Are you tired of loudly yelling “Aw, not him!” when a comedian you love is accused of sexual assault? Is your commitment to standing by the stories of the brave women who come forward depriving you of your ha-has?
Lucky for you, I spend all of my free time obsessively jotting down lists of people who make me laugh.
1. Fortune Feimster
Fortune Feimster is living her best life right now. In addition to recently getting engaged, she’s finally getting the exposure that she’s deserved for a long time. Feimster was a contestant on Last Comic Standing, and appeared as a co-host on Chelsea Lately and on episodes of Workaholics and Glee.
Look for her on the newest season of The Mindy Project, as well as her episode of Netflix’s The Standups. (Specifically, her bit about a “hot clarinet.”)
2. Rachel Bloom
There comes a time in every friendship I have with another person when I ask them one question: “Are you watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend?” Rachel Bloom is responsible for my favorite musical comedy series’ creation, as well as playing the show’s lead character and songwriter. Crazy Ex has some of the best portrayals of LGBT characters, discussion of mental illness, and cultural sensitivity on television right now. Not to mention, its songs are stuck inside my head every minute of every day.
Look for her pre-Crazy Ex songs on YouTube, especially “We Don’t Need a Man” and “Pictures of Your Dick.”
3. Aparna Nancherla
Just because she was on an episode of Master of None that may sort of leave a bad taste in your mouth now doesn’t mean she wasn’t hilarious in it. Aside from appearing on shows like Inside Amy Schumer and Bojack Horseman, Nancherla also has a standup act that is equal parts insightful and equal parts off-the-wall.
Look for her on Twitter. She’s the author of some relevant and important tweets.
4. Jamie Loftus
I’ve been really into Adult Swim-style editing and surrealism lately, but my main qualm with that style of humor has been its lack of female voices. Look no further than Jamie Loftus, who I discovered on a series on Super Deluxe (an internet entity I would describe as “alternative BuzzFeed”) in which she and a co-host try various self-care methods. She’s also an illustrator who created an iconic advent calendar of Recently Disgraced Men this holiday season.
Look for her podcast, The Bechdel Cast, in which she and co-host Caitlin Durante invite special guests to watch movies (like Shrek, Jurassic Park, and Twilight) and analyze women’s roles in them.
5. Patti Harrison
You may have seen Patti Harrison’s response to the ban on transgender people serving in the military on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Although Harrison is willing to be a spokesperson for the trans community, her humor is usually more on the side of absurdism and silliness. With roles in Broad City and Search Party, we’re about to see Harrison everywhere. And that’s not a bad thing at all.
Look for her on Twitter calling out the U.S. government by grossly and hilariously objectifying public figures, and on Instagram making the use of the Stories feature like it’s her JOB. (Handle for both is @party_harderson, which charms me to no end.)
Just realized all of these comedians are women. Huh. Interesting.