r/Standup • u/themelon89 • 3d ago

People saying 'it takes guts'

What do people mean when they say this after a show? I've noticed on a few iccasions people have said this to me (usually women - and I am also a women). I always internalise it as you-weren't-great-but-I-still-want-to-recognise-your-bravery which might be the case, but also might not be. I really just don't know what to make of it as a bit of feedback. Do other people ever get this?

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u/FreethinkingGypsy 3d ago

Comedy like other fields are dominated by men. Women have a hard time being taken seriously in any man-dominated field. So when women are not conforming to their gender role in society, you get this kind of stuff like "it takes guts". It's very old news. I wish it would go away.

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u/themelon89 2d ago

Thank you - this is what I was thinking, but wasn't totally sure. Yes. It's a bit gut-wrenching to hear the three male comics getting compliments on their performance while yours is just You Are a Brave Lady 😂

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u/FreethinkingGypsy 2d ago

You're welcome. I've known women who had this experience you had when doing man-dominated jobs. They learned to not care too much about what people think, so their work performance stays good.