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.
- 2 Dope Queens — recording a second season of specials this fall for HBO
- Cristela Alonzo — not currently on tour? but has a Netflix special, Lower Classy
- Maria Bamford — on tour, Sept. 14-15 at The Bell House; on Netflix with Old Baby, Lady Dynamite
- Roseanne Barr — looking for work
- Kate Berlant — in Edinburgh Fringe this month
- Elayne Boosler — releasing a boxed set, Timeless, on Aug. 31
- Michelle Buteau — on tour, host of Late Night Whenever for WNYC Studios
- Nicole Byer — on tour, host of Nailed It! on Netflix, stars in Loosely Exactly Nicole
- Margaret Cho — on tour
- Michelle Collins — hosting The Michelle Collins Show mornings on SiriusXM
- Whitney Cummings — on tour, was just at Carolines in July
- Ellen DeGeneres — on daytime TV, also on tour this month to film Netflix special
- Cameron Esposito — on tour, just released Rape Jokes special on her site
- Susie Essman — not currently on tour
- Bridget Everett — on tour, plus residence at Joe’s Pub
- Fortune Feimster — on tour
- Rachel Feinstein — not currently on tour, performs regularly in NYC
- Jena Friedman — not currently on tour
- Hannah Gadsby — retired? semi-retired! no new show yet after Nanette
- Garfunkel and Oates — on tour
- Janeane Garofalo — not online, but at the Edinburgh Fringe this month
- Nikki Glaser — on tour, also hosting You Up morning radio on SiriusXM
- Judy Gold — on tour, regularly in NYC
- Kathy Griffin — on tour, played Carnegie Hall in June
- Tiffany Haddish — not currently on tour, making movies
- Chelsea Handler — not currently on tour
- Mamrie Hart — touring sporadically
- Emily Heller — regularly in LA
- Anjelah Johnson — on tour
- Zainab Johnson — on tour
- Leslie Jones — returning to SNL this fall, at Carolines Sept. 5-8
- Jackie Kashian and Laurie Kilmartin — on tour, regularly in LA, podcasting together weekly
- Jen Kirkman — on tour, regularly in LA
- Jessica Kirson — on tour, regularly in NYC
- Lynne Koplitz — on tour, regularly in NYC
- Lisa Lampanelli — touring sporadically
- Jamie Lee — on tour
- Natasha Leggero — not currently on tour
- Wendy Liebman — on tour, regularly in LA
- Loni Love — on tour, co-host of The Real
- Carmen Lynch — on tour, regularly in NYC
- April Macie — not currently on tour
- Kathleen Madigan — on tour
- Miranda Sings — on tour
- Mo’Nique — on tour
- Ms. Pat — on tour
- Morgan Murphy — regularly in LA
- Aparna Nancherla — cancelled tour due to unannounced project
- Tig Notaro — on tour, regularly in LA
- Rosie O’Donnell — not on tour, regular on Showtime’s SMILF
- Christina P — on tour, Dec. 8 at Gramercy Theatre
- Chelsea Peretti — not on tour, regular on Brooklyn Nine-Nine
- Tammy Pescatelli — on tour
- Paula Poundstone — on tour
- Mary Lynn Rajskub — regularly in LA
- Caroline Rhea — on tour
- Ronna and Beverly — on hiatus
- Rita Rudner — on tour, new special out in September
- Yamaneika Saunders — regularly in NYC
- Kristen Schaal — voice on Bob’s Burgers, regularly in LA
- Sara Schaefer — on tour
- Amy Schumer — on tour
- Sherri Shepherd — on tour
- Iliza Shlesinger — on tour, at Carolines Nov. 15-18; new Netflix special, Elder Millennial
- Sarah Silverman — new season of I Love You America coming this fall
- Kira Soltanovich — regularly in LA
- Sommore — on tour
- Beth Stelling — on tour, regularly in LA
- Wanda Sykes — on tour
- Lily Tomlin — on tour
- Liza Treyger — regularly in NYC
- Judy Tenuta — not on tour
- Aisha Tyler — co-host of The Talk, hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway?
- Sheryl Underwood — co-host of The Talk
- Melissa Villasenor — on tour, returning to SNL in the fall
- Emma Willmann — on tour
- Michelle Wolf — on tour, earlier this week at The Bell House, hosting The Break on Netflix
- Ali Wong — back on tour in 2019, co-starring in American Housewife, two Netflix specials
- Gina Yashere — on tour, regularly in NYC
- Sasheer Zamata — on tour, regularly in NYC
- Jenny Zigrino — on tour
- The View (Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar) — co-hosting The View
Dulce isn’t on the list…
You mean Dulcé Sloan? Check out her tour dates here!