Third for the Ladies

I say that I don't do comedy because I live in Glasgow: either I am complimenting the city's dark banter or comparing comedians to loud mouth bar bores. Whatever way I go, I probably prefer female comedians - perhaps it is just the sense that they are not going to punch me if I don't laugh.

I'm still battling on with this female top twenty. It's already been exposed as pointless, since none of the artists have anything in common. If I have learnt anything, it is that Aristotle's idea to slot everything into categories was stupider than Plato's vision of a state ruled by philosophers.

What number's this? Twelve? Thirteen?

Welcome back, Fringe Fans, and we've got a lovely lady for you at number thirteen. Bridget Christie is here to prove that women can be funny, and she's being a very good sport about it. A Bic For Her (The Stand 1) is all about the crazy adventures women can have when they go shopping.

Actually, I ought to cut the ironic patronising: Bridget Christie's press release reads cool. She promises to shout, and her question 'why is Richard Dawkins getting behind topless Ukrainian feminists?' is one I'd like to have answered (although it's probably just 'to annoy Christians' again). Unashamed of her feminism, Christie will hopefully stick to the gender politics and not spend half the act explaining how 'The Bible's just a bunch of Iron Age folk tales."

I once wondered whether the resistance to burlesque was a remnant of patriarchal values, championing comedy, a predominantly male art, against burlesque, which had lots of women in it. This is a good example of how flexible feminist analysis can be, since it is also possible to castigate burlesque on the grounds that it privileges female sexuality, conforming to patriarchal standards of female worth.

EastEnd Cabaret's Dirty Talk (Underbelly Cowgate) has little to do with burlesque, apart from the parody of popular music and the classic duo. Bernadette Byrne (deviant diva) and Victor Victoria (half-moustachioed musician) have been accused of being risqué and playfully perverse. However, there is some teasing gender disorientation in VV's music magnificence and Byrne works the ego-monster angle to frightening extents. 

And there we have two more of my female top twenty with nothing in common. It's going so well.