Adam Carolla Is The Opposite of Funny, Still Unable to be Taken Seriously

on June 21, 2012

I'm sorry that I must once again inform you of someone saying women aren't funny. It's not like it's news or important -- it's just annoying and stupid. But this time it went one step further. Adam Carolla not only said women aren't funny, he gave the world's worst reason to justify his jokes against the LGBT community. Now granted, I've never heard him tell a single joke (at least I hope they weren't jokes) so I'm not exactly sure how offensive the things he's said in the past have been. There's really no way I'm going to let his being a turd be the reason that I look into his comedy either, so let's just get to his justifications on the matter and go from there.

"...if somebody goes, ‘What do you think of Chaz Bono,’ I have to say something that’s horrible, so I can get a laugh." - "The Talk" 6/19/12

Pretty much he thinks he HAS to be mean because mean is hilarious. If being mean is the only way you know how to be funny, that's a large indicator that you're not actually funny. If that's your go-to comedic weapon, why not focus it on groups that aren't constantly punished, bullied, and disenfranchised? Give yourself some kind of challenge. Why isn't he mean to straight white guys? Personally, I think that'd be way funnier than any gay joke you'd come up with, because I'm gay and thus hate men. While promoting his book, Not Taco Bell Material, he had a few choice things to say about women in comedy that apparently dawned on him during a sexual harassment seminar. I have no clue what the title of his book means but in any capacity, it seems he's set the bar for himself pretty low and somehow still didn't make it over.

"...they make you hire a certain number of chicks, and they're always the least funny on the writing staff. The reason why you know more funny dudes than funny chicks is that dudes are funnier than chicks. If my daughter has a mediocre sense of humor, I'm just gonna tell her, "Be a staff writer for a sitcom. Because they'll have to hire you, they can't really fire you, and you don't have to produce that much. It'll be awesome."

Of course. Because there are zero reasons women wouldn't want to present themselves as funny in today's society. And I forgot how they're just handing out staff writing jobs to anyone but ESPECIALLY women. On top of all of this tomfoolery, this dude put Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin in the same boat as Tina Fey, then went on to diss Roseanne. Doesn't he know she's running for president?!

Most of my thoughts about women being funny can be found somewhere on Autostraddle, but this idiot made me realize something. The reason I sometimes seem disproportionately disappointed in shows like Whitney or Two Broke Girls is because I had high hopes and expectations and I was disappointed. I KNOW women are funny and as a woman, I hold these "groundbreaking" shows to higher standards, because we have more to overcome. It's not like Whitney is the only show I find unfunny on TV. Far from it. I just happen to care about it, unlike all the other horrible shows out there.

What is it we stand to gain from reiterating that 95% of the people willing to voice their opinion on this subject disagree with Carolla? Not much it seems. But at least it's a good reason for people do something he hasn't been able to accomplish: tell funny jokes. Now let's treat him like a woman and talk about how unattractive he is!

82 responses to “Adam Carolla Is The Opposite of Funny, Still Unable to be Taken Seriously”

Dee (member)
June 21, 2012 at 7:38 am Permalink Reply Report user

“because I’m gay and thus hate men.”
B is hilarious!

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Mandy
June 21, 2012 at 7:59 am Permalink Reply

Hm. It’s not comedians that make mean/unfunny jokes at others’ expense to make themselves look cooler/better – that’s the definition of a bully.

Jokes that are actually funny involve wit. They involve shining a light on an unexpected truth, not repeating the same tired, cliche, unfunny stereotypes that are more befitting of an UNintentionally funny conservative talk show host.

Oh well. What do you expect, really?

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1. James (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 9:42 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  “Jokes that are actually funny involve wit. They involve shining a light on an unexpected truth.”
  
  Basically. He’s not so smart. He wasn’t able to articulate that, so he said mean, when he really meant sarcastic, when he really meant pointed observation, thus he really sucks.
  
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gary
June 21, 2012 at 8:01 am Permalink Reply

Adam is funny. He’s a personality. He says what he thinks and everyone is entitled to that. Obviously a lot of people think he’s funny judging by the subscriber count on his podcast.

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1. Jamie (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 8:12 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  A lot of people are also homophobic, sexist and ignorant and need to be called out for acting as such, even if others are willing to ignore and/or laugh at the process out of their own homophobia,sexism or ignorance.
  
  Wow! 35
  1. Sweetjams
    June 21, 2012 at 9:47 am Permalink Reply
    
    Anyone who has listened to and comprehended his podcasts know that the perceived racist/sexist/homophobic jokes come from a place of equality and not playing favorites. His “prove me wrong” attitude of pointing out perceptions (although bluntly) is most often an attempt to cut through the “pretend equality” we actually have in this country.
    
    His manager is gay, his current and previous chosen co-hosts are two very funny Jewish women, and is close personal friends with David Alan Grier. Half-sarcastic, exaggerated answers to loaded questions are great for ragebait articles but hardly reflect the complex ideals of a man who values the character and work ethic of other human beings above all other attributes.
    
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    1. Tim
      June 21, 2012 at 10:13 am Permalink Reply
      
      Very well said.
      
      That’s just what it is, a “prove me wrong” attitude. He wants things to be earned so that they are truly equal.
      
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      1. L
        June 21, 2012 at 10:24 am Permalink Reply
        
        Why the hell should I have to prove to Adam fucking Carolla that I should be treated equally?!
        
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        Tim
        June 21, 2012 at 10:51 am Permalink
        
        If you were a writer would you want to be given a gig because you are “funny for a woman” of just “funny”?
        
        I would hope the latter.
        
