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  1. Culture
28 May 2010

Words in Pictures: Christopher Hitchens

The polemicist tries to explain why women aren’t funny.

By Mike Sweeney

This week’s magazine features an acerbic review of Christopher Hitchens‘s memoirs by his one-time comrade Terry Eagleton.

Readers unfamiliar with the iconoclastic journalist might find the piece a little harsh — so this week’s Words in Pictures clip features the “Oedipal child of the establishment” himself, as Eagleton puts it, in typically provocative mode:

 

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The video relates to a piece that Hitchens wrote for Vanity Fair magazine in January 2007, entitled “Why women aren’t funny”. If the title is not a clear enough clue to his argument, here is an excerpt:

My argument doesn’t say that there are no decent women comedians. There are more terrible female comedians than there are terrible male comedians, but there are some impressive ladies out there.

Most of them, though, when you come to review the situation, are hefty or dykey or Jewish, or some combo of the three.

In April 2008, some of America’s top female comedians, including Tina Fey, Sarah Silverman and Amy Poehler, hit back with an article of their own.

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Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
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