Above is a link to a page that has a list of the top 25 “most controversial” comedians of all time. Of the list the pretty big names such as Bill Maher, Richard Pryor, Daniel Tosh, David Cross, and Tracy Morgan. Top of the list is Lenny Bruce- who changed the face of comedy in the 1960′s. Some of his skits were so obscene at that time that he was arrested and convicted after one of his shows in New York.
What we don’t really see on the list is women comedians. Out of the top 25 only 4 women are mentioned. Chelsea Handler takes the 25th spot, followed by Lisa Lampanelli at 19, Sarah Silvernman at 11, and Roseanne Barr at the number 9 spot.
Are men that more controversial than women ? There are so many elements to take into consideration when compiling a list such as this, however women in comedy are known to be the ones to push the envelope. That might be the case because women comedians are in a field (like many) that has typically, been driven by men in the last couple of decades. Women and men both seem to get their material from the same subject matter. They expose touchy subjects and try to make light of some topics. Comedy is about controversy. However, it seems that the delivery of the controversy is what really gets these comedians noticed. Women comedians are breaking out into the comedy world and are not backing down. The 4 women on this list are just a small example of what it means to be a controversal woman in comedy.