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        AnnieD (member)
        June 21, 2012 at 2:58 pm Permalink
        
        I think you might just sort of be missing the point? The article was saying that there’s no such thing as “funny for a woman,” because women are just as funny as men. Lose the preachy attitude until you read the article.
        
        (I was going to say, until you get your facts straight, but then we’re not so big on the whole straight thing here)
        
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      2. Marika (member)
        June 21, 2012 at 10:39 am Permalink Reply Report user
        
        Mmm, white heterosexual male privilege. I was born into this position but YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR IT.
        
        Wow! 27
        
        Sweetjams
        June 21, 2012 at 11:47 am Permalink
        
        Are you and ‘L’ purposely reading this in the opposite way it was intended?
        
        I hardly see how “ignore race/sex/orientation – judge fellow human beings on merit alone” is a “typical white-male perspective”.
        
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        Ash (member)
        June 22, 2012 at 6:37 am Permalink
        
        Because the “even playing field” that so many white straight men claim they are judged on was built on the backs of the marginalized.
        
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        Olivia (member)
        June 22, 2012 at 6:34 pm Permalink
        
        Actually you just described it. That is typical white male privilege.
        
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      3. Krissy (member)
        June 21, 2012 at 1:51 pm Permalink Reply Report user
        
        So, what you are implying seems to be that the reason more women are not in comedy is not that they are systemically discriminated against, or that we are culturally conditioned to see women as less funny, but that women haven’t worked hard enough to be good comedians. Just like poverty rates among black Americans are so high because they haven’t been working hard enough to get good jobs! See, the problem with responses like yours is that they completely ignore the role of racism, sexism, homophobia and other prejudices in the structure of our society (or in this case, the comedy industry.) It implies that if women/people of color/gay people worked harder and somehow earned our way up, we too could be successful like white men are! And my question is: Why is the onus on oppressed groups to compensate for discrimination against us, and not privileged groups’ responsibility to stop discriminating against people for stupid reasons?
        
        (My comment was like Marika’s only not funny. Probably because I’m a woman.)
        
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        Sweetjams
        June 21, 2012 at 3:24 pm Permalink
        
        I’m not sure if this was intended as a response to myself or Tim, but it’s a strong point so I want to explore it.
        
        Discrimination exists. That’s a fact, there’s no way around it. But I’d like to ask a hypothetical question. (I personally don’t even have an answer to this, so I’d love some insight)
        
        Let’s say I’m producing a sci-fi show and I need 5 writers. It’s no secret that sci-fi nerds are very predominately male, I don’t know what the social implications of this are, but it’s a fact. Let’s say it’s 10:1 (I can’t find any hard numbers) Now how many are writers? The pool gets smaller. How many are GOOD writers? Smaller still. So we sift down and find, if everyone was equal, 10 good male scifi geek writers and 1 good female scifi geek writer. This is, mathematically, exactly equal.
        
        Our female scifi writer is so good, however, that’s she’s booked solid. So what do we do? Hire 5 of the 10 male writers or find a female writer without quite as much experience? It’s a no-win situation. All male writers gives us a lack of insight into half of the population, but the truly exceptional females are all unavailable. If a female writer that isn’t quite up to the task is given the job, her work fuels the perception of all woman scifi writers.
        
        Maybe this logic doesn’t add up, but I’m trying. If each and every one of is culturally conditioned to discriminate, how do we combat it effectively without understanding where it’s coming from?
        
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        Vanessa (member)
        June 21, 2012 at 5:32 pm Permalink
        
        I debated if I should reply or not but you seem genuine, not trolling, so I’m going to bite.
        
        Your argument in this comment is inherently flawed. You say, “It’s no secret that sci-fi nerds are very predominately male, I don’t know what the social implications of this are, but it’s a fact.” That’s not true. Where did you get that information? Is it coming from a place of you seeing more male sci-fi nerds? Hearing about them? Hearing from them? You see, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Men are more respected, allowed to be more vocal, and over the course of history have been able to hold more power because of messed-up systems that are purposefully held in place to further this pattern. Thus, when men and women speak about the same topic, are passionate about the same topic, or are equally knowledgable about the same topic, we (as a society, not you personally) ignore the female voices, celebrate and make platforms for the male voices, and then we look around a room of 100 dudes and 1 girl and say, “Well, I guess there are just more male sci-fi nerds. Weird.” Do you see what I mean? Saying “it’s a fact” furthers the factually inaccurate idea that if we don’t see the women, they are not there. They actually are very much there, and we are actively choosing not to see them. “We” as in, society in general, not “we” as in Autostraddle. Autostraddle is very very good at seeing women (and giving women a platform to be “seen,” aka heard, aka valued and respected and not ignored.)
        
        So from there, do you see how the rest of your hypothetical falls apart? There aren’t 10:1 sci fi nerds just like there aren’t 10:1 funny people. There are 1:1, or 10:10, or 100:100, etc etc etc. No, not everyone is a sci fi nerd. Not everyone is funny. But in your argument (and this dude’s argument about unfunny women) we’re expected to believe that for men to be ______ (funny, sci fi nerds, etc etc) is the norm, and for women to be that exact same thing is exceptional. Tim says, “I love funny women. Largely because its like finding a hidden treasure.” Would you ever say that about a funny man? No? Okay, there’s the problem.
        
        “Man” should not be the default setting on this earth (but it is.) White, straight, cis, etc etc etc should not be the default, but they are. When people thing “normal” or “average” that is largely what they think. When people argue that affirmative action shouldn’t exist, or say that “pretend equality” is taking away jobs from people who “deserve” them, what they are saying is that white straight men deserve those jobs more than anyone else. The implication that anyone can get a job based on their merit ignores the very real sexism, homophobia, racism, etc in the country (and erases the very real experience of living as a body experiencing those things 24/7 for the people who have to deal with it). It’s easy for people who work hard and get rewarded for it to believe we live in a meritocracy because that’s what’s worked for them, but in thinking that they are ignoring all the people around them who work just as hard and are not rewarded.
        
