What it's like being a female comedian

The way some women are treated in the entertainment industry is a topic that is becoming more pervasive. I actually started writing this article before all the Harvey Weinstein allegations came to light. Some social posts from various cities, comedy Facebook groups and comedians have told some tales about the way female comedians have been treated.

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Not all of these events or scenarios have happened to me. Some have, but most were shared with me. I’m not throwing these out there to be mean. I just want to bring some awareness to my comedy scene.

1. Booker to woman: “Wow you’ve been doing comedy for 5 years and can do 45 minutes? Sure we can get you a hosting spot in a couple months.” Booker to man: You’ve been doing comedy for 6 months and can do five minutes? Can you feature next weekend?”
2. Booker to woman: “Can you wear something tight?”
3. Male comedian: “All female comedians do is talk about their vaginas. Well, time for me to talk about weed and my penis for 5 minutes.”
4. "The only reason FEMALE COMIC can still get people to come for a show is because she has great tits."
5. "You should really work on getting females in the crowd so that guys will see and want to come out. You're not going pack the room any other way."
6. Female comedian: Hilarious self-depricating joke. Audience reaction: Awwww. Is she OK? Her joke was funny, but it obviously shows that she has some deep-seeded self-esteem issues. We should hug and comfort her.
7. While hanging out with my fellow comedians who are men my boobs were only grazed 3 times.
8. No I don’t mind if you put your 3 buddies on the open mic before me because a booker is in the audience. I mean I only signed up for the show 5 months ago. No problem.
9. Host: “Welcome FEMALE COMIC to the stage!” Everyone takes a smoke break and the bookers go to the bathroom.
10. Everyone: “So what do you do for your real job?” Because most female comedians have jobs and careers and juggle numerous tasks while doing comedy. Also the thought of a woman actually doing comedy full-time is just preposterous. Many of our male counterparts do work, but sometimes it’s hard for them to simultaneously work a job and do comedy. Life is hard.

Again, I came up with the idea to put this article together after learning about some inappropriate behavior happening in a couple comedy scenes. While I have felt slighted at times because of my gender, whether that be not getting a show or male comedians gossiping about me, I can say that the male comedians in Dayton are for the most part some upstanding dudes.

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Being one of the only female comedians in this town is sometimes challenging, daunting and difficult. I have always had a reputation as a mega-bitch. It’s amplified when I am by myself at a comedy club. But then we walk the fine line of being too bitchy or having confidence.

Most of the male comedians in Dayton are respectful and have always treated me basically like one of the guys. I consider some of the male Dayton comics my friends. There are many that I have pursued acting and writing projects with.

Dayton is a great place for women to perform and I hope that it continues that way for a long time. If any ladies have trouble in other cities, I’m sorry. That sucks. But just know if you come to Dayton, you won’t have to deal with too much BS.

And if you do encounter BS, the dudes here are such pussies that one karate chop to the neck might paralyze them.