Indie Light

Everyone loves to laugh. I’ve always enjoyed comedy, not just for its capacity to make people happy, but also for its ability to poke and prod at the social fabric, and tackle topics which otherwise might be seen as taboo. You see, we live in a world of contradictions and absurdities, where tragedy and comedy exist as dualities, that live within us all. There’s a quote by American playwright and novelist, Thornton Wilder, which always resonated with me, which sums this up, he said “The comic spirit is given to us in order that we may analyze, weigh, and clarify things in us which nettle us, or which we are outgrowing, or trying to reshape.” I think that quote succinctly sums up the substance of humour, how it’s not just an escape, it’s a vital part of the human condition, it’s alive and present in all things, and is as much a result of our personal darkness, as the answer to it.

Comedy as you may have gathered is incredibly important to me, and it’s on the topic of comedy that I’ve created this article, to aggregate and discuss, as well as spotlight and support my favourite comedians. Please enjoy the following Top 10 list, and please consider sharing and commenting with your favourite comedians as well.

1. Wanda Sykes

Wanda Sykes is just the epitome of what makes good comedy, she’s vibrant, bold, expressive and memorable, talking politics and social issues with a trademark wit, insight and verve. She more than deserves to top this list, because her incredible career is an inspiration to many other performers, and I’ve literally never found her not to be funny. Speaking of which, you can click here and here to see some of her funny moments. 

2. Ali Wong

Ali Wong is hilarious, in a raw and unapologetic way, diving into her own personal experiences as an Asian woman and as a mother to create relatable and personal comedy. Similar to Haddish, listed below, she first appeared on my radar due to her starring role in Tuca & Bertie, where she brought such subtly and depth to the role, in fact her characters experiences with crippling anxiety helped me to realise my own mental health needs and express myself in that area more clearly. Click here and here for some of her funny moments. 

3. Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is just fantastically funny, balancing savage and soft, deadpan and energetic in equal measure to create a richly textured performance. She’s not afraid to talk about and challenge issues such as sexism, racism, homophobia and religion. She’s practically ubiquitous with the term female comedian, and for good measure because she’s incredibly talented and wildly successful. Check out some of her funny moments by clicking here and here. 

4. Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish is a bold and engaging comedian, who is unafraid to be open and honest, especially as a lot of her comedy comes from her own personal experiences. I think I first came across Haddish, after seeing Tuca & Bertie, where she successfully balanced emotional vulnerability with a bombastic energetic performance, that comes from someone who is scared to be loved. You can click here and here to read more. 

5. Cristela Alonzo

Cristela Alonzo is an incredibly strong performer, noted for her observation comedy, she’s willing to tackle the big topics, like women’s rights and immigration. She’s just super funny, and has a brilliant laugh, which adds to her performances. She holds the distinction of being the first Mexican American woman to create, produce, write, and star in her own US primetime comedy. This was of course her semi-autobiographical sitcom ‘Cristela’ on ABC which you should check out for yourself. For now though you can click here and here for some funny clips from Cristela’s comedy career. 

6. Jen Kirkman

Jen Kirkman adopts a personal style to her comedy, very reactive to her own life and experiences, she has a political slant to some of her comedy, but she doesn’t consider herself to be a political comedian, by which she means someone who’s doing like daily political monologues to an audience. Instead she just reacts to things around her, in the tried and tested fashion of an observational comic. Click here and here for some funny clips of Jen. 

7. Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate’s trademark style is to go big, lots of energy, lots of physicality and she absolutely nails it, such an exceptional talent. She’s unafraid to be a little quirky, to be passionate and excited about her comedy, and it comes through in her performances. You might be more familiar with her from her acting roles but her stand-up specials are more than worth checking out. Speaking of which, you can click here and here to check out some of her funny moments. 

8. Michelle Buteau

Michelle Buteau is an incredibly physical and energetic comedian, bright and vibrant and at times wonderfully chaotic. I strongly suggest you check out her podcast Late Night Whenever! which is real fun, and is really good listening. You can click here and here to check out some funny moments from Buteau. 

9. Sara Schaefer

Sara Schaefer is a fantastic storyteller, who pokes fun at the absurd nature of life sometimes, and she’s an incredibly engaging performance. I stumbled across the podcast she hosted with fellow comedian Nikki Glaser called You Had To Be There, which I strongly urge you to check out. Since then I’ve enjoyed several of their routines, two of which you can check out here and here.

10. Iliza Shlesinger

Iliza Shlesinger is a witty and energetic performer, she’s very instinctual and conversational as a comedian, and that works really well. I’ve always been a fan of sketch shows. I think the format of quickfire random bits works well for my ADHD brain, so I suggest you check out her show ‘The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show’ over on Netflix. You can also click here and here for some funny clips of Shlesinger.

So those were my Top 10 female comedians working in the industry today, and as I said above, feel free to comment with your favourites, as I’m always eager to expand my comedic horizons.