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This week’s cover story is the official announcement of Portland’s Funniest Five, WW’s long-running, annual comedy showcase featuring comedians nominated and voted on by members of what Bennett Campbell Ferguson describes as Portland’s broad and diverse comedy ecosystem.
Well, this year’s ecosystem has selected—excuse my gendered language—all dudes. Cis guys, males of the species, mensesses.
Alright, that’s not necessarily uncommon for such a long-running showcase in city with, like, a lot of guys doing comedy. Even our No. 1 comedy draft pick (I’m sorry, I don’t know sports), cover boy Bryan Bixby admitted the list was by no means either definitive or even an accurate representation of the comedy scene before firing off a list of femme comedians on his must-see list.
Don’t get me wrong, props to the lineup and everything, but uh, still… it stings a little right? Not one lady or gender nonconformist on the list? In this economy? In my America?
This year’s Funniest Five isn’t definitive. How could it be? Humor is subjective and we are all experiencing life through highly specialized lenses. So, maybe the Funniest Five is less of a pageant title and more of a candid snapshot of comedy right now, and big dude energy is what’s in sharpest focus, because, like, is it ever not?
Listen to my conversation with Bennett and Bryan on this week’s episode of the Dive podcast.