In the comedy business, there are plenty more men than women.
In the comedy business, there are plenty more men than women. Maybe men are funnier than women, but whatever the reason, we shouldn’t overlook the fact that there are some incredible female comics out there, and here, to prove this to you, are my five top female comics.
Andi Osho
Andi’s confidence on stage is what makes her stand out for me. Most female comedians feel that they have to use totally self-deprecating humour to make themselves funny, but Andi manages to be at the top of her game without constantly insulting herself.
Shappi Khorsandi
Shappi is from an Iranian family, and a large proportion of her acts revolve around race. With her humour, she highlights how completely arbitrary discriminating on the basis of skin colour is, without sticking to political correctness.
Miranda Hart
Miranda is like marmite—people either love her or they hate her. As such, she is probably a controversial choice to put on this list. However, her sense of humour appeals to me like no other comedian’s ever has, and I think you can tell what type of person someone is by whether they “get” her humour or not.
For the ever-so-slightly-hiding-her-crazy woman, Miranda is perfect, and her focus on what are seemingly insignificant woman issues is why many men really don’t understand her.
Jo Brand
Perhaps a conventional choice, Jo Brand is probably the most famous comedian on this list. Her humour is dry and self-deprecating, but that just makes her English, right?
Joan Rivers
And for my finale, who more fitting than the late Joan Rivers. While researching for this article, I watched a number of stand-up acts from American comedians, and I just couldn’t see where they were coming from.
As a general rule, I find American comics too obvious and too focused on shock factor at the detriment of intelligent, witty content. Joan was an exception to this rule with her sharp, cutting humour and her biting portrayal of celebrities. She was an exciting comedian, always managing to remain contemporary despite her advancing years, and she will be sorely missed.
What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.
Cover image: Canadian Film Centre / Flickr
Andi Osho: CleftClips / Flickr
Shappi Khorsandi: Henry Cooksey / Flickr
Jo Brand: Andrew Campbell / Flickr
Joan Rivers: Steve Rhodes / Flickr
