What’s Next?

Tina Fay is an award winning American writer and comedian who was head writer at SNL before going on to write, star in, and produce 30 Rock, a show about the behind the scenes of a sketch comedy show. (For UK readers, apparently it’s like Studio 60, but with the show-within-a-show actually being funny. Also: not cancelled). The point I’m trying to make here is this really is quite a talented and funny lady.

In a Reader’s Digest article she let slip some comments that some found objectionable. Now, I LOVE the Daily Show, but I think her point that some jokes get laughs because people approve of them being made rather them than actually being funny is true. I don’t think there’s wrong with that, if the Daily Show didn’t ration out the funny the internet would be full of nothing other than re-postings of Daily Show sketches and we’d never get anything done. I do object to her view of male comedy:

RD: What’s the difference between male and female comics?
Fey: Every comic way of writing is unique, but I think male comedy is more boisterous. Usually it involves robots and sharks and bears. Female comedy is more likely to be about the minutiae of human behavior and relationships.

Because I don’t think that’s true in the slightest, for one thing it ignores the complex minutiae of behaviour you can get through various combinations of robots, sharks and bears. The proper response to this from a male comic should be “F*** you and the robot bear you rode in on!” - instead because the woman in question happens to be a bit of a cutie, we’re informed that Tina Fay’s existence is no longer able to be validated by Daniel O’Brien’s penis (I’m sure she’s weeping). I do appreciate the irony that when male writers are accused of frat boy humour, O’Brien hits back with a hard-hitting piece about how he would no longer sleep with her. I don’t think that was intentional either, I think it was genuinely the funniest thing he thought was possible to say about an attractive woman. This, friend, is why she writes for SNL and you write for Cracked.

Another choice quote:

I’d reference some hilarious female comedian to disprove your point right now, but I can’t fucking think of any.

Hahaha, comedy is a profession that women find hard to break into? Oooh, You crack me up!

In interests of passing on the hat-tip, I got this story through The Largest Minority who also added this comment regarding Fay’s fuckability in relation to her support for Hillary Clinton:

Here’s a tip ladies (that’s not what I meant), if you ever want to get a guy interested, please refrain from mentioning Hillary Clinton… ever. For guys, talking about Hillary with a woman we fancy is like sitting next to grandma at the strip club. Her name is an anti-Viagra neutron bomb destroying the appeal of everything within a hundred block radius.

Remember folks: There is no sexism directed towards the Hillary Campaign or its supporters whatsoever.

The following is a slightly paraphrased version of two BBC News sessions:

BBC: We have the leader of the protesters here in the studio: Tell me, how effective do you think this blockade is going to be in curbing fuel prices?
Protester: No, you’ve misunderstood us. We’re not blockading anyone. We’re just protesting the high prices that citizens of this country have to endure.
BBC: Yes of course. But it could be said that the petrol blockades of a few years ago did little to effect the price of fuel, what would you say to those who criticise your use of a similar strategy?
Protester: What? We’re not. This is not a blockade.
BBC: Yes, well that may be, but do you think that this blockade might create further confusion in relation to petrol than already exists?
Protester: What blockade? We’re not having a blockade. Stop mentioning blockades!
BBC: Sorry, we’ll have to cut you off there. Remember: Send your experiences of the Petrol Blockade to…

One week later…

BBC: …and in other news, the much hyped petrol blockades failed to take place this week, many are wondering just what went wrong.

If only I were joking.