March 29, 2009
The Women of "Guy" Comedies
Some Women Vanity Fair Forgot
Some Women Vanity Fair Forgot
I note that the latest Vanity Fair cover showcases the "new legends" of comedy, represented by Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Jonah Hill. Don't worry, there are some women included in the list inside. They're just not funny enough to be on the cover.
Actually, that's a slightly unfair statement. VF featured Tina Fey on its cover just this past January, and last April there was a cover story titled Who Says Women Aren't Funny?", which trotted out funnywomen like Fey, Wanda Sykes, and Kristen Wiig.
And yet, something is still irking me. First, there is the issue of experience. With the exception of Paul Rudd, our cover boys haven't even hit thirty yet, and in my view that means they're only dreaming of "legend" status. Mel Brooks, who actually is a legend, didn't write and produce his first movie until he was 38.
And no women on this cover is a problem. The women who do appear in all three issues are called "sweethearts" and "queens", and dressed like pretty pretty princesses, while these half-naked guys are representative of "legends." These guys (and many in the story inside) have been part of Judd Apatow's juggernaut of massively successful R-rated comedies, and it seems to me that this was the real determining influence for "legend" status.
Banks' Beth gets freaky.
But if making R-rated "guy" movies is the key to being a legend, where are the women? In 40-Year-Old Virgin, Elizabeth Banks' freaky Beth and Leslie Mann's insane Nicky were just as awesomely, Aristophanically over-the-top as any of the male sex-talk, and both women are damned funny in other roles too. To be fair, Mann does appear on the list inside. But why didn't she make the cover?
Look, I actually like "guy" comedies a lot, precisely because a lot of the humor is based on making fun of gender stereotypes. But so few (if any) of these movies seem able to juggle male and female stereotypes at once. Inevitably, the female characters lose this battle (starting in the writers' room) and become superficial, underdeveloped, and (most egregiously) not even in the running for funny--unless a great comic actress magically betters the mediocre role.
Enter the funny ladies brave enough to do "guy" comedies, who deserve the status of "legend" more than any of the junior set on this month's cover.
