Attn: The ARIAs.
Last night, while accepting the ARIA for Best Comedy Release, Triple J’s Matt Okine took the opportunity to point out the lack of recognition for women in comedy.
You can watch the whole speech here:
Okine said. “I don’t think there was any women like nominated at all in the comedy category just then. I don’t think there’s any women who are like featured artists on tonight’s show even.”
Very astute of him. In fact, Matt, no women have been nominated in this particular category for the past 10 years.
So, as an antidote to that nonsense, here is a list of the Aussie women making us laugh right now. Check ’em out.
1. Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney from The Katering Show
The comedy duo who caught our eye by reviewing the Thermomix and hilariously quitting sugar are getting their own show on the ABC next year.
Here’s the margarita-swilling team making announcing their new project:
2. Celia Pacquola
Celia Pacquola was superb when she opened for John Oliver recently, and you might have caught her in The Beautiful Lie or the excellent Utopia on ABC over the past few months. She’s back on the network next year too, in new production Rosehaven.
3. Claudia O’Doherty
Claudia O’Doherty had a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it role in Amy Schumer’s Trainwreck earlier this year, probably because Schumer wanted to hang out with her on-set. Schumer managed to lure her to New York with a job working as a writer on Inside Amy Schumer, but O’Doherty’s been creating her own comic characters for years.
Top Comments
The fact that Anne Edmonds and Becky Lucas is missing from this list makes me feel as though it hasn't been adequately researched.
Strongly agreed!
Particularly #1 ... Kate McLennan and Kate McCartney have a huge body of work on Youtube and on their own channel elsewhere. They are imaginative and (laconically) hilarious.
The best Australian female comedian NOT on your list deserves a mention. Watch for Alice Fraser. She does a lot on SBS and podcasts and you could google for her upcoming gigs. (Follow @aliterative on Twitter).
Oldies but goldies are Denise Scott and Judith Lucy who are breathing great new life into middle aged female comedy.