        I guess to get back to your hypothetical, I think you’re wrong that the “truly exceptional females are all unavailable.” Society has decided that there is a quota of funny women in the world (and it hovers anywhere from 1-10) and if those women aren’t around, “the funny ladies are unavailable.” How about giving all the millions of other hilarious women a second glance, and then realizing that no one is unavailable–you have chosen to ignore them.
        
        Also, I hate your sentence “If a female writer that isn’t quite up to the task is given the job, her work fuels the perception of all woman scifi writers.” WHY?! If a male writer sucks, does his work fuel the perception of all male writers? No? Hm, I wonder why that is…sorry to get snarky, I just fucking cannot stand the idea of one person being forced to represent an entire group. We literally ask if of everyone except white straight men, and it’s so absurd I cannot believe it continues to be used as a valid argument.
        
        To conclude, I suppose what I think is that your logic does not add up at all. Like I said in the beginning, I think you maybe are actually trying which is why I am too. And we are culturally conditioned to discriminate, you’re right, but I disagree that we don’t understand where it comes from. It comes from living in a world where no one calls out people who make sexist comments. It comes from living in a world where we actively legislate against equality for all humans. It comes from living in a world where people don’t stop and say, that’s fucked up.
        
        We combat this fucked up world by calling people out, by refusing to stay silent, and by taking up the space that society at large refuses to relinquish to anyone who is not white and straight and male. We try to make ourselves heard even when we are told what we have to say isn’t important. Because it is, and we know that.
        
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        Sweetjams
        June 21, 2012 at 7:00 pm Permalink
        
        I can’t seem to reply to your post, so I replied to myself. I’m not sure why the button isn’t showing up under your post.
        
        I base that “fact” (probably a poor choice of word) on personal experience, conventions and youtube analytics of sci-fi-related videos. I really don’t feel like it’s a crazy statement that more males are into that form of entertainment. Without hard numbers this really can’t be debated any further however, so I agree to move on.
        
        “If a female writer that isn’t quite up to the task is given the job, her work fuels the perception of all woman scifi writers.” A frustrating notion, but I believe it is a true one. People are dumb. Which is where my personal frustrations with articles like this one bring me.
        
        I listen to Adam Carolla, which has been established, and he’s blunt but controversial statements like these are important in my opinion, because it puts the reality on the table: People have these perceptions, no matter how misguided they are. So how can they be dealt with? I look on boards like these and almost all I see is a very large “us against them” mentality. “These perceptions shouldn’t exist, so let’s pretend they don’t exist” doesn’t get us anywhere. Calling out statements like these are important, but complete dismissal and “fuck this guy” circle-jerks don’t move anyone forward. I see this dividing line growing, and I don’t feel comfortable on either side of it.
        
        I am in no way a victim, but I’m empathetic to a fault and want to find a way to get everyone on the same page when most of us aren’t reading the same book. (an impossibility, I know)
        
        I like hearing thoughts on this, especially ones that aren’t normally in the spotlight, but constantly being called a troll and an idiot make it a daunting task. I hope we can all keep the conversations going.
        
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        Vanessa (member)
        June 21, 2012 at 7:55 pm Permalink
        
        “These perceptions shouldn’t exist, so let’s pretend they don’t exist” doesn’t get us anywhere.
        
        No one is pretending they don’t exist. In writing posts like this, bringing these issues to light, etc. we are doing the exact opposite of pretending the perceptions don’t exist. We’re reminding everyone that they DO.
        
        On the other hand, I think you’ve perfectly articulated how privileged people choose to ignore all the -isms that work to keep other less privileged groups down/out/etc. The general idea seems to be, “Well sexism/racism/etc shouldn’t exist, so let’s pretend it doesn’t” which is what leads people to feel entitled to joke about equality because we’re all pretending everyone has it, but we don’t so the “jokes” aren’t funny.
        
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        Olivia (member)
        June 22, 2012 at 7:06 pm Permalink
        
        The reason why there is that ratio of male sci-fi writers/ interested/ deeply knowledgeable about sci-fi to females is yet another example of the oppression in our society.
        
        You are talking about a different topic from what I am- the effectiveness of females as sci-fi writers; but you miss the fundamental discrimination that causes there to be so few female sci-fi writers.
        
        The reason lies in what our society finds is acceptable for men and women to be interested in. Society decided that sci-fi (science) and technology and the building of the future etc are all masculine things that men have an inherent interest and upperhand in, and women do not. Therefore, women are not encouraged to pursue that interest professionally, or as a hobby and so that is why their numbers are so few. They are actually fighting against a system that does not wish to recognize their existence. It is not because they are inherently worse when it comes to sciences, it is because they have been conditioned by society to think “this is not something a woman does or is interested in,” and vice versa, society has been conditioned to think, “that is not something a woman can do”
        
        It’s a self fulfilling prophecy and an example of pervasive social oppression, a hierarchy created by straight white males. That is what we are fighting against. Once you look, you will see that this sort of oppression and down-grading of issues regarding non-straight white males is everywhere. And that is why we must start somewhere.
        
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    2. Brittani (member)
      June 21, 2012 at 10:14 am Permalink Reply Report user
      
      He could live in a co-op with lesbians, adopt a black kid, and ride around in a wheel chair for solidarity. None of that makes it ok to be sexist. He obviously does not value the character and work ethic of the women on sitcom writing staffs. If he did, he wouldn’t say they’re the least funny and don’t deserve to be there.
      
