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Pat Harrison (born 1935) and
Robin Tyler Robin Tyler (born Arlene Chernick, April 8, 1942) is the first lesbian or gay comic to come out on national television, a feminist and pioneer in the grassroots struggle for LGBTQ civil rights and marriage equality in the U.S., and a producer. S ...
(born April 8, 1942) were a feminist comedy duo, noted as the first lesbian, feminist comedy act. They came together during the 1970s, performing in small venues like colleges and using comedy as a tool to make fun of a system that oppresses lesbians, women, and members of the LGBT community. In 1970–1971 the comedy duo performed at
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
where they met Maxine Feldman. Feldman joined Harrison and Tyler on their national tour, performing at colleges across the country and at a women's penitentiary, the California Institute for Women. Harrison and Tyler continued to tour college campuses throughout the U.S. for several years, bringing their particular brand of pointed, insightful, and decidedly gay, humor to students, while actively pushing for equal rights for women and LGBTQ people. In October of 1975 the comedy team was met with protestors when they performed at one of
California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...
's first
Gay Pride In the context of LGBTQ culture, pride (also known as LGBTQ pride, LGBTQIA pride, LGBT pride, queer pride, gay pride, or gay and lesbian pride) is the promotion of the rights, self-affirmation, dignity, Social equality, equality, and increas ...
celebrations. Tyler, in her persona as "Reverend Ripoff," delivered a scathing critique of rape culture, which was met by picketers carrying signs like, "Don't be a freak--be a normal Christian." This was the first national college tour of a lesbian comedy team. They soon moved to even bigger opportunities with the
American Broadcasting Company The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American Commercial broadcasting, commercial broadcast Television broadcaster, television and radio Radio network, network that serves as the flagship property of the Disney Entertainment division ...
signing Harrison and Tyler to create a variety show. Unfortunately, they did not get picked up. The duo then began to make appearances on the Krofft Comedy Hour and at many feminist and gay rights demonstrations. During one demonstration, they asked for more athletic scholarships for women after running onto the field at a Raiders versus Rams football game. In 1972, Harrison and Tyler produced Maxine Feldman’s “Angry Atthis” and began to produce their own comedy albums, ''Try It, You'll Like It'' (1972) and ''Wonder Women'' (1973). In a 2022 article about the early days of women in comedy, Tyler explained the humor she and Harrison deployed. “Humour is the most aggressive medium there is,” she said, “The only way women were allowed to be aggressive is when they turned it on themselves. So you have
Phyllis Diller Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, Actor, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her Eccentricity (behavior), eccentric stage persona, Self-deprecation, se ...
and
Joan Rivers Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedienne, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that w ...
with, ‘I’m not pretty enough’” ..“because that’s what they had to do to make a living.” Harrison and Tyler very effectively used this tactic to their advantage, as they were able to flip it around on their audience, revealing the misogyny which was embedded in much of the comedy scene at that time. When in 1977 Tyler and Harrison took on anti-gay crusader
Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (March 25, 1940 – December 16, 2024) was an American singer and anti-gay rights activist. She had three top 20 hits in the United States in the early 1960s. She was the 1958 Miss Oklahoma beauty pageant winner, and a brand ...
as part of their television act, Tyler humorously remarked, “I don’t mind them being born again, but do they have to come back as themselves?” ABC promptly canceled their television deal. Tyler and Harrison broke up as a comedy act, though not as a couple, in 1978.
Robin Tyler Robin Tyler (born Arlene Chernick, April 8, 1942) is the first lesbian or gay comic to come out on national television, a feminist and pioneer in the grassroots struggle for LGBTQ civil rights and marriage equality in the U.S., and a producer. S ...
went on to become the first out lesbian comic and a prominent leader in the movement for marriage equality and LGBTQIA+ rights.


Works

* ''Try It, You'll Like It'' (1972) * ''Wonder Women'' (1973).


References

American comedy duos American stand-up comedians American feminists Feminist comedians Lesbian feminists Lesbian comedians Living people 1935 births 1942 births Place of birth missing (living people) {{US-comedian-stub