Women in Comedy
By Grace Carballo ‘17
Last Saturday, as part of the USC Comedy Festival, Vol 3: The Changing Face of Comedy, I attended a Women in Comedy panel featuring Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite) Nicole Byer (Loosely Exactly Nicole), Cameron Esposito (Take My Wife), and Suzanne Todd (Bad Moms). These comedy creators are writing their own material, starring in their own shows, and creating hilarious original content telling unique stories worth telling.
I’m very proud to note that USC is way ahead of the curve by offering a program dedicated to training filmmakers in the art of comedy; we became the first university to do so in 2010. When I first heard we had a comedy minor available, I almost added it but unfortunately didn’t have enough units to complete it and still graduate on time. Also, I feared that future potential employers would make me tell a joke during job interviews if they saw I had minored in Comedy and I foresaw that being problematic. I have absolutely loved the classes I’ve been able to take within the USC Comedy division, though, especially Writing the Half Hour Comedy Series, which I’m currently taking, and Creating the Comedic Character, an improv class I took under the impression it was a writing course. I learned to just say “yes, and…” to every unexpected twist since taking that course.
The panelists were hilarious, as you would hope those who do comedy for a living would be. They spoke to how they found comedy and lucky for you, dear readers, I took notes because my memory is not what it used to be! Cameron actually studied theology in college, hoping to be a Catholic priest, which would have been the only thing more groundbreaking than her standup. She explained that as she lost her faith, she found comedy.
Now she has her own show which features her wife, their work as comics, and the humor in their new marriage. “If you really want to test a new marriage, you could have a room full of people tell you potential fights you might have,” Cameron joked regarding the process of creating the show. Maria expressed her love of stand-up because it’s a controlled environment, especially compared to improv. She reflected on her childhood when her father used to allot 3 minutes of talking time for her at the dinner table so she was able to get a word (or several) in.
In fact, Maria was once on a talk show and literally didn’t speak a single word, which has to be some kind of record. She expressed that stand-up comedy gives her the space to contribute to the conversation, like her dad had her do at dinnertime. Regarding regional differences in comedy and criticism, Maria feels West Coast really is the best coast for her in particular because she loves the supportive feedback, genuine or not: “I’d rather have someone bullshit me.”
Nicole actually started acting in drama, to be a “serious actor,” but was often met with laughter from audiences, no matter how intense the subject matter. “I guess this is what I’m going to do,” she said regarding comedy, and now talks about her own experiences so authentically that they become universal. Nicole likes to “go blue” in her material, an expression I didn’t know but which apparently means, cursing and using what some might consider “dirty words”, which happens to be exactly the kind of humor I revere, especially when it’s done well like hers is.
Suzanne, the pride and joy of the Trojan Family, explained how from pain came comedy. She loved John Hughes films and related to the teen angst themes. Since then, she’s followed her instinct when it comes to producing what she believes in. She recalled how many people told her not to produce Austin Powers and how she ignored all of them because she recognized that this was a uniquely funny film. And honestly, thank goodness for that.
Working in comedy is unlike working in most fields. As Cameron explained, “You don’t get the traditional markings of success.” The Internet is a great equalizer, giving more voices the opportunities to be heard and discovered. Having such control is “huge and new” Cameron reminded us. Maria echoed that sentiment: “Thank God for the internet. (There is no God).”
Suzanne described her job as a producer as “part cheerleader, part dictator” in terms of how she has to interact with the many people involved in the content creation process. Her hands-on approach is evident in the “Easter egg” she gave us to look for in an Austin Powers’ scene. She and the director (a USC alum who also directed her 490 during her days as Production major) had to fill in for the actors because they weren’t on set that day so the two of them make a cameo in a scene driving away from Vegas. The women emphasized going after what you want, especially when you know it is good, no matter how groundbreaking or unrealistic it may seem. On the other hand, Nicole also reminded us that “No is the most powerful word.” She declined a number of offers before getting the one she wanted, Loosely Exactly Nicole. “If I hadn’t said, ‘no’, I don’t think there would have been a ‘yes,’” Nicole insisted.
One of my favorite aspects of the panel was seeing how supportive and appreciative the panelists were of one another. In fact, Cameron used to be the opening comic for Maria’s shows, and thanked her for encouraging her and doubling her pay. Maria explained that “open book accounting” is so important between women in comedy because there are wide discrepancies about what people are being paid. This communication and collaboration helps them work together for equal pay and greater opportunities.
A woman in the audience asked a question of the panelists about how to get her foot in the door as she had been unable to get a meeting and felt she had content worth creating. Maria answered her, “Do it now,” and the other panelists agreed that taking that initiative and not waiting is so important and very possible in today’s world of comedy. They cited Broad City as a great example, a show that started as a web-series with Youtube episodes until Amy Poehler found it and loved it. Maria added, “What can I do with exactly what I have today?” Acknowledge the ways you have made it and never have any shame in taking a B (as in backup) job to support you as you chase your dreams.
