I don't really blame her, they're both super loud funny men. That guy was great in the fifth element though.

TBF, Hitchens argument wasn't that women can't be funny or even that individual women aren't funny.

He was saying that humour is viewed as an attractive trait in men, therefore there is an evolutionary pressure on men to be funny. Women don't have this pressure because men tend to select a mate based on looks more than humour. As a result of this, women don't have to be funny to procreate and the average woman is less likely to be funny

Where it falls down for me is in two factors:
1: being funny is not necessarily a genetic trait that can be passed on
2: even if it is a genetic trait, surely all these funny men would have funny offspring regardless of gender.

>> ^messenger:

I'd never noticed that before, but it's true. After thinking about it for 30 seconds, here's what I think:
It's about power.
A person who makes others laugh holds a kind of power over them, a control of their feelings. We're comfortable letting men have this kind of power over us because we're comfortable having men be the boss, hold the floor. We're more reluctant to give a woman that power, especially if she already has sexual power.
Most people -- men and women -- prefer and value a powerful man, which is why we follow strong leaders, elect more men, and laugh more at funny men. This is also why, as a guy, being funny is important when trying to meet women. Being funny isn't just for breaking the ice; it also sets a power dynamic of the man controlling the woman's emotions, "handling" her, which she usually likes, if he does a good job and doesn't seriously offend her. It shows he's confident, powerful, in control, and can make her feel happy -- all good things from a woman's perspective. On the other hand, men don't like being controlled by women, and so typically don't find funny women attractive, as much as intimidating.
Every successful female comedian I can think of is a ditz (lack of mental power), a lesbian (no threat to women, not an option for men), or doesn't have sexual attractiveness: Ellen Degeneres, Roseanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, Joan Rivers. None of these women hold any sexual power over men, so women can safely laugh at them too.


I know it's conceited of me, but i somehow feel proud that this isn't true in my case..

For example, none of the women you listed as funny do i find funny. There's several over here that i've seen on QI and HIGNFY and mock the week that i've found very funny, and they're also really hot imo. True i can name more funny men than funny women, but i suspect that's not my fault specifically.

Maybe this says something about me feeling more comfortable with a woman in charge? Ahem..

Edit: Oh yeah, and i'm a straight male. Just thought i'd mention that for teh analysis.

I'd never noticed that before, but it's true. After thinking about it for 30 seconds, here's what I think:

It's about power.

A person who makes others laugh holds a kind of power over them, a control of their feelings. We're comfortable letting men have this kind of power over us because we're comfortable having men be the boss, hold the floor. We're more reluctant to give a woman that power, especially if she already has sexual power.

Most people -- men and women -- prefer and value a powerful man, which is why we follow strong leaders, elect more men, and laugh more at funny men. This is also why, as a guy, being funny is important when trying to meet women. Being funny isn't just for breaking the ice; it also sets a power dynamic of the man controlling the woman's emotions, "handling" her, which she usually likes, if he does a good job and doesn't seriously offend her. It shows he's confident, powerful, in control, and can make her feel happy -- all good things from a woman's perspective. On the other hand, men don't like being controlled by women, and so typically don't find funny women attractive, as much as intimidating.

Every successful female comedian I can think of is a ditz (lack of mental power), a lesbian (no threat to women, not an option for men), or doesn't have sexual attractiveness: Ellen Degeneres, Roseanne Barr, Rosie O'Donnell, Joan Rivers. None of these women hold any sexual power over men, so women can safely laugh at them too.

^Sorry, but I'm still not buying Hitch's basic argument, i.e., that men are funnier than women. I think about all the people I know, and I can't detect a noticeable difference in the degree of "funnyness" between men and women. I know probably about the same number of funny men and funny women, basically.

Here's a thought: Maybe women don't feel a need to showboat their sense of humor like men do. Crazy idea? Not any crazier than the hypothesis old Stumbly is spouting.

Haha, thanks. I think that whole argument is just ridiculous; there are just as many funny women as funny men, and just as many unfunny men as unfunny women. People are getting bent out of shape too easily on one side and being ignorant dicks on the other.

In reply to this comment by critttter:
As a woman, and being biologically unfunny, I am still going to upvote your comment for it's crass beauty.

In reply to this comment by JAPR:
Who cares if women are funny or not, they have vaginas and make me sandwiches.