Comedy. Who doesn’t like a good laugh? Have you noticed, though, that most of the comedians getting Netflix specials and headlining tours are men? It could be due to the pay gap and the misogynistic side of show biz…but I’m not here to get into that today. I’m here to talk about four of my favorite women comedians and how they’re breaking barriers for future female comedians.
- Tina Fey
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Ahhhh, Tina Fey. We know her from Baby Mama and 30 Rock. She got her first big gig at Saturday Night Live, working there from 1997-2006. In the beginning, she was a writer for SNL, writing parodies for Chris Farley and Rachel Dratch. After a few years at SNL, she was named their first female head writer, creating pathways for other female writers to join the show. Becoming SNL’s head writer led her to become an accomplished comedian, author, director, and producer.
- Tiffany Haddish
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The amount of laughter and good times I can remember from watching Tiffany Haddish in Girls Trip is too much. Before Girls Trip was a major hit, Haddish had some guest appearances in some television series’ such as That’s So Raven, New Girl, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. After her breakthrough in Girls Trip, Haddish’s career took off. She had a special on Showtime, co-hosted a game show on BET, and became the first African-American woman stand-up comedian to host SNL (whoa, say that three times fast).
- Maya Rudolph
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Many of us know Maya Rudolph from Bridesmaids and Grown-Ups. Similar to Fey, Rudolph first started her career at SNL as a cast member. Rudolph has been praised time and time again for the wide range of accents she was able to do and her ability to change her looks to fit the sketch. Currently, Rudolph is the voice of Connie the Hormone Monstress on Big Mouth. I highly recommend watching — her character is one of my favorites.
- Mindy Kaling
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I saved my favorite for last. I am your typical girl that watches The Office any chance I get. I don’t know if it’s the comfort of the show or the hidden things that I find when I rewatch it. Anyways, I have loved Mindy Kaling since she played Kelly Kapoor. She was the only woman on an eight-person staff whenThe Office first aired. Since that TV show was on the air, Kaling has starred in The Mindy Project where she portrayed herself. As well as being a comedian and actress, TIME Magazine named her part of “100 Most Influential People” and she was also named “Women of The Year” in 2014 for Glamour Magazine.
All of these women have been pioneers for not only young girls who want to make it big, but for struggling young women, women of color, and women who may just see themselves as different. They have proved that hard work and perseverance can bring you happiness and success. Each of these women are people that we can all look up to no matter what our career goals and aspirations are.