As recently as 2007, Vanity Fair’s resident man of letters (presently dead), Christopher Hitchens, attempted to put a philosophical spin on a theme that recurs with suspect regularity in the comedy world. “Why Women Aren’t Funny” reads like the world’s most long-winded back hand of a compliment, including such Victorian condescension as: “Whereas women, bless their tender hearts, would prefer that life be fair, and even sweet, rather than the sordid mess it actually is. Jokes about calamitous visits to the doctor or the shrink or the bathroom, or the venting of sexual frustration on furry domestic animals, are a male province.” Right, because shit and fart jokes are really just thinly disguised death metaphors and women, unable to bear basic facts of reality, don’t understand the toilet foundation of comedy’s great temple. In this framing, South Park is Dostoyevsky. I’m also fairly certain that torturing animals out of sexual frustration is a psychiatric diagnosis, not a finely tuned gender sensibility. It’s not just Hitchens; Jerry Lewis infamously said much the same without all the literary pomp and even further down the sexism food chain, Two and A Half Men co-creator, Lee Aronsohn, twittered his way into this great debate by dismissively summarizing the role of women in comedy: “Enough, ladies. I get it. You have periods.” more ›

Chelsea Peretti’s sharp, acerbic wit reaches far and wide - it’s likely she’s had a hand in creating something that’s made you laugh. From writing episodes of Parks and Recreation to doing stand-up, creating web videos, and penning articles for The Village Voice and The Huffington Post, Peretti is probably one of the busiest comedians working today. But there’s one goal she’s yet to scratch off her vision board - completing an hour’s worth of solid stand-up material. Peretti is heading to Austin this week to perform stand-up comedy jokes at the Moontower Comedy and Oddity Fest, where she hopes to get feedback on some newer, “sillier” material for an upcoming hour set (Yes, she’s using us, people). We spoke to Peretti recently about stand-up, writing and acting for TV, and her complicated relationship with the Internet. more ›

Chelsea Peretti's been pretty busy for the past, oh, ten years or so. Most of the time, she's performing stand up sets, writing for TV and the web and performing with Variety SHAC, an NYC-based comedy troupe. She's also mocked celebreality with her video series "Making Friends with Chelsea Peretti" and "All My Exes." Chelsea will be in town this April for Hell Yes Fest; we caught up with her to talk about health food, the West Coast and interviewing strangers. more ›

After announcing their preliminary lineup last week, SXSW Comedy has made several additions to their roster, including SXSW veteran Chelsea Peretti. more ›

With Fun Fun Fun Fest fast approaching, be reminded that the festival also includes a number of comedians. Chelsea Peretti is among the standup acts on this year's bill. The New Yorker does a full circuit of stage shows and gets booked on college campuses, but she's also a regular on Tru TV's "The Smoking Gun Presents," one of the masterminds of BlackPeopleLoveUs.com, and a writer whose work has been featured in publications including Details, Playgirl, and the Village Voice. more ›