by Crystal Zhao

Lately, between Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, and Trainwreck, the old stereotype that women aren’t funny has been tastefully put in its place. The next issue on the pile is the “humorless feminist” trope. While women and a number of men have been working to change the preconceived perceptions of female comics in the established entertainment world, some fresh new comedians are taking on the feminist issue with great success and big laughs. The following are some of my favorite up-and-coming strong and funny women.

Cameron Esposito: She’s notorious for her killer side mullet and for drawing on her personal experiences in jokes. With the success of her latest album, Same Sex Symbol, Esposito is here, queer, and eager to tackle stereotypes. Check out her joke, “The Greatest Period Joke Ever.” It is as advertised.

Negin Farsad: She owns a production company, worked as a senior policy advisor in New York City, and has two masters degrees from Columbia University. She also happens to be extremely funny. Combining intellectual acuity with an endearing delivery, Farsad works the crowd with topics like global politics, gender inequality, and how to say “condom” in Farsi.

Megan Neuringer: She’s worked on Flight of the Conchords, Fringe, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but her crowning jewel is her Twitter feed. It’s pure gold. Teaser: “i appreciate every heterosexual man at the florence + machine show tonight”

Jo Firestone: She calls herself “Jo Firestone, Goat Woman.” If that isn’t a compelling enough case to look up some of her material right now, there’s more. At the most recent New York Comedy Festival, she started her set by playing a game with the audience called “I Have Been There.” She named things she did that made her feel uncomfortable and unsurprisingly, the crowd was hesitant to chime in. Nevertheless, Firestone was hilarious and completely transparent. Teaser: “You’ve taken an entire burrito to bed with you and ate it like a goddamn farm animal.”

Phoebe Robinson: Her blog is called “Blaria”. Black + Daria, otherwise interpreted as the identity and experiences of a black woman + deadpan wit and perfectly sharp deliveries, which aptly describes Robinson’s unique comedic style.