not about sex. It’s about 5 minutes.”

It’s hard to express what I felt. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t sleep for days. In fact, when I typed that sentence above (his joke) a year after the fact, I got so upset, I had to get up from my computer for several hours before I could come back to this blog post. 5 minutes?! 5 minutes?! I can not conceive children because I was raped, and doctors believe that if I did, I would not be able to carry the baby to term. I have wanted a baby my entire life and I can’t have one. When is my 5 minutes up?? And, yes, I know. It was a joke. A rape joke told to a known rape victim. If you write and post rape jokes as a response to rape victims expressing how rape jokes make them feel, is it really about free speech at that point? Seriously, ask yourself: What is my investment in rape culture? Why does telling rape jokes in the face of rape victims mean so much to me? You may think to yourself that you would never do that. But Comics, ONE IN FOUR WOMEN IN YOUR AUDIENCE HAS BEEN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED. Count the female faces. 1 in 4 of them picture their rape when you tell a rape joke and feel diminished and trivialized by you in front of a room full of people and may be less likely to report their attack if they feel they are scrutinized or a joke. The Stubenville boys felt validated by rape jokes.

I hear a lot of guys like Eddie Brill and Adam Carolla say that women aren’t funny. Eddie Brill said that women aren’t authentic and go on stage and act like men. Carolla said that women have mediocre senses of humor and are the least funny in the writer’s room. I have spoken out against them both publicly (and had a very lengthy private discussion with Eddie Brill who asked that I not print his comments here in this blog) and the idea that there is “female comedy” or “male comedy.” Individuals express themselves on stage and their genitalia has nothing to do with it. Hitler was not a white male mass murderer that all white males are to be compared to. Neither is Dane Cook. They are individuals. This topic is important to me to speak out on because it hurts women in the industry in our already limited role. Also, I feel that as an elder female comic in the biz, it is my job to stand up for women and be a mentor for young female comics, some who are considering giving up comedy or afraid to pick up a mic to begin with. Many young female comics have come to me and said they felt empowered by me fighting for the cause. To me, that makes it all worth it.

Recently, I saw that a funny male comic I followed on Twitter tweeted that he did not find women funny at the same rate as men. Actually, he tweeted a joke that a woman said if he didn’t find women funny, he must be dumb and he said she must be a whore or something like that. I was not offended by the joke at all, but curious if he really felt that about female comics. I engaged him (because I am a glutton for punishment, I guess) and the discussion quickly escalated into a huge argument. I felt I was being civil. I’m sure he felt the same. Probably neither of us were. I said something to the effect of: Women aren’t funny? Are Mexicans lazy and will black people rob you? Maybe that doesn’t seem civil, but I made the comparison of sexism to racism because I believe they are similar and often people can more easily recognize racism as wrong. That comparison made him really mad. After having a long discussion that just went around in circles, I tried several times to disengage, saying things like “we can agree to disagree” but he was relentless. Finally, in my frustration, I tweeted: “In conclusion, fuck you” and I blocked him. Then it occurred to me a few minutes later that he probably never saw that last tweet because I blocked him and that it was basically bravado on my part and would look like me trying to be tough to someone who couldn’t even read the tweet which didn’t seem fair. So I deleted it. He, evidently, did see the tweet and because I had tweeted afterward that “No matter how civil a woman is in an argument, she is the one who is called crazy” (or something like that), it infuriated him that I had deleted the “fuck you” tweet. In hindsight, I completely understand that.

What happened next is important in this tale of women in comedy. The next day, I woke up to a tag from him on Facebook (and a comic friend of mine writing to alert me to the post) and a ton of comments on a status he had posted about me. He was livid and he was taking it to Facebook. Fine, whatever. I can deal. I’m a comic. His friends starting calling me a “dumb cunt.” I insisted I am a smart cunt! Then, I was called a “whore.” I replied, “Just ask me out already! The sexual tension is killing me!” They were dissing me for teaching comedy (I am used to that from people who have NO idea what I do in my workshops) and then male comics who have sent me pics of their dicks before went on to comment things like “Don’t get me started on comedy teachers!” The comic in question said I was unfunny and then several people came to my defense, including a friend of his who had Googled my videos. Then they decided I was a funny cunt. Small victories.

