According to the author, Judd Apatow is the new king of chick flicks. Also, the author
seemed to paint a picture of a world where women aren't allowed to be funny on a larger
stage. Let me address the Apatow point first. Judd Apatow is a producer and he wants
his films to make money. He didn't produce "Bridesmaids" because he wanted to
champion the next Lucy. Fact is, Apatow's bromance/ignorant cro-magnon series
hit a dead end when he trotted out Adam Sandler in the vastly under edited and un
focused dramedy "Funny People" a few years back. According to the Reader
piece, Bridesmaids writer Kristen Wiig basically said that it took everything but
a bare knuckle brawl to keep Judd Apatow from turning her characters into tasteless,
one dimensional shrews. Apatow is hiding out in the land of chick flicks, plain and simple.
A reformed feminist, he is not.
Point Two. Funny is funny in my world, gender is not an issue for me. Some women
are good at making people laugh and some make you wanna change the channel. It goes
the same way for male comics. There are the good ones and the great ones and the one
who need to think long and hard about an alternate career. You can't say that women
haven't had their opportunities to shine when the writing room at SNL has become
decidedly female. Still, despite a changing of the guard in the writing room, SNL still
suffers from skits that go on wayyyyyyy to long or are simply to tame or one
dimensional for their own good. Oh, I know, it's that godfather like Alpha Male
Loren Michaels that's holding the gals back. I offer a retort to that. If you're
strong enough to change a boys only culture at thirty rock, then you're strong
enough to get quality material on the air. Politics plays no favorites at SNL, be it
man or woman. If you've seen or read any special on the backstage workings at
SNL, you've heard the stories about the male cast members virtually cannibalizing
one another to get their skits on the air. If this is the time of the female comic
on SNL, I want to actually see it. What I've seen is status quo. SNL
is still coasting along as a toothless paper tiger. Contrary to the opinion of the writer
in the Bridesmaids piece, I believe that Hollywood will produce any comedy,
regardless of gender, if said comedy is profitable. Indeed, profit knows no gender
in LA LA land. I suspect though, that most of the female audience that Bridesmaids
ultimately targeted will sit home and then complain when Hollywood doesn't hand
the keys to a comic like Kristen Wiig again. It's the same issue I have with
African American audiences. For years, their gripe has been the lack of quality
film makers of color. Yet, when an African American film maker makes a quality
film..... the African American community stays home. Worse yet, they gave their
hard earned dollars to the same stereotypical crap that Hollywood pumps out
year after year. I know.... but Hollywood is a lilly white boys club who won't
let African Americans make important films. Well then, how do you explain the
likes of Spike Lee? Lee not only knocked at Hollywood's door, he kicked it in.
It's all about opportunity. Question is, are the aspiring female comics and
the potential Spike Lee's of the next generation savvy enough to answer
the knock?
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