Are women as funny as men? Sexist as it sounds, the idea lives on that women aren’t as funny as their penis-equipped counterparts in the comedy department. [1]
Bridesmaids has been touted as a breakthrough — a raunchy female response to a decade of dude-driven comedies and bromances. (Does that make Bridesmaids a “womance?” And, if it does and the term “womance” enters into regular rotation, I expect credit for it.) But does Bridesmaids live up to the hype?
More after the jump!
Bridesmaids has been touted as a breakthrough — a raunchy female response to a decade of dude-driven comedies and bromances. (Does that make Bridesmaids a “womance?” And, if it does and the term “womance” enters into regular rotation, I expect credit for it.) But does Bridesmaids live up to the hype?
More after the jump!
Yes and no. Is Bridesmaids funny? Yes. Is Bridesmaids a trail-blazing instant classic that is a triumph for film and the cause of feminism? No.
Perhaps it’s due to unreasonably high expectations, or maybe I’m just getting old enough to pine for the R-Rated comedies of yesteryear — though I admit to laughing my way through The Hangover [2], Wedding Crashers, I Love You, Man and a majority of Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow’s bawdy bromance films, so I’m not sure that’s the issue.
Maybe I’m just a sexist. After all, my date — a female — thoroughly enjoyed Bridesmaids. Or, maybe Bridesmaids, despite its best efforts, still holds onto some sexist ideas that keep it from reaching its full potential. This is mainly because Bridesmaids often feels more rom-com than raunch, and, as such, is handicapped by the semi-sexist set of flowery morals often employed by that genre.
Kristen Wiig’s character Annie feels guilty for random, unromantic flings with a Porsche-driving sleazebag played brilliantly by Jon Hamm. Annie also seems to suffer from the main problem facing females in rom-coms: She needs a man — a man like police officer and all-around nice guy Rhodes, played by BBC import and the most loveable fellow I’ve ever seen in a rom-com, Chris O’Dowd.
Annie and bride to be Lillian (Maya Rudolph) don’t present us with too much we haven’t seen in dozens of chick flicks before: a pair of pals working to keep their friendship going through the distractions of adulthood. We never get the unhinged wildness necessary to make Annie or Lillian the likable but unapologetic a-holes of bro films that fill guy movies like Shaun of the Dead or Superbad.
For the most part, the gals of Bridesmaids pull their punches and don’t dive into the truly outrageous material that makes the best bits of bromance films memorable. Thankfully, we do get Megan (Melissa McCarthy of Gilmore Girls and Mike & Molly), a foul-mouthed female John Belushi type responsible for a majority of Bridesmaids’ biggest laughs and the movie’s one great gross-out scene.
So, is Bridesmaids proof that women are funny? Maybe, but heralding it as a triumph for women is hyperbole. It can be sappy and sentimental, but Bridesmaids is a step in the right direction for funny women looking for a place in the recent R-Rated raunch revival. And in a world of bland, cookie-cutter chick flicks, Bridesmaids has more balls than most.
Perhaps it’s due to unreasonably high expectations, or maybe I’m just getting old enough to pine for the R-Rated comedies of yesteryear — though I admit to laughing my way through The Hangover [2], Wedding Crashers, I Love You, Man and a majority of Bridesmaids producer Judd Apatow’s bawdy bromance films, so I’m not sure that’s the issue.
Maybe I’m just a sexist. After all, my date — a female — thoroughly enjoyed Bridesmaids. Or, maybe Bridesmaids, despite its best efforts, still holds onto some sexist ideas that keep it from reaching its full potential. This is mainly because Bridesmaids often feels more rom-com than raunch, and, as such, is handicapped by the semi-sexist set of flowery morals often employed by that genre.
Kristen Wiig’s character Annie feels guilty for random, unromantic flings with a Porsche-driving sleazebag played brilliantly by Jon Hamm. Annie also seems to suffer from the main problem facing females in rom-coms: She needs a man — a man like police officer and all-around nice guy Rhodes, played by BBC import and the most loveable fellow I’ve ever seen in a rom-com, Chris O’Dowd.
Annie and bride to be Lillian (Maya Rudolph) don’t present us with too much we haven’t seen in dozens of chick flicks before: a pair of pals working to keep their friendship going through the distractions of adulthood. We never get the unhinged wildness necessary to make Annie or Lillian the likable but unapologetic a-holes of bro films that fill guy movies like Shaun of the Dead or Superbad.
For the most part, the gals of Bridesmaids pull their punches and don’t dive into the truly outrageous material that makes the best bits of bromance films memorable. Thankfully, we do get Megan (Melissa McCarthy of Gilmore Girls and Mike & Molly), a foul-mouthed female John Belushi type responsible for a majority of Bridesmaids’ biggest laughs and the movie’s one great gross-out scene.
So, is Bridesmaids proof that women are funny? Maybe, but heralding it as a triumph for women is hyperbole. It can be sappy and sentimental, but Bridesmaids is a step in the right direction for funny women looking for a place in the recent R-Rated raunch revival. And in a world of bland, cookie-cutter chick flicks, Bridesmaids has more balls than most.
1. For an intellectual analysis of the matter, check out the 2007 essay from smarty-pants journalist and master debater Christopher Hitchens bluntly titled “Why Women Aren’t Funny,” or if you prefer something that involves less reading, you can watch him discuss it in the video below.
2. That was largely due to my extremely low expectations and a life-long love of Zach Galifianakis.
--Eric Pulsifer
2. That was largely due to my extremely low expectations and a life-long love of Zach Galifianakis.
--Eric Pulsifer
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