Hours later, it got worse. A friend of the comic posted my phone number on the Facebook post (he had gotten it from my resume) and told the guy he should find me and go fuck me. The comic replied, “If I fuck her do you think I can get a discount on her comedy class?” If you are a man reading this, you may not think much of it. But, to a woman, this reads: let’s shut this woman up and give her what’s coming to her for daring to speak up. That’s when I had Facebook take the post down. I can handle being called a dumb cunt, but posting my personal information and telling people to go find me and fuck me is terrifying and over the fucking line. (Maybe posting this here is starting more shit with him, but he posted about me on his blog and called me out by name. I am not doing that to him.)

Am I really afraid? You’re damn right I am. Why? I have been attacked by many men in my life, in and out of comedy… by strangers, friends, audience members and comics. Not only have I been raped more than once, I have been beaten up by a boyfriend and witnessed my sister in an extremely physically abusive marriage (in which one day she called the cops and they told her to “make him dinner.” That man is now in prison for murdering his 3rd wife – not my sister- while their child played video games in the next room. He got 15 years. Some drug dealers get more than that. I raised the child my sister had with him).

I have had a few stalkers in my life as a comic. I have a guy on Twitter who keeps creating new pages with different names, pics, bios, etc and poses as different people, sometimes male, sometimes female. I block him and then he follows me as someone else and then when I develop and online “friendship” aka Twitter exchange, he reveals himself to be my stalker and freaks me out again. I have no idea what city or state he lives in. For all I know, he is my next door neighbor. I have a male comic stalker who is mentally ill and dislikes taking his meds. He attacked me verbally a few times at shows (Whatever. I can deal. I’m a comic) and then tried to attack me physically at an open mic. He began by yelling, “Bobbie, it’s me! I just want to talk to you.” When I backed away and he lunged at me, three male comics stepped in and held him back as he still kept trying to get to me, pushing and yelling “Bobbie is a fucking cunt! Bobbie is a fucking cunt!” I ran out the back door and drove home. Not only did the open mic not throw him out, they served him a cup of coffee! ‘Cause, you know, psychos need more caffeine. He has shown up at my gigs and stood by my car staring at me until I was so afraid to get out of my car, I just drove away. I went to the LA County Courthouse to get a restraining order and found out they were $400 and took all day. At the end of the day with mountains of paperwork in hand and my $400, the restraining order was denied because the coffee house did not call the police. When I left crying, a Sherriff came out to the hall and trying to comfort me said, “The LAPD never responds to restraining order calls anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.” Wow. I feel better. I bought mace, a knife and a baseball bat.

These are just a few examples of things I have experienced that I felt should be shared. The stories are not atypical. They are not mine alone. I have more stories like this and so do all female comics. Men have their stories, too, and those should be shared, as well. This was mine.

So, you keep talking and writing about things that matter to you, and I will do the same. I get feedback when I put something out there and you should expect to, as well. Let’s challenge each other to think about what we are saying and let’s try to have some empathy for other people’s experiences. And, if you use comedy to bully victims, I will check you on it. ‘Cause that’s my job.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Subtle Oppression of Women by Comedy by Bobbie Oliver

I just finished writing my first official feminist piece for EveryDayVictimBlaming.com

So excited to be writing again and honored to be included in this project!

 

The Subtle Oppression of Women by Comedy



www.everydayvictimblaming.com/submissions/the-subtle-oppression-of-women-by-comedy/

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tell your rape jokes. Expect to be challenged on them.

By Cameron Esposito 


If this link doesn't work, copy and paste cause it's worth it

cameronesposito.com/post/50931213775


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

My book



As you can probably tell from my 3 year blog gap, I have been writing a book: The Tao of Comedy - Embrace the Pause. The book has gone to print (yay!) and today is my first day off in 3 years. I plan to start writing and posting on this blog again. Just wanted to put that out there and actually post something to show I'm serious.Wasn't this fascinating?  :)

Erikka Innes: 6 Thoughts on Rape Jokes

My friend Erikka Innes makes some great points 


Six Thoughts on Rape Jokes in Comedy – by Comedian Erikka Innes


http://americascomedy.com/six-thoughts-on-rape-jokes-in-comedy-by-comedian-erikka-innes/

Jezebel: An Open Letter to White Male Comedians

This is really great. A must read

An Open Letter to White Male Comedians




http://jezebel.com/an-open-letter-to-white-male-comedians-497503334