I tend to agree, there is something cringeworthy about women trying to be funny it just doesn't work, I hate women trying to lead films like these too. I think sometimes you get a good female lead co-star that balances well but when they are supposed to be kicking arse in films like sucker punch, salt, tomb raider etc I just can't be bothered as you have to suspend more reality than with male leads.
The keyword here is "try"
A stand up is often trying to be funny, and with women it becomes intolerable.
dont wanna go in to specifics but men don't respond genetically to a women who tries to hard, and tries to be funny in particular. It is traditionally not the womans role to entertain larger crowds by comedy, it's clear. And this is why we cringe. You hear guys say this all the time, "women arent funny".
BUT, other women can find women funny. Really funny.
Women CAN be funny to men though, especially in an interaction between woman and man. But thats a whole other ball game (pun intended). Not just in the stand up/comedy actor situation.
Before anybody jumps my bones, there are exceptions. QI has some good female comedians for example.