      Wow! 20
      1. Sweetjams
        June 21, 2012 at 11:56 am Permalink Reply
        
        Just to be clear: in your mind a politician who saves face and claims to have the interests of other groups at heart to the public, but supports legislature denying them rights – is preferable to a comedian who employs and supports the rights of hardworking people of every type because he makes a sarcastic comment that in his opinion – on average – he feels men are funnier than women. Am I on the right track here? I’m on the side of actions speak louder than words, personally.
        
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        Brittani (member)
        June 21, 2012 at 12:17 pm Permalink
        
        Just to be clear, no one said anything about politicians. Just to be clear, comparing the complex nature of politics as en entity to some shit one dude said is not a conversation you’re going to trick anyone on this website into having. And just to be clear, no. You’re not on the right track. #noLadyGaga
        
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        Sweetjams
        June 21, 2012 at 1:06 pm Permalink
        
        What I’m trying to say is I judge by actions, not by sarcastic comments. I agree it was a rough metaphor for the topic, apologies, but I’m not attempting to trick anyone. There is a lot of hostility in this thread and I failed to rise above it.
        
        This feels to me like all the outrage over South Park being racist/anti-Semitic/homophobic/sexist. Many of those arguments disappeared once the intention became clearer. South Park is one of the most progressive shows on the air. I feel as a listener of Adam Carolla that his perceived persona from people only being exposed to one-liners overshadows his true intent.
        
        I’m having a hard time understanding the outrage, and I looked for somewhere to have an enlightening conversation about it. Across the board most people aren’t the villains we imagine them to be, and as an overall empathetic person it effects me when I see masses grab their pitchforks without trying to understand what people’s true intentions are, no matter how nonredeemable a comment may seem.
        
        That being said, while I am a regular listener of Carolla I myself am sometimes offended, but then that’s it – I’m over it. I understand that he’s a human like the rest of us, and the man talks a LOT so isn’t going to have a perfect track record and I’m not going to have all of his same feelings. But his perspectives are often genuinely interesting and alternative, and sometimes start conversations that people don’t want to have, but need to happen.
        
        I didn’t think this was one of those times, because what’s to be taken seriously about “I find men funnier than women”? That’s a complicated issue, but not really an important one. “Funny” cannot be quantified so what is there to argue about? I could get into some really theoretical stuff about the development of a sense of humor through evolution as a defense mechanism, but this is already long enough and there isn’t much hard science to back that up.
        
        I’d like to have a real conversation about this without name calling or “well, YOU’RE not funny” comments that this thread is filled with right now.
        
        I’m not familiar with LadyGaga so I’m afraid that reference went over my head. I did hear Pokerface a few times, however, catchy tune.
        
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        velvetjesus
        June 21, 2012 at 9:04 pm Permalink
        
        i’m pretty baked right now, so i could be well off track, but here goes…i’m going to kind of take the less popular perspective.
        
        i say shit for shock value, because it’s a reality, it gets people thinking, and i don’t care if people hate me. i treat everybody the same – generally with disdain, and i have zero tolerance for all the ‘isms.’ but, i’ve lived in 4 different countries, and i can tell you with certainty, there are vast differences between people culturally. and really, men and women are essentially members of different sub-cultures, with different experiences that mold how we perceive a great number of things.
        
        so yeah, i often find women funny, because i’m a woman. i can relate. also, i think men are mildly retarded, and i’ve certainly never found adam carolla or that other fat headed prick from the man show (whom i can’t understand why he still has a late night talk show) even the least bit funny. plus they are both hideously ugly, it makes me physically ill to look at either of them – why would they ever put them both on the same fucking show?
        
        anyway, I’m getting away from the point. and I think there are 2. first, if you’ve never hear adam corolla tell even a single joke (and you’re not being ironic when you say that), then it’s hard to judge his message. for example, i once described pride as “despite being about the gayest thing i’ve ever seen, it was actually rather gay.” this did not go down well with gay readers, but had they known the comment came from a gay person, it would have been perfectly acceptable (the point of the blog was that in my city, pride has become a corporate joke. it is far from the true essence of the event, and one where many local, gay-owned businesses cannot afford to be involved in the parade while td fucking bank is front and central. fuck you corporate ‘america’ – you don’t make me proud). and i’m off track again. anyway, i was misunderstood because people don’t know enough about me, maybe the same thing is happening to stupid adam corolla. if it’s ok for one group to use “gay” pejoratively, then it has to be ok for everyone. we should be able to look past it. ditto saying stupid shit about anybody.
        
        so here’s the second point, i think people just need to chill sometimes. fuck any cunt who is too fucking stupid to understand humour from outside their own perspectives i.e. adam corolla or jerry lewis (but not literally, seriously…do not fuck those guys). but don’t feed it, and try to understand where people are coming from (even if it is ironic that the least funny men are usually the ones saying women aren’t funny). there are so many things that we can’t say, and political correctness is a total load of bullshit that has taken us to the point where any discussion of our differences is easily ascribed an ‘ism.’ ignorance is the real problem, but you can’t fight ignorance with ignorance.
        
        so that’s my schizophrenic 2 cents. I’ve got to get some food now…the munchies have kicked in.
        
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      2. Krissy (member)
        June 22, 2012 at 8:49 am Permalink Reply Report user
        
        I wish the +1 button was unlimited, because I would press it all day to show my appreciation for that comment.
        
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    3. Tiger Gray (member)
      June 21, 2012 at 6:47 pm Permalink Reply Report user
      
      Oh my god. Everything else aside, you just made me remember how he would play David’s voice mail messages on Loveline. They were hilarious. Sadly though Adam’s persona became so obnoxious over the years that I quit listening because of him. It got to the point where no one got their question answered because he never let Dr. Drew get a word in edgewise.
      
