Female Comedians: Women of Saturday Night Live

My appreciation of Saturday Night Live comes and goes throughout the years. There are times when I have tuned into the show religiously knowing there would be some great material, for instance when Will Farrell played George W. Bush. Other times, I could barely watch it and cringed when I tried to. Then, in 2008 this happened:

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey made SNL in those days, especially when they together anchored Weekend Update. As a team, they were unstoppable. Individually they were still so good! Yes, it was sad to see them leave SNL but then we got their sitcoms, 30 Rock and Parks & Recreation, two of the best sitcoms of all time in my opinion.

30 Rock – Here’s a montage of the best moments by another wonderful comedian, Jane Krakowski. Her character, Jenna, was one of the funniest.

Parks & Recreation – We are all Leslie Knope. And some of us are Ron Swanson and/or Donna Meagle....

Tina more recently gave us the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Amy gave us Broad City. Unlike their original sitcoms, they give the spotlight to other female comedians. Funny ladies supporting more funny ladies, here here!

Maya Rudolph also shined on SNL around the same time as Tina and Amy.  Her Beyoncé was amazing!

The current ladies of SNL have been killing it! Cecily Strong, who usually makes for a funny sketch, spoke at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. And although the audience did not always appreciate her jokes, she rocked it.

The most notable project for a few of the SNL ladies was this summer’s re-versioning of the Ghostbusters. Controversy laden because some people who ain’t afraid of no ghosts apparently are afraid of women portraying busters of ghosts. Kristin Wiig, Leslie Jones, and Kate McKinnon (along with non-SNLer Melissa McCarthy) were truly funny in this movie that showed respect to the original but made the story its own. This movie was the inspiration for this series of posts – well, okay this and Inside Amy Schumer – because female comedians are rocking it! And, I don’t know if you have noticed, but there are a lot people who are loving it (me included, obvs!).

Brandi Carlile

Every single song on Brandi Carlile’s latest album, the Firewatcher’s Daughter, is wonderful. You should listen to the entire album and then you should go back and listen to each song independently. Together the songs are a force of sound, with influences from rock, blues, country, and folk genres. Alone, each song has beautiful lyrics and compelling themes that make you want to listen to them over and over again.

Stranger At My Door, the song containing the title of the album, is the stand out song amongst an album of stand out songs. What sets it apart is the song's indictment of religion and it's use of fear to separate ourselves from those who believe or act differently. The refrain is especially powerful and very timely given recent developments in the U.S. and Britain.

There’s a chilling absolution that we’re given at our birth

A powerful delusion and a plaque upon the earth

But nothing scares me more than the stranger at my door

Who I fail to give shelter, time, and worth

There is also the rocked out "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" tune at the end of the song which really just seals it with a mic drop. 

The Firewatcher’s Daughter was Brandi’s fifth studio album and if you look back to her earlier albums, it seems she’s been working up to it throughout her musical career. From the angsty rock album, The Story, to the country and gospel inspired Bear Creek, Brandi has been fine-tuning her songwriting skills and vocal style. She and the Hanesroth brothers, Brandi’s right and left hand guys, guitar players, co-song-writers, and family members, have become musical legends in their own right. Here’s a little tour of the journey to greatness.

What Can I Say – From Brandi’s debut studio album, this is a classic that Brandi often still performs live today. I saw her do this without a mic at the Beacon Theater in NYC. Seriously, she was able to fill the theater with sound and it was good!

Again Today – This song just gets me every time. I am not afraid to belt this song out in the comfort of my own car. Even with windows up and AC on, people may still hear me singing, “Not today, NOT TODAY-AY.” A song that is slow to start with soft laments ("the path of least resistance is catching up with me again today") builds into a musical powerhouse - both vocally and instrumentally. And then brings it back down again. "Was it ever there at all? Or have I lost my way?"

Looking Out – This was my favorite Brandi Carlile song for a long while.  The album cut rocks out but I also had the pleasure of seeing her perform it in a softer style, much like the one below. I like the story behind it as well, a hint of Brandi's internal processing of the world outside of her own. 

