I Just Flew In from [insert generic city]

and boy are my arms tired! rimshot

That's what some people think about stand up comedy. Either that or an endless flood of mediocre, tasteless jokes told by an overgrown, possibly drunk frat boy who has been told he's funny his entire life. He's not.

I think this is why comedy has gotten such a bad rap from the public. It's not really seen as hard work, even though I think it's probably one of the hardest performance arts out there. Think about it. Last night I wanted to cheer when Kathy Griffin called Bullshit on Sarah Palin's difficulties as a woman in politics. Try being a female stand up comic indeed.

But, I do enjoy good comedy. Always have. I went through a rather, um, uncomfortable phase when I was determined to try it. I'm glad I talked myself down, because that would probably have been humiliating to the tenth degree. Plus, I'm not really that funny in person. I do respect people that can do that for a living, though. That takes mad skills and some rhino-thick hide.

Having said that, I tried to think about what I do find funny. Like, why do I like particular comedian/iennes and make it a point to revile others. I think it has to do with self-deprecation in comedy sets. I really like people who possess the ability to make fun of themselves, as it makes them much more human and really does provide an endless font of material. Kathy Griffin does that very well. Certainly she rips into other celebrities, but makes fun of herself the most. That's cool. Plus, I think she's genuinely a very funny person. Which I've discovered not all comedians actually are.

To be honest, I think I like female comics (on the whole) more than most male comics for that very reason. I feel like guys take themselves far more seriously than women do. Way to generalize and be stereotypical, Cristina; I know. But that's what I'm getting. Maybe that's because women have to work harder, and frankly be that much funnier to get crowds. The stereotypical comment that I've heard my whole life is that women are simply not funny. Many guys actually do think this.

Okay, so not true. But maybe they have to work harder to be found funny by people that think that. Also, it makes sense that women tend to have a different kind of sense of humor than men do, and rarely do the twain meet. I mean, don't get me wrong--I like comedy from male stand ups as well. Eddie Izzard is unbelievably amazing, and if it didn't cost the soul of my first born child to get into one of his shows, I'd go. (for a really great way to kill some time at work or um, at home, because being on the internet at work is WRONG: go here) But his comedy isn't really "guy comedy." You know the kind: ranting about the old ball & chain, talking about doing really stupid shit when drunk, and generally being an asshole to people. It seems crueler somehow. Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that Kathy Griffin is an asshole to people. Certainly--it's her schtick. But not in that "guy" way. She has her reasons for being a jerk, and they make sense. She's all about taking people down, who kind of deserve it, not because she just wants to be mean. That's why celebrities hate her: she can see through them, and will let people know that.

Perhaps I'm overgeneralizing. I like lots of male comedians, and I get their jokes. George Carlin and Kathy Griffin can be enjoyed by the same people, and not just because the both say "fuck" a lot. I guess I'm getting sick of the smugness that lots of male comics bring to the table. I think, as a rule, women don't get that way, because expectations are different for them. If a woman brings down the house, you know she earned it all the way.

[ETA: This has nothing to do with comedic actors. That's something different. This is about stand-up comedy, which is probably a dying art. Different rules and different set of standards.]

Much of this has probably been fueled by the simple fact that I cannot stand Dane Cook. He's just not funny, and pretty much exemplifies how people think that "random" is funny. It's not. Stop feeding his ego, people. Maybe then people will stop paying him to be in really horrible-looking movies. Think of the children!

Maybe I'm just looking for another way to cry "Misogyny!" This is probably very unfair to lots of male comedians who have also had to rise through the trenches to get where they are now. Even Jeff Foxworthy had to work hard to perfect his "you might be a redneck" sets. I just want to see more funny women these days. I know they're out there somewhere, biting their tongues at some jerk guy who just told a really bad joke.

And if anyone thinks I'm being unfair (which I may very well be) or has any thoughts on the matter, please comment! I'm still trying to parse my own feelings about this. I probably won't even get argumentative and defensive with you!

And now, take my wife! Please!