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    4. Olivia (member)
      June 22, 2012 at 6:32 pm Permalink Reply Report user
      
      I feel like this is Adam Carolla himself under different pseudonyms. I mean who else could know so many personal details of his life and his “ideals” and defend him so adamantly. gross
      
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      1. Olivia (member)
        June 22, 2012 at 7:14 pm Permalink Reply Report user
        
        oops. this was before I read more of his comments. apologies for jumping to conclusions so quickly.
        
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2. Steph M. (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 9:27 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  Sure, he’s entitled to say what he thinks. And we’re allowed to critique what he says, too. That’s how it works. No one is immune to criticism for their ideas just because they’re exercising their right to free speech.
  
  His podcast subscriber count says nothing about whether he’s actually funny. That could just be a bunch of other homophobic sexist jerks who enjoy tuning in to hear their bigoted beliefs reinforced. Popularity doesn’t mean you’re right.
  
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3. winter94
  June 21, 2012 at 9:28 am Permalink Reply
  
  Okay, Gary.
  
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4. Amanda (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 3:32 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  Hey Gary, you and Tim should choose some more discreet names when choosing to come troll on Autostraddle. I recommend something like “Sailor Venus” or “mycatismywife”. Also, using the most popular avatar on the website doesn’t help your case either. Go back to 4Chan. Also, check your privilege. Here’s a website to start: http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2006-03-08_146
  
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Dani (member)
June 21, 2012 at 8:04 am Permalink Reply Report user

This guy is full of it. The-I-have-a-gay-friend/know-gay-people defense doesn’t excuse you when you act like an asshole.

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Tim
June 21, 2012 at 8:10 am Permalink Reply

Is this serious? This is pretty funny in itself.

1. Criticizing Adam Carolla for picking on gay people / women. Adam hates everyone. You have not done any research. Adam is a big defender of gays/lesbians and women. He just doesn’t give anyone automatic credit for being something. If you’re a woman, and you’re not funny, should you hold a position as a comedy writer that was going to go to a funny man? No. Of course not, Adam calls that as bullshit because it is. Talent and effort are paramount and Adam recognizes this.

2. “..then went on to diss Roseanne. Doesn’t he know she’s running for president?!”
Faulting him for thinking Roseanne is an idiot? Are you serious? She’s batshit insane. I would rather elect an 8 year old.

3. “Unable to be taken seriously”,
#1 Podcast on itunes. Sorry to crap all over your points but I think your rage is misplaced this post is under-researched.

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1. L
  June 21, 2012 at 8:54 am Permalink Reply
  
  But he wasn’t talking about equal opportunity. He actively said that women were not funny, that female writers were always the least funny in the room, etc. He made that gender divide.
  
  I also love how all the Adam Carolla stans (or PR agents) who have been invading blogs since this news broke out just love to salivate over his Wiki facts, like #1 podcast. Who gives a flying fuck. That’s a lot of 20 year old dudes in basements with iTunes gift cards.
  
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  1. Dee (member)
    June 21, 2012 at 9:32 am Permalink Reply Report user
    
    Agreed, I’d love to see the demographic buying up these #1 hits! I’m guessing there are a lot of straight, white, cis males on that list. They’re just sad “The Man Show” isn’t on anymore so podcasts are the next best thing.
    
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  2. Tim
    June 21, 2012 at 9:44 am Permalink Reply
    
    “…they make you hire a certain number of chicks, and they’re always the least funny on the writing staff. The reason why you know more funny dudes than funny chicks is that dudes are funnier than chicks. If my daughter has a mediocre sense of humor, I’m just gonna tell her, “Be a staff writer for a sitcom. Because they’ll have to hire you, they can’t really fire you, and you don’t have to produce that much. It’ll be awesome.”
    
    He is talking about equal opportunity.
    
    I love funny women. Largely because its like finding a hidden treasure.
    
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  3. DatCommercial
    June 21, 2012 at 9:59 am Permalink Reply
    
    “He actively said that women were not funny”
    
    Conveniently withheld from this article – “”When it comes to comedy, of course there’s Sarah Silverman, Tina Fey, Kathy Griffin — super-funny chicks.”
    
    Actually in this article – “this dude put Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin in the same boat as Tina Fey”
    
    Hmm, this sure makes it sound like Adam said all women are not funny. Which was never said. At all. But exaggeration does help get a point across, I get it.
    
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    1. Brittani (member)
      June 21, 2012 at 4:28 pm Permalink Reply Report user
      
      He’s also said, “They’re the mothers. They work well in many capacities but they don’t have as good a sense of humor as guys, they’re not as smart as guys by and large.”
      
      Ok. Not AS funny. Is that really that much better? Black people aren’t smart vs. black people aren’t as smart as white people. I mean you can play semantics all you want. Everyone knows what his point is. Making it a teensy little bit more digestible doesn’t make it go down easy.
      
      6
2. Brittani (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 9:12 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  1. I think I made it very clear I didn’t do any research into his comedy because being a douche is not going to make me seek out your work. I have no problem with anyone making [funny] jokes about any group of people. I just think the way he justified it is not what makes it ok. There’s something about comedy that’s intangible and really hard to put your finger on and if you have a rep for being sexist/homophobic/racist, either come up with a bomb ass excuse or don’t go on a talk show.
  
  2. I was being facetious. Hence the question mark followed by an exclamation point. But no matter how crazy she may be, Roseanne actually created a groundbreaking show (unlike a lot of shows now that have that word thrown at them simply because a woman opens her mouth, does not put a penis in it).
  
