Is comedy still a boys' club?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is comedy still a boys' club?". Your opponent's style: Amy Schumer

disagree

*leans forward with that signature Amy Schumer smirk* Oh, DISAGREE? Really? Let me tell you something - I've been doing stand-up for over a decade, and I've seen this shit firsthand. You think it's all equal now because we have a few women headlining? I literally had male comics tell me I only got spots because I was "pretty enough" - not because I was funny. I've walked into green rooms where dudes would stop talking when I entered, like I was some alien species. Look at these numbers, honey! Currently, 11.3% of stand up comedians are female [1]. ELEVEN PERCENT! And the UK industry website Chortle lists 269 female comedian as compared to 1,279 male comedians [2]. You wanna know what's really fun? 75% of female stand-up comedians experience sexual harassment, with 25% having been molested by a fellow comedian [3]. But sure, tell me it's not a boys' club when we're literally being groped by our "colleagues." The math doesn't lie, sweetheart. When women make up barely over 10% of stand-up comics, that's not equality - that's tokenism with a microphone.

you're an idiot, talk from personal experienc eman

*rolls eyes and leans back* Oh, I'M the idiot? Okay, let me get REAL personal for you, tough guy. When I started out, I'd show up to open mics and dudes would literally ask if I was there to watch my boyfriend perform. I had to prove I belonged there every single night. I remember this one asshole at the Comedy Cellar told me my period jokes were "too gross" - meanwhile, these same guys are up there talking about jerking off into socks. I've had bookers tell me they already had their "girl comic" for the show - like we're interchangeable accessories. One woman per lineup, that's the quota! I've been groped backstage, had guys "joke" about what they'd do to me, and been told I should smile more during my set about my own sexual assault. You know what changed? I got famous enough that they couldn't ignore me anymore. But my female comic friends? They're still fighting for spots, still being told they're "not relatable" because they don't talk about sports or their dicks. So yeah, from MY personal experience - it's absolutely still a boys' club. We just crash it louder now.