To the Funny Women That Shaped My Life

One of my earliest memories is watching tv with my grandma, who I used to call Tata. In Spain late 1990s, my little household's tv repertoire consisted of whatever was available in the small variety of channels we had at the time. I remember watching El Chavo del 8, a Mexican sitcom from the 70s that they show and my grandparents put on tv because it was what they were showing at the time. I also remember Lina Morgan, a Spanish actress, and the old films they show most afternoons. You see, quirky characters filled my then developing brain, and my love for comedy began.

Growing up, comedy was part of my life. From 80s and 90s sitcoms about suburban families from San Francisco, Chicago or Bel-Air, to teenagers in high schools, cartoons, or multiple films about different topics. My love for comedy never ceased. In fact, it only grew. I fell in love with characters that worked as doctors, as writers, as politicians or police officers. I love comedy so much, I actually did my college thesis on Parks and Recreation.

But the reason why I'm writing this is that today, 28 of June, is that it's Gilda Radner's birthday, (she would have been 72) and it made me think of all the funny women that shaped my life. I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for them and comedy. I still watch Gilda's sketches whenever I feel sad, which I really recommend. I didn't grow up with Saturday Night Live, the first time I watched it was between 2006-2008, and I only know this because Amy Poehler and Seth Meyer were the Weekend Update anchors. I learned about Gilda, as well as Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman when I was in college. They were the original SNL ladies, that back in 1975, probably didn't know how inspiring they were going to be. The three represented 3 different types of comedy: Gilda was the physical quirky comedy. Legend (that's dramatic) says that she actually broke a rib during one of the sketches and didn't break character. Jane was the deadpan comedy. And let's face it, her Weekend Updates are still, in my opinion, one of the bests. And Laraine was a character comedienne (check on her IMDb and marvel at all the amount of voice characters she's done).

But before I continue, let's go back in time. Looking at the origin of the sitcom, one can pin it down to the 20s, when it was written as a radio show. Originally, sitcoms (both radio and tv) used to portray family lives and marriages. And I Love Lucy (1951-1957) would fall into this pattern. But this show had something others didn't: Lucille Ball. The show portrayed a marriage, Lucy and Ricky, and their neighbors Ethel and Fred. The show portrayed a multiethnic couple, female friendship (which pass the Bechdel Test), and stories that took Lucy out of the household. But there's more. Lucille Ball was the first woman to be head of a television production company, Desilu (firstly co-owned with her husband Desi Arnaz, but she owned it completely after their divorce), that not only produced her own shows, but also a little thing that you may or may not know, Star Trek: The Original Series (season 1 and 2).

During the 60s, another show would air with a woman in charge. After being told that variety shows were for men (whatever that means), The Carol Burnett Show ran for 11 seasons (1967-1978). Burnett was one of the first actors/actresses to be in almost complete charge of her own show, and the first woman to host a variety show on tv, with multiple guest appearances, including Julie Andrews, Ethel Merman, Steve Martin or Robin Williams.

The 70s brought a movement that moved the narrative (and women) outside of the family life. The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977) portrayed a single woman and her career life as an associate producer at a TV station. Mary Tyler Moore appeared during the 60s in The Dick Van Dyke Show (yes, these titles are just pure gold), and became one of the first women to ever wear pants on a show, changing the dress code that was popularized on tv at the time. TMTMS was so revolutionary that other shows drink from it, such as Tina Fey's 30 Rock or the Friends' finale, to name some.

Moving out of sitcoms for a moment, there's a woman whose films I keep watching no matter what. Whoopi Goldberg is one of the few people to have the EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tonny), and let's be real for a moment, the fact that neither Sister Act movie has an Academy Award is a shame. There, I said it.

Back to tv, something of great importance occurred during the 90s. Ellen DeGeneres came out both in real life as well as during her show in 1997, and although "The Puppy Episode" was controversial at the time, it opened the door for future shows to include queer characters and stories.

My early 2000s pick will go to the girls from SNL. Tons of women who I love came and go on this show (I mean, it's been on for 43 years). From the 3 original women whose legacy is still intact, to nowadays players, SNL has changed comedy and tv. I mentioned at the beginning of this the first 3 women, who paved the way for many others. Amy Poehler has often spoken about how much Gilda Radner inspired her. And let's be real, Jane Curtin's deadpan comedy is comparable to Tina Fey's (who was the first female head writer in the show, by the way), both of them portraying a "character" that revolves around quick wit and are often intellectual. And Laraine's style can be seen in Maya Rudolph or Kristen Wiig, for example, all of them having studied at The Groundlings, creating iconic characters and impersonations. I'm just saying (and probably being a bit dramatic but it's ok because that's my brand), if it wasn't for the original three, we wouldn't have Mean Girls, 30 Rock, Parks and Rec, Bridesmaids, or Ghostbusters (and I don't care what people say, that remake was pure gold and people don't know how to appreciate nice things). But really, these women, especially Poehler and Fey in my case, have motivated me to try to be funnier, and that it is ok to be loud and bossy (that's just a nod to Tina's book, sorry not sorry).

And to conclude, the 2010s, and I'll keep it simple. Mindy Kaling is the reason I want to write, and her show The Mindy Project was underrated, but it is ok because I'll shout out my love for her anyway. No, but really. It wasn't until I read her first book when I decided that maybe I could write too. And yes, I know I haven't achieved it yet, but finding a motivation in life is one of the best things ever (except when I'm sad and I want to crawl back to my bed, but it's all cool, no need to worry). And a shoutout to one of the best comedies that there is out right now: Broad City. It's funny, it's relatable, it's real. I just love Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, that's it.

Next time someone says that women are not funny, just hit them with these receipts. There are more women and shows and films to mention, but I would never stop. Women have walk side by side with tv and film comedy since the beginning. And I'm very passionate about this, damn it!