  3. I’m not full of rage. I’m just annoyed. Also, we did a podcast post a while back and one person recommended his podcast. So I think perhaps no one on this website cares.
  
  “If you’re a woman, and you’re not funny, should you hold a position as a comedy writer that was going to go to a funny man?”
  No. That’s right. You shouldn’t. If you’re not a funny PERSON you shouldn’t have that position. What does being a woman have to do with it? It’s really easy for a straight white dude to pull the that card because he’s a STRAIGHT WHITE DUDE. The entire entertainment industry is built on connections and privilege and nepotism which means there are plenty of worthy candidates that are looked over all the time. Plenty of them are women, plenty of them are deserving, and plenty of them work their asses off.
  
  He isn’t saying, “Hey, people that aren’t funny shouldn’t be staffed.” He’s saying he systematically disenfranchises any woman that wants to be a comedian because he doesn’t think women are funny. That’s not vetting comedy for posers, that’s sexism. And who the fuck does he think he is that he should be the ultimate decider on who is or is not funny?
  
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3. citizenofpawnee
  June 21, 2012 at 1:15 pm Permalink Reply
  
  Was this also you and are you his agent? http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/69826125.html?thread=12179614541#t12179614541
  
  1
4. Kelly (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 7:48 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  JUST BECAUSE something is #1 and so popular doesn’t mean it’s good/okay/quality/well written/has good intentions/shouldn’t be questioned/etc.
  
  1
  1. Cait
    June 22, 2012 at 6:58 am Permalink Reply
    
    Agreed. Last I checked 50 Shades of Grey was a #1 best seller.
    
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Jay
June 21, 2012 at 8:23 am Permalink Reply

AutoStraddle has finally done it.
You’ve opened the gates of MRA hell and unleashed the most hellish shitstorm of male rage upon yourselves.

You know what, you dudes are funnier than Adam Corolla, because you actually believe the words that come out of your mouths. Congratulations. You’re officially all successful comedians.

Oh, and, by the way: Your fedoras are crooked.

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1. L
  June 21, 2012 at 8:55 am Permalink Reply
  
  You tried, Jay.
  
  11
2. Brittani (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 9:16 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  I just looked up MRA on Web MD and I think we can all get through this. Together. Thank you Jay for your support during this rough time.
  
  11
3. Jay
  June 23, 2012 at 12:22 pm Permalink Reply
  
  er, this was directed at Gary and the other dudebros. not AutoStraddle. i think… that got misunderstood. egg, meet face.
  
  0
E (member)
June 21, 2012 at 8:39 am Permalink Reply Report user

I’m not really sure when “mean” came to equal “funny”, but if that were true then wouldn’t people like Phyllis Schlafly have the #1 podcasts on iTunes?

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L
June 21, 2012 at 8:49 am Permalink Reply

Seems like this article has attracted all the douchebags who have Adam Carolla news alerts because he somehow speaks to their bitter, fragile, Midwestern manhood.

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1. Brittani (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 9:23 am Permalink Reply Report user
  
  This isn’t that bad so far. Then again, it is 9am. Maybe I should go back to sleep while I’m ahead.
  
  4
2. Smilin Hobbes
  June 21, 2012 at 1:04 pm Permalink Reply
  
  These commenters have nothing on TSwift fans.
  
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  1. winter94 (member)
    June 21, 2012 at 7:53 pm Permalink Reply Report user
    
    what did i miss?
    
    2
    1. roxy2
      June 21, 2012 at 8:55 pm Permalink Reply
      
      this mess: http://www.autostraddle.com/why-taylor-swift-offends-little-monsters-feminists-and-weirdos-31525/
      
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wepa (member)
June 21, 2012 at 9:38 am Permalink Reply Report user

I’ve always thought that what you write is very funny, Brittani, but I don’t know what to think now; Carolla’s exciting, fresh take on this issue has made me question my senses of humor. We’ll see.

This is where I list funny women I know (including mothers-in-law, ’cause they’re dumb, unintentionally funny somethings!!!).

This is where I write something really awful about Canola’s face, and it’s really funny cause it’s mean and it includes a jab at mothers-in-law (totally deserved!!!!).

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James (member)
June 21, 2012 at 9:40 am Permalink Reply Report user

“If my daughter has a mediocre sense of humor, I’m just gonna tell her”

Well at least there’s a qualifier. If he thinks her humor is mediocre. But I mean, his comedy barometer could be whacked. *Youtubes*

In other news… I know plenty of funny women. But what’s funny to him? His comment is fatuous, lacks perspective.

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birobot (member)
June 21, 2012 at 10:27 am Permalink Reply Report user

Wait, dudes are jacking the comment to defend Adam Carolla like he’s still relevant or something? Quick, tell me what year it is? Is it 1999? Did I just time travel? Do I need a pay phone to try and call home?

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1. A. (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 2:51 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  I, for one, was SHOCKED (shocked!) that a bunch of dudes would take up a bunch of space on a website for queer women (and our allies) to defend one of the least funny people trying to be funny in recent memory. I share your time-travel concerns as this fuckin’ white straight dude stating that women aren’t funny is the final nail in his irrelevance-coffin. Adam Corolla, I roll my eyes in your general direction.
  
  p.s. Julie Klausner
  
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  1. Sweetjams
    June 21, 2012 at 4:40 pm Permalink Reply
    
    I didn’t even realize that was the nature of this site until you stated so. I just googled the topic to find a discussion. I’m less concerned with defending Carolla than I am perplexed that the words were misconstrued and dismissed to a point that the potential for conversation on the topic was completely crushed.
    
    The Huffington Post has an interesting article on the subject.
    
