We love Jason Jones and all the other guys being suggested for The Daily Show… But what about the ladies? Here, 10 favorites.
Jon Stewart just announced he is leaving The Daily Show after 17 years. We know. It bites. But just think of all the places he could show up now and all the things he could decide to do in this new phase! In the mean time, we need to start thinking about who’s going to fill that chair. And from where we’re standing, a woman would make a great play for Comedy Central.
These days, the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Schumer are making headlines with their irreverent and sharp humour that keeps even the funniest of dudes on their toes. Chelsea Handler already had a show and is headed to Netflix to do even more skewering of celebrities and politics. It seems like we are in an era where a wisecracking lady would be a great way to shake things up. Besides, no dude can hold a candle to Stewart, so this could be the best play.
Not all of these girls would make great hosts, but some of them are natural fits. But let this list serve as reminder as to the amount of funny women working today that can hold their own.
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler has been nominated for nearly every single prestigious comedy-related award you could think of over the past few years, and for good reason – not only does she carry one of the best single-camera sitcoms to ever air on television (in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last five years, that’d be Parks and Recreation), she managed to breath comedic life into even the dullest of sketches during her epic stint at SNL. She writes, the acts, she produces – she’s an all-around comedic powerhouse.
Tina Fey
One of SNL’s most successful alums, Fey started off working as a writer on the sketch show, and quickly worked her way to the top with her sharp wit and killer sense of humor – she was named the show’s very first female head writer after only two years on the job, and added Weekend Update host to her repertoire one year later. Her leading role on 30 Rock earned her a number of award nominations and wins, and the actress was hit with yet another wave of critical love for her performance in the recently released family dramedy This Is Where I Leave You.
Melissa McCarthy
It may have taken a while for the actress to find her niche but, boy, was it ever worth the wait. After playing around with more standard sitcom roles on shows like Gilmore Girls and Mike & Molly, McCarthy busted some serious guts (and even earned an Oscar nod) by taking on a super raunchy role in 2011’s Bridesmaids. Ever since, she’s been an undeniable box-office draw, flexing her comedic muscles in a number of Hollywood blockbusters including Tammy and Identity Thief.
Lena Dunham
You can’t seem to turn a corner without seeing something Lena Dunham-related these days – and don’t expect that to change any time soon. The Girls creator has done it all – from a hilarious hit TV series, to funny indie films, to a brand new, soon to be best-selling book, everything the woman touches seems to turn into comedy gold. On her off time, she’s running one of the most RT worthy, laugh-out-loud-funny accounts on Twitter. She’s a machine!
Amy Shumer
The crass comedian has been dominating the stand up scene for the past few years, winning audiences over with her intensely inappropriate (but incredibly funny) sense of humor. Not only is she able to out-gross most dude comics with her live act, she’s also perfected the art of taking down hecklers – seriously, don’t mess with her onstage unless you want to get your ass handed to you. Next up for Schumer is a starring role in Trainwreck, an upcoming Judd Apatow comedy she co-wrote with the director, as well as a third season of her super funny sketch show Inside Amy Schumer.
Mindy Kaling
Kaling has been named one of the ’50 Coolest and Most Creative Entertainers’ by Entertainment Weekly, and madeTime Magazine’s list of ‘100 Most Influential People’ in the world – all for being so damn funny. She’s one of the comedy world’s most talented Jack-of-all-trades — whether Kaling’s writing, producing, directing or acting, the results are always laugh-out-loud-funny. The Mindy Project, her critically acclaimed comedy series, recently returned to Fox for its third season.
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig became a fast fan favorite on Saturday Night Live in 2005, winning over audiences with her uber-wacky characters and unique approach to physical comedy. While her roots are in improv (she got her start with renowned L.A. troupe The Groundlings), she also proved herself to be an extremely talented, absolutely hilarious writer and actress — she co-created and starred in 2011’s Bridesmaids and continues to land roles in buzzworthy Hollywood projects like Her and, most recently, The Skeleton Twins.
Kate McKinnon
Arguably the funniest current Saturday Night Live cast member, McKinnon has been nominated for two Emmy awards for her work on the seminal sketch show, and took home the American Comedy Award for Best Supporting Actress earlier this year. When it comes to celebrity impressions, she absolutely kills – her spot on Ellen DeGeneres impersonation will totally blow your mind. Plus, she’s SNL’s first openly lesbian cast member – that’s pretty awesome.
Jenny Slate
Lorne Michaels made a colossal mistake when he fired Slate from SNL for dropping one little f-bomb. In 2014, the actress is thriving – she continued her career in sketch comedy, leaving viewers doubled over in laughter every time she popped up on Comedy Central’s Kroll Show, and managed to win the affections of Sundance critics when she displayed some serious dramatic chops in the sleeper hit Obvious Child earlier this year.
Illana Glazer & Abbi Jacobson (Broad City)
One of the hippest comedy duos working today, Illana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson are a serious comedic force to be reckoned with. These self-starters created, developed and starred in their own webseries, Broad City, from 2009-2011. To absolutely no one’s surprise, the project caught the attention of comedy world big-wigs and would eventually be turned into a half-hour Comedy Central series, thanks to executive producer extraordinaire (and fellow list feature) Amy Poehler. Broad City’s second season is set to premiere on Comedy Central in January 2015.
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Love these women? You should vote for some of them – and many more of your favorites – in AskMen’s Top 99 Outsanding Women of 2015!
Originally appeared at AskMen
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I think in an Ideal world, those are all nice ideas, but they all have their own careers and their own unique legacies at various stages, honestly I don’t know if Daily show is the next step or option for any of them? Also, there’s no mention of Jessica Williams, who isn’t white either, and she’s already on the show.