Funny Ladies: 8 Black Comediennes Working in the Business

February 24th, 2012 - By Bianca Clendenin

Let’s be honest, black women have been brushed aside in the comedy world forever. We just don’t seem to get the same respect as our male counterparts. However, it’s nice to see that there are ladies out there, on television, in web-series’, or doing stand-up comedy where they can prove that black women are indeed funny.

While everyone’s waiting for the next Chappelle’s Show to come around (by Dave or anyone else that could be his replacement), wouldn’t it be great if it was by a woman?

Here’s my list of funny black women doing their thing right now, low and high on everyone’s radar:

Source: thetwistgossip.com

Maya Rudolph

Just off the wheels of her successful turn hosting Saturday Night Live this past weekend, Maya Rudolph proved that she is a very funny woman.

Though she is technically bi-racial and doesn’t always portray a black woman, she still does play a lot of black characters. But that’s to her advantage because she is able to impersonate multiple characters of all different backgrounds (anyone else seeing her do Christina Aguilera?) and kill while doing so. Just this past weekend alone she played First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, and Maya Angelou just to name a few. She also stars on the show Up All Night on NBC, where she plays an Oprah-esque talk show host.

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  • Guest

    Adele Givens

  • Mkjload

    I don’t know if Maya Rudolph considers herself to be Black  – just sayin……

  • Rah Truth

    So many (not all) Black female comedians are extra vulgar! It’s disgusting! Many are more vulgar than the men. And, as long as that continues, I will continue brushing past them.

  • eyeNOmuzzzzikkkkkkk

    I have a question that I will forget to come back and see the answer too…WHERE THE HELL IS MO’NIQUE??? Since they dropped her show I haven’t seen her. I still watch The Parkers reruns on BET. I love Ms. Parker, Kim, and Andell!

    • guest

      so you didn’t see Precious, huh? her Academy Award winning performance??

  • Spanishteam4ever

    hey, Where is Marina Franklyn? She’s hillarious!

  • Awkward

    Issa Rae!!!! I’m awkward and black, lol. So I identify.

  • Glozellfan

    where is Glozell?????

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  • ABG

    ISSA RAEEEEE!! She came to my school to speak–loved it!! :)

  • http://twitter.com/PumpsAndGloss Pumps and Gloss

    I love that Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler are on “The Talk”! 

  • 2fly

    I love Luenelle, Loni Love & Maya

  • Sugar_Spice

    “TREAT YO SELF 2011″ omg I love Retta on Parks & Recs, they need to put her on the show more.

  • filya2

    When you said business, you must have left out the stand-up comedy business, because you left off the Queen of Comedy, Sommore. I bought her last dvd “The Queen Stand Alone” and have watched it a dozen times and still laugh (and no all her jokes aren’t R-rated). And I can’t wait for her next one to come out, so I can BUY it too!

  • http://www.facebook.com/RosarioRed Rosario Stefania Scarsci

    Since when is Maya Rudolph black? Having a black parent does not make once black. One of my Paternal great grandparents is Irish. Am I white? No. So why is she on this list?

    • Sugar_Spice

      One-drop rule darling, if we were in the Jim Crow days she would still have to drink out the same water fountain as blacks.

      • Mixed Chick

        As light as she is, she might have been able to sip the white folks water.

    • Tami

      If Obama is black then so is she, hmmm

      • Inglewood Hustle

        She’s black….duh!  Whether she claims it or not.  She’s one of my favorite funny people.

        • Tami

          AGREED!!

      • Mixed Chick

        In reality Obama is half african and half white which makes him biracial, stop being a crab in the barrel and deal with what YOU are.
        Whatever a person is racially is their biz and is nothing for you to speculate over. You must be from de south.

    • Maradebe2004

      @Rosaria Stefania
      That’s exactly why you’re not classified as “white.” You can’t be white in America if one of your parents is black. Where have you been all this time? President Obama, Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, my granddaughter Brooklyn. She’s on that list because that’s how the USA socially constructs “race.” Many of them can “pass” as white, and even prefer to live “white.” In the USA the principle of ‘hypodescent’ was meant to prevent what was called “the browning of the [white] race. Get to the Library quickly!

  • 30thoughts

    Great list! I would love to see more female comediennes of color doing their thing, as well.  Maya Rudolph is pretty hilarious – Bridesmaids!

  • IllyPhilly

    The Sh*t white girls say to Black girls was sooooooo funny!

  • Tyla Ordillano

    Aaw how cute, Maya replicating her mother’s album cover! (Minnie Ripperton)