Judd Apatow supports female comedy

Words: Caroline Foran

There's no point beating around the bush with this - I think it's safe to say that there has definitely been a consensus down the years that when it comes to comedy, men are funnier than women. Before all female comedians attempt to hunt me down and gut me like a fish, I'm not saying that I personally believe this to be true but it's been the attitude of many for quite some time. One person that definitely doesn't agree with this school of thought is Judd Apatow.

As reported by CNN, since producing "Bridesmaids", the producer and director still hears lots of chatter about this being "the age of the funny ladies". As if women only recently became humorous. The thought struck a chord with Apatow.

"It is kind of silly, I thought this was the country of Lucille Ball... To me, I've never understood why there is any question about are women as funny as men." Apatow told CNN.

Apatow links this misconception to "a larger issue, which is that in entertainment a lot of men have been bred to be writers, directors and producers, and they tend to lean toward writing what they know about - which is other men.... I think a lot of studios today are run by women, and we are entering a time when a lot of women have evolved in Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade and wanted to become writers and comedians. So we are seeing that come to fruition."

Tis high time, that's for sure.

Apatow flexes his female comedy muscle once more with new HBO series "Girls," which premiered in the US. Helming the movie as producer, Apatow's latest creation follows the lives of four 20-something women trying to make a life for themselves in New York City and the mistakes they make along the way.

Speaking of the show's creator/star/director/executive producer Lena Dunham, Apatow says she is " a very original, unique voice and does speak to young people... You know how hard it is to be in your early 20s right now in a tricky economy and a world that's changing very fast... People seem to connect with [Dunham's character] as the underdog."

Story by EI Team | 09:00 | Thursday 15th March 2012 | Comedy

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