Look Who's Laughing

The Tribeca Talks panel discussions are the most interesting feature of this event. I have had the pleasure of hearing Martin Scorsese, Peter Jennings, Steven Soderbergh, J.J. Abrams and others, up close and personal, discussing different aspects of film and film making. Today it was five of the the most successful women in comedy, talking about comedy in regards to gender. It was an interesting discussion. The more I listened to them, the more I realized how hard-wired men and women are, in regard to how we react to art. Yes, I believe comedy is an art. Humans love to laugh, we all want to feel better. Comedians and comic writers search for the elusive laugh anywhere they can find it. Sometimes it is smart sometimes it is crude. Samantha Bee, Rachel Dratch, Susie Essman, Rachel Harris and Debra Messing tossed the topic around for about an hour, and gave some interesting insight to the fact that they don't regard gender when they work. It's just a competitive business in general, for both men and women. The more interesting discussion was about networks reaction to comedy and how far they can go, with language and topics, as opposed to the pay channels where there are no limits. These women were very generous, smart and funny. Director Jay Roach was the moderator, and did a good job keeping this lively group on topic.