Random question: are trans-women funnier than cis-women?

[Sincerely Tegan]

Okay, first off, this was just a little thought rattling around in the back of my head. I don't want to offend anyone. I am deeply respectful of cis-women in comedy. Amy Poehler, Carrie Brownstein, Sarah Silverman, Mindy Kaling- off the top of my head, these are just a few of the cis-women in comedy that I really admire.

However, the thought occurred to me: in day-to-day life, are trans-women funnier? Not trying to sound sexist or cisist or whatever. It's just that guys, especially less macho ones, tend to develop a strong sense of humor almost as a defense mechanism. After transition, do old habits die hard, and do these women bring the wisecracks with them? Or does the instinct to be funny decrease when you feel more at home in your form?

Share your thoughts.

Me personally? I think I'm always going to be a goofball.

Cheers,
Tegan

[Jill F]

Okay, first off, this was just a little thought rattling around in the back of my head. I don't want to offend anyone. I am deeply respectful of cis-women in comedy. Amy Poehler, Carrie Brownstein, Sarah Silverman, Mindy Kaling- off the top of my head, these are just a few of the cis-women in comedy that I really admire.

However, the thought occurred to me: in day-to-day life, are trans-women funnier? Not trying to sound sexist or cisist or whatever. It's just that guys, especially less macho ones, tend to develop a strong sense of humor almost as a defense mechanism. After transition, do old habits die hard, and do these women bring the wisecracks with them? Or does the instinct to be funny decrease when you feel more at home in your form?

Share your thoughts.

Me personally? I think I'm always going to be a goofball.

Cheers,
Tegan

Yes, yes we are.  Eat your heart out, Tina Fey.  Hell, eat yourself out...

[Umiko]

Yes, yes we are.  Eat your heart out, Tina Fey.  Hell, eat yourself out...

hahaha! funny. my sense of humor though is pretty dry unless i make of fool outta myself o.o no fair!

[Tori]

Humor has been a vital tool in my socialization. It really breaks the ice.

[Sincerely Tegan]

Yes, yes we are.  Eat your heart out, Tina Fey.  Hell, eat yourself out...

How flexible do you think she is, Jill? This isn't the Cirque de Soleil.

-Teg

[Jill F]

Humor has been a vital tool in my socialization. It really breaks the ice.

Were you funny before HRT, or is that new?  I'm just better at it now.  Should I try a stand up act?

[Jill F]

How flexible do you think she is, Jill? This isn't the Cirque de Soleil.

-Teg

If she was that flexible...  <fill in the blank>

[Tori]

I always hid my depression with humor. Comic acting was my forte.

I may express my humor in writing more now and I use it as a way to disarm people I have just met, humor helps them feel more at ease around the trans person they just met.

You should try stand up. It scares me to death. But hey, since I started transition, I now want to go skydiving.

[AnneB]

I wrote a one-liner to someone on another forum.. saying:

"If I tried transitioning slowly, in stealth, and when the wife finally figures it out, the anger and wrath displayed will make Glenn Closes' scene in Fatal Attraction look like an eHarmony commercial.."

Now I've been pretty funny before I began HRT, but I don't think I would have come up with that zinger before it..

[Jill F]

I always hid my depression with humor. Comic acting was my forte.

I may express my humor in writing more now and I use it as a way to disarm people I have just met, humor helps them feel more at ease around the trans person they just met.

You should try stand up. It scares me to death. But hey, since I started transition, I now want to go skydiving.

Stand up can't be nearly as scary as improvising lead guitar.  Skydiving, well, if you can get me on the f***ing plane in the first place... OK.  Still not going to happen.

[Sincerely Tegan]

Skydiving is incredible. Just freaking do it.

[Jill F]

Skydiving is incredible. Just freaking do it.

I was on a plane that almost crashed once.  The sparks from the wingtip on the runway still haunt me to this day.  Like I say- if you can get me on the plane in the first place, you can certainly get me off mid-flight.

[defective snowflake]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm absolutely humorless.  No time for that sort of silliness...

[bubbles21]

Before transitioning I didnt find most things funny but now Im just a humerous hoe hahaha jks now i laugh more and make more jokes all the time haha

[Androgynous_Machine]

I think being a transwoman has some very special circumstances attached to it.

I think largely most of us transition in adulthood.  I personally was 31 when I started transition.  For most of us we spent some part of our adult lives as male.  I think that gives us a major advantage over natal women.  After all, natal women don't know what it's like to get a ->-bleeped-<-. haha.

Jokes aside, we are special creatures.  Many of us have a lifetime of experiences that sets us apart from natal women.

Are we funnier? I dunno, but I will say we've been in some seriously screwed up situations because of who we are.  Often the best jokes are those told of experience, and girl, we've got some interesting stories to tell.

I will say, without doubt, that transwomen have several advantages over natal women from a guys point of view.  We don't get extra pissy once a month (unless you are one of those girls who gets pissy after hormone injections) nor will we  go through menopause. Oh, we generally age better. /shrug

-AM

[suzifrommd]

After transition, do old habits die hard, and do these women bring the wisecracks with them? Or does the instinct to be funny decrease when you feel more at home in your form?

I'm just as funny. I have the same urge to wisecrack and my jokes go over just as well.

Though when people don't clock me, they sometimes seem surprised that a woman can make them laugh.

[Jessica Merriman]

Skydiving is pretty straighforward

Ends that way as well if the chute doesn't open!

[JamesG]

Does sarcasm count?

[Jessica Merriman]

Does sarcasm count?

Sure! Most humor is a form of sarcasm.

[V M]

Jammin' guitar while nude skydiving sounds a lot more fun than some other circumstances I can think of, but could I be funnier than another person? There's a pretty good chance but it kinda depends on how much corn you have, or possibly potatoes, peas, green beans or such and what time I happen to need to go the necessary room

Oh, never mind!!!