For the last 15 years, Australian (and through adoption, American) comedy has been dominated by men.  

Only 5 years the name Louis CK loomed so large in the imagination of every young up and comer stand up that to imagine a world in which he was disgraced shunned would have been unimaginable. I grew up thinking nothing of the fact that the comedians and memorable social commentary that I engaged with most was all from male artists: Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dylan Moran, Robin Williams, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, Sacha Baron Cohen, Bill Cosby, Dave Chappelle, Jon Stewart.  

Like in much of the preforming arts, the dominance of men in the comedy industry has long been the status quo. But if you scan the above list, there are few men left standing. This year the upsurge in popularity of female comedians is swinging back like the proverbial pendulum and we have nothing bad to say about it.  

The last month has seen the monumental rise of our very own Hannah Gadsby for her show ‘Nanette.’ Airing on Netflix to rave reviews and world-wide acclaim for her uncompromising and nuanced critique of Australian society and the self-flagellation of comedy as a profession, Gadsby is being hailed as the artist of the present, cutting through complex intersectional parts of society like a hot knife through butter. She has been a rallying point of pride for women in arts, proving the need of her voice in the moral pandemonium of the last two year; a rain to quench the drought of astute, affecting, assertive female commentary.  

Even better, Gadbsy is not alone in the field. Netflix has been backing some seriously deserving female comedians and if you haven’t dipped your toes – this is for you. 

Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife 

Wong is pregnant and has a lot of laugh-so-hard-a-bit-of-pee-comes-out material in this frontal assault on the strange deliberateness of dating, partnering, marriage and having kids. Wong will split your sides open by discussing the gaps between imagination and the reality of being a stay at home Mum, or as she calls it “solitary confinement all day long with this human Tamagotchi.” Her commentary is riddled reflections on the undeniable contradictions of wanting to be a Mum in modern society and what being an empowered female is all about. Shameless and soothing, her comedy answers questions young girls don’t know how to ask and feel ok asking.  

Iliza Shlesinger: Elder Millenial  

I have that kind of shot-gun laughter you shouldn’t ever pull out in good company response to this show. Schlesinger is known well for her jokes about dating, body image and gender differences and in Elder Millenial she retreads these areas through the visor of millennial norms. Her humour calls upon a lot of stereotypes about dating and roles expected to be played. While this occasionally feels a little behind the times, or as if it reaffirms the negative behavior it seeks to critique, it also makes you realise how deeply you still relate to it and makes you question we’re all as progressive as we like to think we are.  

Phoebe Waller-Bridge: Crashing (2016) and Fleabag (2016) 

After being thrust into an international arena by her comedic appearance in the new Star Wars Story film ‘Hans Solo,’ Waller-Bridge’s older work as a comedic writer, director and actor is experiencing a second coming. ‘Crashing’ is a riotous take on your early 20s and tries to unwind the repressed relationships between close friends that 20-somethings are notorious for. ‘Fleabag’ is a black comedy, so sticky with real heavy critique about sexual empowerment and loneliness that it’ll be stuck in your teeth with chewy new thoughts for days after watching. This year you can catch Waller-Bridge's writing in Killing Eve – a spy thriller rewritten for female leads which hasjust earned Sandra Oh an Emmy nomination.

It’s nearly a year after the eviscerating peak of the #metoo movement. Perhaps this is a delicious if indirect consequence of overhauling the established gender-bound channels of power in the performing arts in general. If so, bring it on. We love the rise of the woman and may we never again read the headline: Why Women Aren’t Funny.