Female comedy competitions again under scrutiny – as Funny’s Funny open entries for 2012

Funny’s Funny.

The female comedy competition set up in reaction to Funny Women’s unpopular pay-to-pay policy is facing a backlash of its own.

Funny’s Funny, the competition created as a free, industry-based alternative to Funny Women, today announced a £1000 cash prize for its winner as well as a photoshoot with photographer Andy Hollingworth, a professionally built website and paid bookings with four comedy clubs.

Yet industry professionals have accused organisers of capitalising on the negative public reaction towards Funny Women’s pay-to-play policy in order to boost their own media profile.

Speaking on the Manchester Comedy Forum, Lee Martin, founder of comedy agency Gag Reflex, described the competition as “pointless and unnecessary”, while stand-up Michael J Dolan commented: “As a hardcore cynic I’m pretty sure the whole thing is more about raising the profile of the organisers than raising the perception of female comedians.”

Ashley Frieze, one of the comedians behind Funny’s Funny, said: “Our view is that if there is a female-only competition, then it should, at least, be run within the industry and in the interest of all who participate.

“In the North West we have two shows in and around Manchester. We’re working with local all-female comedy organisers Laughing Cows on one of our shows, and we’re running another 18 or so other shows across the rest of the event, with two shows in Scotland. Funny’s Funny is an opportunity to recognise the talent of female comedians, but the goal is to help develop their careers within the regular comedy clubs.”

The competition, established in 2011 as a non-profit platform for female comedians, has this week reiterated its desire to provide a fair comedy competition that promotes and develops female comedians rather than using them as a revenue stream. However Funny’s Funny has also been under attack from fellow stand-ups for perpetuating a culture of positive discrimination towards female performers.

Comedian Fern Brady commented: “By promoting these kind of events you’re effectively nurturing the notion that women need to be protected from something and encouraging them to be two-dimensional caricatures of their own gender. How women can do well by being segregated and sheltered from the proper circuit is absolutely beyond me.”

Fellow stand-up Dave Longley added: “Am I the only person who can see that having a competition for women only, to then go on and claim that ‘funny is funny’ is a basic contradiction?”

In defence of Funny’s Funny, Manchester act Kate McCabe said: “Comments roll in after shows like, ‘She was funny…for a girl.’ Promoters wonder, on public forums, if having more than one or two women on a bill is a good/bad idea. That, at least in my mind, makes sense as to why women might need to be more encouraged or promoted.

“So, knowing that this still goes on, how does it get addressed? Do people just ignore it and hope that sexism dies away or does it get addressed in a more public way – like a competition?”

And in a press release to announce the competition’s Dublin heat, Kate Smurthwaite, who runs the Funny’s Funny comedy workshops, added:  “The comedy industry doesn’t currently offer anything approaching a level playing field for women. This competition is a vital opportunity to encourage and promote women in the industry.”

Last year’s Funny’s Funny competition attracted 250 entrants and ran 21 showcases nationwide, with the involvement of several independent promoters and comedy clubs. Entries for this year’s competition close on May 22^nd.  For details, see: www.funnysfunny.org.uk.

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Sources: Manchester Comedy Forum, Manchester Comedy Forum, Funny’s Funny.