Women Aren’t Funny is a self-directed Honours project that documents a fictitious political movement that protested for gender inequality in comedy.
Everybody loves to laugh. But, only 1 in 10 comedians are female. As soon as a woman in comedy fails, the same tired argument—that women aren’t funny—is yelled from the rooftops. In 2013, Forbes Magazine compiled the list of the top 10 earning comedians for the year. Unsurprisingly, zero were women. This is one of many statistics the heroines of the Women Aren’t Funny movement—the fictitious Gagged Girls—fought to change.
Set in New York City, the movement took place from 2013–15 and is grounded by the words of real comedians. By creating the collateral of a protest movement, ranging from graffiti and social media posts, to event posters and editorial illustrations, Women Aren’t Funny creates an authentic and immersive narrative. Through a calculated combination of wit and harsh truths, the work is a celebration of women and comedy, looking towards a society that can no longer dare to think that women aren’t funny.
