Michelle Buteau is glad she was pitted against women comics
Michelle Buteau is glad she was pitted against other women comics early in her stand-up career because it hardened her resolve to build unity instead of rivalry once she had her own platform. On the Nice Talk podcast, she recalled hosts treating every female act as a token difference of opinion on bills where only one woman could fit. That crabs-in-a-barrel culture, she said, is exactly what she refuses to repeat now that she runs her own projects.
The Yahoo Entertainment report lands as Buteau's Netflix series Survival of the Thickest returns for its third and final season on July 2. It also follows the first trailer for her ensemble comedy Spa Weekend.
Key Takeaways
- Buteau told Nice Talk that male hosts routinely hyped female comics as opinionated outsiders, reinforcing a one-woman-per-show limit.
- She credits that environment with motivating her pledge: when she runs a show, women will stand together regardless of shape or size.
- Today she backs that mission through Survival of the Thickest, the Netflix series she co-created and stars in.
- She next appears alongside Anna Faris, Isla Fisher, and Leslie Mann in Spa Weekend, due in theaters August 21.
What Did Michelle Buteau Say About Women in Comedy?
Speaking on the latest episode of the Nice Talk podcast, Michelle Buteau described a pattern she noticed before she ever grabbed a mic. Every time a female comedian was booked, a male host would announce a switch-it-up moment to get a difference of opinion, as if the audience needed warning that a woman was about to perform.
Buteau eventually became one of those comics herself after coworkers at her TV news editing job insisted she was hilarious and should try stand-up. The minute she held the microphone, she said, it felt like freedom — and she found a voice as an advocate for herself and others.
Why Is She Glad She Faced That Rivalry?
Buteau said there was always weird competition among women on the circuit, with the unspoken rule that only one of you could make it. She called it crabs in a barrel bullshit and said she is allergic to it — yet she is glad it happened.
The experience became a blueprint. She told herself that the minute she got her own comedy or TV show, women would not be pitted against each other. We are going to be stronger together, no matter what shape or size, she said. Fucking unity. Get the fuck out of here with anything else.
How Is She Putting That Mission Into Practice?
Today, Buteau provides jobs and support for others in the entertainment industry through her Netflix series Survival of the Thickest, based on her 2020 book of the same name. She stars in the show and serves as co-creator. Its third and final season premieres July 2.
For more from Buteau, including a life-changing trip she booked for a milestone birthday, listeners can catch the full Nice Talk episode wherever podcasts are available. Read the original reporting at Yahoo Entertainment, and follow more celebrity breaking news as the summer lineup heats up.
What Is Spa Weekend and When Does It Open?
While Buteau reflects on her early days, she is also promoting a new ensemble comedy. GeekTyrant reports that the first trailer has dropped for Spa Weekend, starring Leslie Mann, Michelle Buteau, Anna Faris, and Isla Fisher as lifelong friends Jane, Coco, Sophie, and Mel.
Written and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore — the team behind Bad Moms and The Hangover — the comedy follows four burned-out women who escape to a luxury spa retreat. Relaxation quickly gives way to chaos, outrageous behavior, and a lot of really bad decisions. Spa Weekend opens exclusively in theaters on August 21.