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By demonizing pleasure, we set ourselves up for unfulfilling sex lives.
Opinion: Let’s talk about sex
Published March 27, 2024

Comedic Ladyland

Lady comics are hanging a “Girls Only” sign on the stage tonight at Club Underground.
Women Underground: Ladies Night is happening at Club Underground  on Thursday 9:00p.m.
Image by Anthony Kwan
Women Underground: Ladies’ Night is happening at Club Underground on Thursday 9:00p.m.

What: Women Underground: LadiesâÄô Night

When: Doors open at 9 p.m., Oct. 27

Where: Club Underground

Cost: $5 cover

Ages: 21+

SheâÄôs an elusive beast, but perhaps youâÄôve caught glimpses of her on a full moon: a female comic at an open mic night. If sheâÄôs around, sheâÄôll pop up between the bearded white guys and, well, the bearded white guys.

Depending on how lucky you are, and how well you keep your eyes peeled, you might spot more than one girl comic at the same event.

Tonight, comedienne-watchers will be in paradise as a flock of chicks converge on Club Underground to deliver their jokes in a LadiesâÄô Night showcase âÄî the fourth installment of the Women Underground series.

 Tonight, audience members will remember female comedians for being more than âÄúthe girl.âÄù

âÄúI love being a girl. ItâÄôs just, sometimes, I want to be more than that,âÄù said Mandy Weecks, one of LadiesâÄô NightâÄôs local guest talents.

But in spite of the storied challenges involved with being a female comic, the tone of this LadiesâÄô Night isnâÄôt begrudging or bitter. Rather, the evening is a playful celebration of how much female comedic talent there is in the Twin Cities.

But if local female comics wanted to begrudge, theyâÄôd have a few good reasons for it.

âÄúThereâÄôs a joke that in order to be a Minneapolis comic you have to have at least one rape joke,âÄù said local comic Margret Blaylock, the producer for the event. âÄúI donâÄôt condone that.âÄù

In general, Blaylock said that female comics have to be more intelligent about the way they tell their more risqué jokes.

âÄúSocial dichotomies are fun,âÄù Blaylock said with a sigh.

The male dominance over the local scene has more influence than just the latent cultural grenades of rape jokes.

Beyond them are the practical obstacles female comics face: When touring with other comedians, gentlemen can pitch in on a hotel room and share beds. But a lady comic has to figure out a way to pay for her own room, which can force her to perform only locally.

One remedy for this is more cooperation between female comedians. ThatâÄôs one of the reasons Blaylock decided to produce LadiesâÄô Night. And sheâÄôs no stranger to the all-girl showcase âÄî LadiesâÄô Night is BlaylockâÄôs fifth, and her focus has been on featuring new female talent.

âÄúThatâÄôs been my niche passion in the comedy world,âÄù Blaylock said.

MinneapolisâÄô female comics might be few and far between, but Blaylock has had no problem finding talented women to fill the eveningâÄôs roster.

Newbies Mandy Weecks, Katie Kohn and Marlene Moxness will warm up the crowd for local vets Julie Bane and Kate Urquhart.

St. Paul born-and-raised Maggie Faris, whose earnest, quotidian style of comedy rarely veers into the self-deprecating, will headline the showcase.

The cherry on top of this estrogen sundae is a performance by Fuzzy Machete, an all-girl rock band obsessed with pop culture.

All in all, crowd members, both male and female, can expect to be exposed to a variety of female comicsâÄô viewpoints.

âÄúThatâÄôs part of the point of comedy, is to tell people your perspective,âÄù Urqhart said.

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