FUNNY WOMEN #1: The New Rumpus Humor Column: I Am Sorry That I Didn’t Write a Comedy Piece
The other day while sounding out the words on a Web site called The Rumpus, I saw this article asking for women to submit more comedy pieces. So I put down my giant chocolate bar, stopped crying, and thought, yes, that is what I will do. I will write a comedy piece. But just as I sat down in my bay window (filled with pillows that I knitted myself while waiting by the phone for potential husbands to call) and opened my pink Mac laptop, I happened to see a lady walking down the street with a baby of her very own.
So then I started crying again because I don’t have a baby. I cried big rolling tears that fell down onto my “Mrs. Stamos” T-shirt that I purchased off of eBay and photographed myself in for my eHarmony profile. I always say, “Dress for the job you want,” and the job I want is being Mrs. John Stamos! So, once my shirt was soaked, I had to go change it. I walked into my closet, which is gigantic because women love to wear lots of expensive clothes and shoes all the time, and I thought, “I know what will make me feel better! I will feel better if I try on all my clothes and shoes to the tune of an upbeat Motown song such as ‘My Girl.’”
And so I did that. I tried on all my clothes, and I felt better until I tried on one pair of pants that didn’t fit me anymore. And then I totally started to cry again, because I am so fat. I cried for a little while on the floor while my cats crawled all over me, purring and being symbols of how lonely I am. My cats love to be symbols of my loneliness. Sometimes, I have to be like, “Stop signifying so loudly guys, I’m watching Grey’s Anatomy!”
At this point I still had not written my comedy piece written by a woman. So I went back to the window, opened my pink computer again and looked at pictures of cute baby ducks for awhile until I felt like writing. But then I remembered that I hadn’t made anything for dinner! Every night, I like to make an elaborate dinner. Then, I set it on the table and open all the windows. My fondest hope is that the wafting smells of a home-cooked meal will lure men who are passing by to come inside and eat dinner. And then after they eat dinner, I hope they’ll eat something else. If you know what I mean. Get it? Eat something. I mean dessert. I want them to eat dessert. Because the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Also, they are always leaving the toilet seat up! Am I right?
Anyway, twelve hours later after I had cooked, baked, cried, sewn a blanket for my hope chest, called a telephone psychic, had all my favorite Cathy comic strips laminated, and then stayed up all night trying on all my clothes and shoes again, I finally felt ready to write my comedy piece. I decided to start by asking myself, “What’s funny?” That is a tough one for me because I have no sense of humor. I mean, I assume that I have no sense of humor because all of the funny things that are made especially for women like me, such as Sex and the City, 27 Dresses, and yogurt commercials don’t even make me laugh. But I guess my humor deficiency is one of those womanly crosses I have to bear, along with P.M.S., making seventy cents on the dollar, and paying for my own rape kit. You know what they say though, you can’t make the willing pay for their own rape kits! I think they say that. Probably somebody said that. God knows I didn’t say it myself! I only say things like: “What are numbers?”
Oh, there I go again on one of my tangents. I guess it’s time for me to get serious about writing this comedy piece. Emoticon. I mean, I probably shouldn’t even try to write a comedy piece since Christopher Hitchens wrote an article in Vanity Fair saying that women just aren’t funny. He’s probably right. And even if he isn’t, I think it’s great that we live in a country where you can say anything you want, like that women aren’t funny or that Christopher Hitchens is a huge douche who runs a successful child pornography business and has an inability to get an erection unless he’s reading Nazi literature.
Well, would you look at that? I’ve totally run out of time, and now instead of writing a comedy piece, I have to go report to my regular day job knitting tampon cozies and being best friends with everybody.
Oh well, I probably would have been terrible at it anyway.



September 8th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
LOVED it!!!
September 8th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
I thought this was exceedingly funny, but what do I know? I am in possession of an entire female reproductive system.
September 8th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Oh, boy! That wet t-shirt scene in the second paragraph got me all erect.
September 8th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Oh my gosh, hilarious.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Funny women don’t exist? False. You’re funnier than a rooster with socks on. I like the part about the ‘Cathy’ comics. Awesome. I think of Sage Francis’ song ‘Got up this Morning’ when I read this article.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:32 am
This is great. I’m going to read it again, probably right now.
September 9th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I think you could be funnier if you weren’t so passive aggressive. I know it can be tough for women to overcome that behavior, especially if PMSing, which you obviously are… So, in an effort to be nurturing and supportive, which just comes naturally to me as a woman, I say, try again. Maybe try giving yourself a pedicure. I’ve gotten some of my funniest ideas while scrubbing my callused feet, which are particularly bad right now because I’m in that blissful state of barefoot and pregnant. Don’t be jealous, you’ll get your turn, if you’re worthy. By the way, can I get your knitting pattern for the tampon cozies? I was going to do a few sets for some friends who are barren. You know, celebrate the flow. See, nurturing and supportive. Can’t help myself.
September 9th, 2009 at 10:20 am
J’adore!
September 9th, 2009 at 11:03 am
You set the bar pretty high with column #1, if this is some comedy battle of the sexes I have to say I laughed a hell of a lot more reading this than I have reading the questions for a (male)comedian column that also runs here. But what do I know? I’m just a guy is SS boots and Iron Cross nipple clamps masturbating to naked Aryan children.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I laughed out loud at my desk, and my male co-worker gave me a look. He probably thinks I’m being emotional again.
September 9th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
This is PRICELESS. Keep ‘em coming…
September 10th, 2009 at 5:13 am
“Tampon cozies”! I’ll be laughing about that one all day!
September 11th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Thank you, Rumpus, for soliciting submissions for a new column that has the potential to kick Christopher Hitchens in his misogynistic ass.
September 14th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
What *are* numbers? I’m so glad to hear I’m not the only one who wonders this.
September 16th, 2009 at 1:43 am
Ha!I’m loving this Rumpus I must say. Trying on all of your clothes and shoes to My Girl- can’t really beat that for a pick me up. You girls are so clever.
October 20th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
This is one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever read. Bravo!
October 24th, 2009 at 8:56 pm
YOU’RE HILARIOUS! And WOMEN ARE FUNNY! DAMN IT!