That Wasn’t Me – I had to listen to this song a few times before it won me over. Now, I think it is such an amazing piece of art. I feel like she started to really tap into something here. It's a heart-wrenching, yet hopeful and relatable, song to which she brings such emotion. "I'm not asking you to move on or forget it but these are better days." It is easy to be blown away by the amazing pipes on this woman, but she appropriately plays it down here and let's the emotion come through (though her voice is still exactly on point).

And, of course, there’s the Story. It’s probably the most well-known, chart-topping Brandi Carlile song, and rightfully so. It was like she was saying, “here I am world, I am a force to be wreckened with!” The Story was also the title of the album containing the song and the first Brandi Carlile album that I heard. For about a year, I listened obsessively to it. Though the Firewatcher’s Daughter may objectively be her best album to date, the Story will always be my quintessential Brandi Carlile album.

Also from the Story, and to take this blog post out, my favorite Brandi song. One that reminds me of my family and friends back in Michigan, and so perfectly sums up what it's like to leave after each visit. 

Female Comedians: The Classics

This week’s post is part one of several because there are so many people to include. Though I hesitate to call them “female comedians” because, let’s face it, they are “comedians”. However I am particularly writing about the ladies here so it’s kinda necessary. There are so many wonderful comedians of the female gender right now and they are killing it! They are evidence against those who think women cannot be funny. (And if that is you, I don’t even know what to say to you except that really, you can discount an entire gender from having a sense of humor?)

There are many good comedians in general at present, including the fellas, like Nick Offerman, Stephen Colbert, Wyatt Cenac, Aziz Ansari, etc. But I feel like it’s never been a better time to enjoy the funny ladies. The first category I will cover is the classics. These are women who have made me laugh throughout much of my life and are still going strong.

There have been some seriously funny women in the past that have paved the way for the female comedians of today. I cannot fit them all here but these are some that are still working the funny and making the world a better place. And also, I find them particularly hilarious.

Lily Tomlin

Lily Tomlin is a hoot! Her stand up goes back to 1969 and she has been consistently awesome since. I particularly enjoy her in the current show, Grace and Frankie, where she and Jane Fonda play two women whose long-time business partner husbands came out in their 70’s and got married. The show itself is amazingly done, with sensitivity and insight into all of the characters involved. Lily is perhaps the comic relief in what would otherwise be a heavy story. Though some of the most intense moments include those with Lily's character, Frankie. She's such an amazing actress!

My favorite aspect of Lily’s humor is in her facial expressions. With more than words she leaves you laughing heartily when she gives a look of cunning, surprise, or mischief.

Paula Poundstone

If you do not remember her by name you may by her clothing style. Known for wearing big bright suits with shoulder pads or suspenders and usually a tie, it’s hard to forget. She has some skeletons from her celebrity past but has managed a solid career. She’s frequently one of the two best panelists on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me (the other is Mo Rocca and the two of them together makes for great episodes) and continues to perform stand up, as well as occasionally write books, record albums, etc.

Paula’s humor comes best in her interactions with others. Half of her stand-up includes engaging the audience and simply working off of the interaction. Before you know it, you are laughing hysterically.

Ellen DeGeneres

I remember falling a little more for my husband when I said to him early in our relationship, “club soda, be right back” and he knew the reference. I have heartily enjoyed Ellen’s stand up, her sitcom, that terrible movie with Bill Pullman, and eventually her talk show. I am so excited to see her succeed and also to become a strong proponent of LGBT rights who is easily beloved and accepted across many homes across America where LGBT rights are less supported.

Ellen’s style is simple and relatable. Her amusement in everyday events is what makes her so special as a comedian.

Thank you, ladies, for making the world a funnier place, inspiring others to do the same, and paving the way for more women to do so. There will be future posts that include more recently famous ladies who have followed these three women (and others) in making light the weight of the world, sharing laughter with others, and finding amusement in the everyday.  Our society is certainly better for it.