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Re: are panel games sexist?

Messages in this topic: 22 View All
CatJun 9, 2009
 

 
As a woman I'm probably supposed to say they are sexist. I don't believe they are though, I just think certain personalities fit those shows and others don't - male or female.

The fact is more men appear on the shows because male comics outnumber females heavily. It's not a quality thing but for every funny female comic I can name 4 or 5 men who I like watching or listening to.

Shows like Never Mind the Buzzcocks are clearly just an attck zone for anyone - you don't go on that show and not expect to be ripped to shreds by Lamarr or Amstell

The problem is sometimes I don't find some topics with female standups that funny - due to my own preference. When Shappi Khorsandi talks about wanting to be a 'yummy mummy' I'll raise a smile, but I prefer topical comedy and political humour. Linda Smith ranting about the Tories getting these supply teachers in who can't keep order, or that Neil Kinnock might have won the election i he'd just left the country during the campaign still makes me chuckle, years after broadcast - so it depends on comedy taste.

Shows like HIGNFY, QI, Mock the Week and of course JAM and ISIHAC - people like Linda Smith and Sandi Toksvig will appear in my favourite ever line-ups, they more than 'hold their own' - they excel against many male couterparts.

And then we'll allow space for people like Jenny Eclair - material not great but such an infectious personality you can't help but love her! And her male equivolent (to me) would be the likes of Chris Neill and Graham Norton.


Well that was a rant-and-a-half. I'm not even sure it makes sense and think I drifted off-topic a bit!

--- In just-a-minute@..., Dean Bedford <dbedford@...> wrote:
>
>
> Yes says Victoria Wood and although she is talking about TV panel games,
> clearly women haven't had a great run on JAM...
>
>
>
> TV panel shows are too 'male dominated', claims Victoria Wood
>
> Panel shows such as 'I'm Sorry I haven't got a clue' and 'Have I Got
> News For You?' are too "male dominated" according to the comedienne
> Victoria Wood.
>
> Wood, one of Britain's most respected comedy writers, has become the
> latest television personality to criticise the laddish culture of
> "testosterone-fuelled" comedy panel shows like 'Never Mind the
> Buzzcocks' and the 'Mock the Week'.
>
> "A lot of panel programmes are very male-dominated, because they rely on
> men topping each other, or sparring with each other, which is not
> generally a very female thing," she told the Radio Times.
>
> She added: "I felt I held my own".
>
> The double BAFTA winning comedienne will appear in the 51st series of
> the radio programme, I'm Sorry I haven't a Clue, the first show go on
> air without Humphrey Lyttelton, who died in April last year, aged 86.
>
> In his role as chairman for 35 years, he gave the panel of four
> comedians "silly things to do" in what was billed as "the antidote to
> panel games".
>
> Wood, 56, will make her debut appearance on the show with veteran
> panellists Barry Cryer, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden in a
> recording chaired by Stephen Fry, who is currently 'hot-desking' the
> role with Jack Dee and Rob Brydon.
>
> Wood, the creator of Housewife 49 and Dinnerladies, has become the
> latest television personality to criticise the laddish culture of TV
> comedy.
>
> Sandi Toksvig, who hosts The News Quiz on Radio 4, has also said that
> female panellists were often edited out of the final cut.
>
> Toksvig said last year: "Testosterone-fuelled arguments between the boys
> make it difficult. Women's jokes aren't about trying to top the last
> person or 'win' the game," she said "I think that if more women were in
> charge, everyone would get a look in."
>
> Bill Matthews, the co-creator of Never Mind the Buzzcocks agreed that
> panel shows were male-dominated "bear pits" which were "too competitive
> and testosterone heavy".
>
> Last year, Mariella Frostrup accused Have I Got News For You of being
> sexist towards female guests.
>
> Describing the panel game as a "disgrace", she said that women were
> invited to appear only as a token presence to be ridiculed by the
> "testosterone-driven" team captains, Ian Hislop and Paul Merton.
>
> A BBC spokeswoman said: "There are far fewer female comedians than male
> so despite wanting to feature more women on our panel shows we often
> can't. We are working to address this issue though and many women have
> featured on our shows recently or will be featured in upcoming series
> including Would I like to you, Shooting stars and QI.
>
> Victoria Wood will appear as a panelist on the first 2 episodes of the
> new series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue starting on the 15th June 2009
>
>
>
>
> So what do we think - is the problem that the men spend too much time
> bickering with each other and Nicholas - and that's just not womanly?
>

 
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