Gay and lesbian comedians

[sammie19]

I spotted this while looking at the Guardian web page today.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/aug/03/gay-lesbian-comics-come-out

It seems unlike real life, where lesbians and female bisexuals have it far easier than our male counterparts, in the UK lesbian comediennes dont get much of a look in compared to the plethora of men funny guys. I like a laugh but scratch my head as I did, I could only come up with Rhona Cameron who I saw once and found as funny as being hit on the head with a mallet and left to die while being munched alive by soldier ants.

I know a lot of bisexual and lesbian women most of whom are quite hysterical to be with, so it isn't that we don't have a sense of humour. They can tell a story and have great timing some of them. So is there a problem getting dates for non straight comediennes? We don't have a wealth of female talent at all to the forefront in stand up comedy so is it just that people prefer the manly arts? There are a number of really good women but they are quite thin on the ground.

This is only about the UK and I know little or nothing about other parts of the world. In music we have plenty gay and bi women, guys too, and even in acting, there are quite a few. Why then a problem when it comes to stand up comedy?

[softfruit]

Queer women comedians? Sue Perkins. Sandi Toksvig. In the recent past, Lea De Laria and a couple of other names that I now forget though I can see the faces in my mind and even hear some of the jokes!

I suspect this isn't a sexuality thing but a gender one though: consider the ratio of female v male comedians on TV and radio regardless of sexuality. The News Quiz is noticeable for sometimes having the majority of the 5 people on it each week being female - something I don't think has ever happened on the TV remake of it Have I Got News For You. Pro rata we probably do OK on gay and bi representation within the small amount of female representation.

[Diva667]

I vote for Eddie Izzard & Margaret Cho

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/EddieIzzard17Oct2003.jpg/220px-EddieIzzard17Oct2003.jpg
That's Eddie
http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/2008/08/cho-tattoo/margaret-cho-tattoo-titillating-04.jpg

There's Margaret

:)

[sammie19]

Queer women comedians? Sue Perkins. Sandi Toksvig. In the recent past, Lea De Laria and a couple of other names that I now forget though I can see the faces in my mind and even hear some of the jokes!

I suspect this isn't a sexuality thing but a gender one though: consider the ratio of female v male comedians on TV and radio regardless of sexuality. The News Quiz is noticeable for sometimes having the majority of the 5 people on it each week being female - something I don't think has ever happened on the TV remake of it Have I Got News For You. Pro rata we probably do OK on gay and bi representation within the small amount of female representation.

I like Sue Perkins, but have never seen her perform. Only ever seen her doing other stuff on telly. And Sandi Toskvig I find a bit too full of herself but again have only ever seen her on other programmes.

Have met Eddie Izzard, Marie. Only once in a crammed lift. He accidentally elbowed me on the dose:eek:. Nice apology though and he helped me to my little car with my bags. Did like the purple eye shadow but not the bump on the conk.:)

[BiDaveDtown]

Eddie Izzard may be funny at times but he's not queer since he's Heterosexual and just dresses in drag as part of his routines.

Now Margaret Cho she's funny and actually bisexual. :)

[Diva667]

Eddie Izzard may be funny at times but he's not queer since he's Heterosexual and just dresses in drag as part of his routines.

Now Margaret Cho she's funny and actually bisexual. :)

Drag is part of who Eddie Izzard is. If you'd listened to his routine, you'd know that. He has even been assaulted off stage because of being transgender.

[softfruit]

@Diva Quite - I didn't cite Izzard cos I read the original post as being about LGB rather than LGBT, and in particular about bi & gay women. Eddie wears femme clothes some of the time, it's not as part of his routine* it's just who he is, so is T in the sense of transgressing boy gender boundaries.



* it comes into his routines but as observation about life in the same way that comedy about queuing in shops is observation about life - as opposed to say the Two Ronnies doing drag for a sketch

[tenni]

Are there any male bisexual comedians? I notice that someone has stated that Margaret Cho is a bisexual female comedian. I've heard her referred to a a lesbian comedian..interesting to find out that she is a bisexual comedian. I hear her mostly referring to her ethnicity and in particular her mother daughter relationship. I guess TV doesn't permit her to explore the humour of her bisexuality or I just didn't pick it up.

I have read/heard that it is more difficult for a female comedian to get gigs regardless of their sexuality. That wall is breaking down in the past decade or so though.

[Diva667]

Are there any male bisexual comedians? I notice that someone has stated that Margaret Cho is a bisexual female comedian. I've heard her referred to a a lesbian comedian..interesting to find out that she is a bisexual comedian. I hear her mostly referring to her ethnicity and in particular her mother daughter relationship. I guess TV doesn't permit her to explore the humour of her bisexuality or I just didn't pick it up.

I have read/heard that it is more difficult for a female comedian to get gigs regardless of their sexuality. That wall is breaking down in the past decade or so though.

She is quite out about being bi. Have heard her do numerous riffs on it.

http://youtu.be/xcMvwbc3ZR8

[darkeyes]

Margaret Cho is currently in Edinburgh appearing at the festival... Kate and I have tickets to go and see her.. have never seen her and we are both looking looking forward to it... :)