Book these women for your comedy festivals, showcases and panels for 2018

We’re almost one year removed from the first wave of mainstream media attention toward the underreported and overlooked mistreatment of women in all walks of life (but particularly in comedy and show business, as Tig Notaro’s second season of One Mississippi shone a spotlight on the harsh realities women face all-too-often).

As #MeToo begat #TimesUp, where are we now?

I’m often reminded of my friend and fellow follower of comedy, Rachel Sklar, who has been actively campaigning to #ChangeTheRatio in technology, in boardrooms, on panels, showcases and everywhere else to include more women and more diverse voices and opinions. Or my friend Nell Scovell, the wonderful comedy writer and veteran of late-night TV (buy her book: Just the Funny Parts: …And a Few Hard Truths About Sneaking into the Hollywood Boy’s Club) who keeps an eye on which late-night shows today are still woefully lacking in writers’ room voices other than straight white men. Or by just looking at the comedy festival lineups or TV/streaming programming choices.

So where are the women?

I’ll tell you. Please note this is not a complete listing of women in comedy in 2018, but if you’re looking to book women for your TV shows/networks/platforms, your festivals, or your panels, here are some four score of them.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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