One question, directed towards Suzanne, sparked the most important discussion of the entire panel. She was asked how she had marketed Bad Moms, as a “woman’s comedy”? Nicole and Cameron both had hilarious responses to this idea that women in prominent roles are harder to sell, which shockingly is a strong misconception. “There is such a fucking double standard,” Nicole insisted, “they act like women don’t have eyes and money.”
Cameron furthered her point by emphasizing that we need to change our perception of our value: “We are 51% of the United State, we are worth selling to; we are worth listening to.” Bad Moms did incredibly well- they had a $20 million production budget and according to “The Numbers” website they have grossed over $180 million internationally. Suzanne added that Bad Moms was important for her because it demonstrates “chipping away at this idea that you can’t make movies with funny women.”
Immediately after leaving the panel I called my friend from high school to tell her what we’re going to be doing over winter break: co-writing and shooting our first comedy short. We’ve talked about it forever, because we love to tell stories, but hearing from these incredibly talented and driven women, and the distinctive ways they’ve achieved their success was exactly the push I needed to actually get started. I feel so alive right now!
To quote Cameron, we all need to just follow the “Joan Rivers model” and keep working til the very end.
To give you a taste of their ingenuity and humor, I’ve taken the liberty of condensing their bios from the Comedy Festival below:
The Panelists
Maria Bamford is the executive producer and star of the semi-autobiographical Netflix comedy series, Lady Dynamite, as well as the creator and star of Maria Bamford: the special special special and the web series The Maria Bamford Show. She was the first female comic to have two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials. She has also starred in Comedy Centrals’ Comedians of Comedy and Netflix’s Comedians of Comedy: The Movie, among other series and shows.
Follow Maria Bamford on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariabamford Instagram: @bamboofle and Twitter: @mariabamfoo
Nicole Byer is currently the producer and star of the scripted MTV comedy series, Loosely Exactly Nicole. She has a hilarious brand of irreverence portraying living on your own for the first time. She’s also on MTV’s hit series, Girl Code, a show that starts dialogue about the wonders and woes of womanhood. She is an alum of Upright Citizens Brigade and continues to do standup. She got national attention for her web series, Pursuit of Sexiness.
Follow Nicole Byer on Instagram: @nicolebyer, Follow Nicole Byer on Twitter: @nicolebyer
Cameron Esposito is the executive producer, writer, and star of Take My Wife. She’s appeared on CONAN, Chelsea Lately, @midnight, and in several other shows and features. Her series, Take My Wife premiered on NBC’s Seeso on August 11, 2016. Cameron also has a digital series, She Said, on Amy Poehler’s “Smart Girls” website. She’s been named an Artist to Watch and Comedian of the Year; to see for yourself checkout her standup show, “Put Your Hands Together”, every Tuesday night at the UCB theatre in Los Angeles. She’s one of the most visible LGBT activists in comedy and on top of all of her other commitments, she is currently working on her first book and a scripted show for FX.
Follow Cameron Esposito on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cameronjokes/, on Instagram: @cameronesposito, on Twitter: @cameronesposito
Suzanne Todd, an SCA Alumna, is an award-winning producer whose movies have grossed over two billion dollars worldwide. In 2016, she produced Alice Through the Looking Glass, and the STX Comedy, Bad Moms. Currently, she’s working on a new installment of HBO’s If These Walls Could Talk. She’s produced iconic films from Across the Universe to Memento to the Austin Powers Trilogy. Suzanne has won numerous awards including Women in Film’s Lucy Award, the Glaad Media Award, and a People’s Choice Award, among others. She gives back through several charitable causes, as well as by mentoring aspiring filmmakers through the USC Stark Mentorship Program and the Producers Guild of America.
Follow Suzanne Todd on Instagram: @suzannetodd and on Twitter: @teamsuz
Each of these 4 incredible women has made her mark, and continues to do so, in comedy, which traditionally was a male-dominated field. They’re trailblazing the way for future women comics, writers, and producers (like my friend and me if we play our cards right) and I revere them for that. Ever since a guy in high school heartily laughed at one of my best anecdotes and told me “You’re actually pretty funny for a girl,” I’ve despised this conception that women cannot be hilarious. Whoever started this ongoing debate RE: Are Women Funny probably lived a very short, bitter, humorless life. It is said that laughter is the best medicine, and these women are just what the doctor ordered!
Fight (monotony & the patriarchy) on,
Grace Carballo ‘17
Can’t get enough of USC Comedy? Go ahead and also follow USC alum and panel moderator, Joanna Cherensky on Twitter: @jojocomedy, the USC Comedy Festival, Vol. 3 on Instagram: @USCComedy, and the Festival on Twitter, as well: @USCComedy
Also check out the USC News write up of the event at this link.
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