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brandon-wetherbee/female-comedians_b_1616361.html
    
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    1. A. (member)
      June 21, 2012 at 11:41 pm Permalink Reply Report user
      
      I’m funny, an assload of the women commenting are funny, and the writers of this site are funny. No, but seriously. This is a site for women. Who like women. You are maybe in THE stupidest place to defend a person saying that women aren’t funny. There is no conversation that would necessitate crushing because women are just as funny as men and nobody’s really wanting to debate this point with you or the other rando dudes because the rest of us aren’t dragging our knuckles on the ground.
      
      You’re being a douche and Wikipedia has an interesting article on the subject.
      
      http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll
      
      p.s. I was the one who gave you the plus one, but I really, REALLY didn’t mean to do that, so. There’s that.
      
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    2. Ash (member)
      June 22, 2012 at 7:21 am Permalink Reply Report user
      
      Its awesome that the trolls are bitching about none of us researching Adam Carolla’s career and yet they are not able to look at our “girl-on-girl culture” header and take one second to contemplate what that means.
      
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Andrea
June 21, 2012 at 10:49 am Permalink Reply

First off I have to wonder why if you are not familiar with Adam Carollas comedy/work, you are writing an article saying how unfunny he is.
Adam has always come off in the public eye as being a crass offensive guy, but thats because he is almost always taken out of context when quoted. He wasn’t saying that there are no funny women, he was pointing out the flaws in a system that makes you hire a certain number of women who may not be qualified for the job, and comparing that to the ratio of male to female comedians who are funny. I really don’t understand why people “have their panties in a bunch” as he would put it, what he said really isn’t that big of a deal to warrant so much hate. In fact I kind of have to agree with him.
While not exactly in Adams target demo, (I am a 65 year old woman) I’ve been listening to him for a long time, and always found him to be an incredibly insightful, smart, funny guy. If more people took the time to actually listen to him instead of bashing him based on one or two quotes, I don’t think we would be talking about this right now.

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1. Brittani (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 12:57 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  I’m not familiar because I’ve seen him a couple times, concluded he is not funny, stopped paying attention to him. He wasn’t taken out of context. He has not tried to correct his statements. He’s fine with it. He needed some publicity drummed up for his book. He succeeded.
  It isn’t warranting hate. It’s warranting people pointing out his asshattery. If you agree with him…that no woman deserves a job in comedy because you can find a man that’s better suited for the job, then I’d like you to stop commenting on articles for the rest of your life because I can find a man who is way better at it than you.
  
  18
jill (member)
June 21, 2012 at 11:16 am Permalink Reply Report user

So guys, did Adam Carolla talk about Autostraddle on his podcast today or something? That’s what I’ve concluded from about 95% of the comments section of non-members.

#1 PODCAST PODCAST PODCAST PODCAST.

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1. Sweetjams
  June 21, 2012 at 1:49 pm Permalink Reply
  
  I doubt it. I just did a google search for Adam Carolla because I enjoy discussing social issues. I always learn a lot if I can find someone not being snarky and dismissive.
  
  It is a popular podcast, but that’s not relevant to this topic. I think people are just using it as a defense to the statements claiming his personal irrelevancy. He’s very well known in some industry circles, and somewhat revolutionized the podcast format. The public that doesn’t listen to talk formatted shows wouldn’t know him, however.
  
  0
  1. Steph M. (member)
    June 22, 2012 at 8:33 am Permalink Reply Report user
    
    Ooooo! You did a “google search.” Was it on the internet, Max?
    
    (Now, see, that was really funny, but you don’t know why, because you’re a dude, and dudes don’t understand comedy.)
    
    If you were actually serious about having a “discussion” about this topic, and were serious about “learning a lot” you would have taken a few moments to find out the demographic of the site you were on, and info about the people you’d be conversing with. But you didn’t because you’re really here to troll and try to outsmart the dumb womens because it makes you feel better about your insecurities, right Mr. Disingenuous?
    
    2
Hannah (member)
June 21, 2012 at 11:27 am Permalink Reply Report user

I don’t want to come down on either side of the Carolla debate since I don’t know anything about his work, but I think that we can say without a doubt that there are in fact many people who would assert that men are more suited to be comedians than women. I personally couldn’t care less about Carolla, given the fact that he openly said that he would say horrible things about a transgendered person for a few laughs. Carolla is simply incidental to the bigger issue of our society’s bias against women in comedy.

Also, to lighten things up, here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwJIfwY_U6E&feature=g-all-u

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anon
June 21, 2012 at 11:37 am Permalink Reply

So immediately after I read this post, I ended up in a room of people enjoying a nice laugh a some very (VERY) racist jokes. The people that I was with were the other interns participating in this diversity program that I’m in. Now in case you’re from the moon, being part of a diversity program means that you’re a minority, so everyone I was with was either black, hispanic, or aisian. In case you’re thinking that the racist jokes are a result of lack of education, we’re all successful undergraduate students from schools like Harvard and Stanford, schools that devote a large budget to racial education. So my question is: What is the appeal of racist jokes to minority groups? Everyone in the room knew that the jokes being said were horrible and inappropriate, and as a result there were several moments where people stopped to justify what was going on. One person said, “You gotta be able to laugh at yourself.” Internalized racism is a term that comes to mind after hearing that, but it was also more than that. The stereotypes that the jokes came from were very real and recognized by everyone, and at the root of the stereotypes was some level of horrifying (generalized) truth. What do you think? What is the appeal of racist jokes of minority people, because I’ve been in rooms full of white people making racist jokes, and it was certainly a different feeling.

