Think of every single female comedian who has made you laugh this past year. According to Forbes, only one of them is doing as well — financially, at least — as the men. Amy Schumer made the magazine's list of highest paid comedians for the second time.
It's hard to believe that we still live in a world where there are firsts for women to obtain. In 2016, Schumer was the first ever woman to be on the list and today, she continues her reign. Despite making $20 million more than she did last year, she actually dropped a spot, coming in at number five. Surrounding her are household names like Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock.
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According to Forbes, their reporters "evaluate touring numbers from Pollstar and perform independent research on outside television and film projects, business ventures and endorsement deals" to create their final list. TV show syndication is likely a huge reason why Seinfeld has topped the list multiple times.
Netflix has actually shifted the way comedians are paid. Many comedians, including Amy Schumer have switched to the streaming service to broadcast their comedy specials. Since it's so convenient for Netflix users, the comedians rake in huge amounts of money. Jim Gaffigan made over one-third of his salary with his Netflix special Cinco.
While the men on the list are funny in their own right, it's shocking to think that women like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler have never been on the list. Ali Wong, Chelsea Handler, and so many more hilarious women deserve to get paid millions of dollars, too.
We should start considering the ways we can support female comedians so that they can experience achievements like this. Watch their TV shows, see their movies, and stream their comedy specials! Encouraging wage equality has never been funnier.
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