Have a laugh

'Girl on Girl Comedy,' Nashville's newest comedy group, offers a platform for female and GLBT performers

by Blake Boldt, Out & About Magazine

Christy Eidson, the producer of “Girl on Girl Comedy,” has been in show business for over ten years. She's founded a number of sketch comedy groups in Nashville, studied with the Groundlings in Los Angeles, and currently travels the country performing standup routines. Her success has enabled her to share the stage with such comics as Chris Rock, Nick Swardson, Ty Barnett and Jimmy Shubert.

Notice the famous names listed in that illustrious roster, all male. Females are a rare breed in the world of comedy, and Eidson has set about doing her small part to correct that imbalance. "Girl on Girl Comedy," a comedy group for female and GLBT performers, has flourished since its humble beginnings last fall.

Eidson, weary from seeing recycled routines on the comedy circuit, felt it was her duty to support local female talent.

"I started the show because I was tired of seeing comedy shows that were primarily male driven with guys just doing jokes about masturbating and playing video games," Eidson says. "It seemed like the same old-same old with all the comics just blending into each other. I was also tired of how underrated female comics are. I set out to prove that females can go toe-to-toe with the boys and to prove that females are good comedians not just 'comediennes.' The only males that are allowed to perform must be gay."

“Girl on Girl Comedy” has introduced an element of community service to their series by producing benefit shows as well. In May, they hosted “Girl on Girl Comedy presents: Doggie Style!” The event benefited Nashville Pittie, an organization that provides free spay/neutering in Nashville. All performers in the show were pit bull owners.

The response to this endeavor has been rewarding for Eidson, who believes her performers are speaking to a niche market that isn't always addressed in the world of comedy.

"I've been so surprised with how well the show has taken off," Eidson says. "I think it's servicing an audience that has until now been untapped. It's a great forum for the gay community as well as a fabulous girls' night out."

Free from the constraints of big business, Eidson is allowed to push the envelope with the show's material.

"This show is able to get away with more than we would at a typical comedy club," she says. "It's a bit more raunchy than other standup shows and a lot more fun, so we are giving all our shows an R rating. I like to think of it as the 'Ab Fab' of standup comedy."