Another day, another dude saying women aren’t funny. Good one.

This time, it’s Adam Carolla, the guy behind his own podcast. “The reason why you know more funny dudes than funny chicks is that dudes are funnier than chicks,” he says. As evidence he cites Joy Behar and Roseanne Barr. Perhaps, in an effort to appear objective, he then praises Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman, and Kathy Griffin. Come on, Adam, everyone knows Kathy Griffin isn’t funny.

Adam says it’s just a numbers game:

When you’re picking a basketball team, you’ll take the brother over the guy with the yarmulke. Why? Because you’re playing the odds. When it comes to comedy, of course there [are] super-funny chicks. But if you’re playing the odds? No.

And that’s where it doesn’t add up. I’m not expecting Adam to be a scholar or even analytical. He’s a talk show host. His job is to be quippy. He shouldn’t have to also think about what he says, even though comedians sort of, well, do that. No, that’s what Ivy League interns are for.

So maybe at some point, he’ll get lucky enough to have one of those interns point out that the number of “funny” women in the spotlight is proportionate to the amount of women applying. And proportionate to the number of women in decision-making positions in creative.

I work at a vastly male-dominated company. Like, it’s not even close. To their credit, they recently undertook a study to figure out why there is not greater representation of women throughout all levels within our consulting practice. Guess what the study found? That women are dumber than men. That when you recruit at schools and in programs largely male, you end up hiring more men. That when there are not a lot of women in leadership positions, the absence could discourage women from believing that there is meaningful opportunity for advancement. Guys, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, I’m sorry, Adam, that in your anecdotal experience women weigh the writing team down. Bummer. Guess what, though? Turns out, it’s a numbers game.

Editor: Lynn Hasselberger

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