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1. Heather
  June 21, 2012 at 3:10 pm Permalink Reply
  
  Being a conscionable human is to know the different between these two scenarios. It’s inherent to comedy that it’s only working and it’s only funny when it’s the majority that is being mocked or critiqued, NEVER the minority–except in the case of, like you mentioned, minority on minority comedy. Anything else is cruel.
  
  That’s a great example you use, and I’m glad you bring that up. A white dude making a black joke isn’t funny and isn’t kosher, in the same way that men “making jokes” (saying offensive, sexist things) about women isn’t funny and shouldn’t be commended or accepted.
  
  3
Le
June 21, 2012 at 1:21 pm Permalink Reply

I prefer my boys more pretty and even more dumb than him. Also think he would look better if he grew out his hair and got some blonde highlights. And losing 30lbs wouldn’t go a miss either. Also, also, he really could have made an effort when he knew he would appear on camera, i.e, some cute little pumps and a bit of mascara perhaps.

Until he makes the above changes I shall continue to ignore him.

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1. Morgan
  June 22, 2012 at 9:45 am Permalink Reply
  
  This comment is brilliant.
  
  2
carlytron
June 21, 2012 at 2:55 pm Permalink Reply

YOU GUYS, WHAT’S A PODCAST!?!?

(JK, Julie Klausner actually has the most wonderful podcast of all time)

(she is a woman who is funny)

(this is all I can say on this thread because anything else would give me a rage stroke. keep on fighting the good fight, B)

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whatifiguredout (member)
June 21, 2012 at 3:36 pm Permalink Reply Report user

Is this an inappropriate time to say that I don’t think 2 broke girls totally sucks?

2
B
June 21, 2012 at 3:39 pm Permalink Reply

My favorite part of this article is when you click the quote “Adam said women aren’t funny” those words appear nowhere in the interview. Journalism at its finest!

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1. March (member)
  June 21, 2012 at 5:14 pm Permalink Reply Report user
  
  From that article:
  
  “[Adam] told The New York Post that female comedy writers were usually the least funny people in the room.”
  
  “‘[...]dudes are funnier than chicks,’ Carolla cracked[...]‘
  
  8
Bat-Geek
June 21, 2012 at 5:06 pm Permalink Reply

(From the perspective of an out bisexual cis-female and Autostraddle lurker:)

What I know of Adam Carolla has mostly been gleaned from certain of my coworkers who are obsessed with his podcast. I work for a male-dominated, car-related business which is (ironically?) the most fun and relaxed place I’ve ever worked. I am predisposed to dislike Carolla from what my coworkers have shared of his work, along with how it highlights the attitudes and points of my coworkers’ personalities which I like least. To be clear, these are smart, amiable guys whom I respect, we just disagree on quite a few points (homosexuality, for instance.)

What makes Carolla’s work unimpressive to me personally includes many points which have already been mentioned (i.e. majority/minority, mean/witty, etc.) I would personally find Carolla much more funny if he were able to make some jokes about himself, or at least the demographic to which he belongs, and less about people who differ from him. But not having listened faithfully to his material, there is always the possibility that there is a subtle respect in his attitude I am missing; although I have never gotten that impression and still don’t. (And to be fair, I always thought Maddox was hilarious, but also an inarguable asshole. Go figure.)

On the topic of racism, my workplace is also full of plenty of running jokes that are based on the races of people who work there (though everyone gets teased for any reason, not just race specifically.) As far as I’m aware, it’s all in great fun, nobody gets personally offended by it, and it makes the workplace all that much more relaxed. Whether it’s detrimental to people’s attitudes to throw those stereotypes around is arguable, but I think most of it goes back to intent. Calling your Second-generation Chinese coworker “China-man” can be a good-natured poke in the ribs, or it can be a racial slur. Unfortunately, true intent is only ever known by the perpetrator, and anyone can lie about intent, so it all comes down to an issue of trust and comfort. So I suppose it’s an inevitable grey area depending on the situation. :/ (And I do realize that there are considerations to make when trying to change divisive or destructive societal attitudes/trends, I’m just trying to figure out how it all figures in.)

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kd15 (member)
June 21, 2012 at 5:58 pm Permalink Reply Report user

You fail as a comedian if the only way you know how to be funny is to be mean. Also, Carolla sucks. I’ve been unfortunate enough to listen to him before and he’s just obnoxious and dreadfully unfunny.

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Erin
June 21, 2012 at 8:01 pm Permalink Reply

It pisses me off that every time a comedian who makes homophobic & sexist jokes ends up being defended by the general public. It happens every time, the majority wins, the hype simmers down over a few months and the comedian in question is back making money while spreading hate. Gotta love it.

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roxy2
June 21, 2012 at 8:58 pm Permalink Reply

gotta love this world when speaking out against sexist remarks makes people call the bully the victim.

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Jane
June 22, 2012 at 6:28 am Permalink Reply

His face looks like the bottom of an old leather shoe, that just stepped in crud. Who gave this guy a show! He’s just a troll.

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Eagle Eye Smith
June 22, 2012 at 8:45 am Permalink Reply

You guys, I saw him leaving a Tori Amos concert at The Greek Theater in LA in 2005. He was wearing purple and with someone who appeared to be genderqueer.

Which of course means he can’t be sexist or homophobic.

(kidding)(but I really did see him there)

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jen
June 22, 2012 at 12:38 pm Permalink Reply

is he related to the toyota carolla? i’m not familiar with his work as a man on tv.

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Julia Bradshaw (member)
June 22, 2012 at 6:04 pm Permalink Reply Report user

Hey, I totally understand where he is coming from… because whenever someone asks me someone asks me about Adam Carolla’s hair and/or teeth, I have to say something horrible too.

1