Female Comedians' Approach to Create Social Discourse from a Feminist Standpoint

My thesis is concerned with the comedic techniques and styles of female comedians. I provide the analysis of the works of Phillys Diller, Moms Mabley, Lily Tomlin, Molly Shannon, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler. Throughout the text, I attach feminist terms to them and show the aspects of their performance which reflect the position of women in the society of their period. I argue that the extreme attention surrounding women’s bodies and appearance has been an obstacle ever since ever since we exist. I will highlight the slow but steady growth in the number of women in all aspects of comedy production: stand-up venues, writing rooms, sitcoms etc. I analyse comedy as a tool in communicating social and political views. I differentiate between physical, observational and satiric comedy and demonstrate the way it is incorporated into critical sketches and stand-up routines. I focus on the depiction of feminist rhetoric in sitcoms of the 50s -when female characters started to get more attention and independence- and the 21st century. Lastly, I claim that successful and respected female comedians should use their authority to advocate women’s rights and to provide empowering content for the younger generation.