Just A Minute

 
<<<<   3228   >>>>

Re: are panel games sexist?

Messages in this topic: 22 View All
MiriamJun 10, 2009
 

 
I guess I could say that I find some sexism in the eariler shows but then it was being a show of it's Time and it doesn't bother me.
I feel women like Sheila hancock & wendy richard held their own and didn't let the 'boys' take over. I can't say how the backstage atmosphere is at JAM / HIGNFY or any other panel show- maybe victoria woods has had bad experiences. Many female comedians in the past have spoken of the difficulities of being women in the comedy business- this can go all the way back to mae west getting censored in the usa.
In the usa we had a series on comedy that touched on such issues- not only sexism but race/political issues.

( Make Them Laugh-2009)

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/makeemlaugh/

I do like a balance of panelitst whatever gender/age/background.
As nicholas is so fond of saying "it's the contribution that counts"
Miriam

--- 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?
>

 
<<<<   3228   >>>>

Back to the Top