When asked where he gets his material, Ackerson said, “I dunno, it just kinda comes to me.”
Photo by Jack Yang
A workspace dispute escalated at a local marketing company when Fred Ackerson claimed “Men are just funnier than women” in reference to co-worker Amy Blanch. Blanch reportedly said a funny comment quietly during a group meeting. Ackerson, who was sitting next to Blanch at the time, “blurted the same joke but in that man way” according to Blanch, resulting in a laugh from the rest of the group.
“I don’t get why everyone is getting so upset about it,” Ackerson told reporters. “When did everyone get so PC? There are some differences between men and women that are just facts. Women are better at cooking. Men are better at politics. Women are better at spending money on useless shit. Men are better at having penises. Women are better at watering plants. Men are better at telling jokes. I’m not making these up! These are just facts!”
Blanch says she was used to this behavior from her male cohorts, stating “I don’t think I’ve gotten credit for a joke in a decade. I used to want a career in comedy. In college, I wrote sketch comedy, I did stand up, and I was the captain of the improv team. Every time I told a joke, though, no one would laugh. Immediately after, some gross man would say my joke again and get a fucking applause break. I don’t know, I guess I’ve just been worn down at this point. Now I just say my little jokes under my breath, and hope whatever man says it doesn’t make it offensive. Better they say my good jokes than one of their originals. At least my jokes aren’t about dicks.”
Blanch’s female co-worker Felicity Harris was unaware of the dispute: “I didn’t know Amy told jokes. I honestly didn’t know any girls in this workplace told jokes. When you’re working harder than everyone else, earning 74 cents to the dollar of your male peers, and constantly dealing with casual office sexual harassment, there’s not much reason for jokes” Ackerson has a reputation around his office for talking over his coworkers. In one reported incident, a black co-worker was trying to define “microaggressions” to the group. Ackerson interrupted the definition, claiming “as a white person, I can explain it more impartially.”
Ackerson wants to push his “knack for comedy” further. He was scheduled to appear at a local open mic this Saturday, but had to cancel after Blanch refused to write his set for him.
Beans Cox is a crystal carrying, palm/tarot reading, vegan hipster who is obviously from Portland, Oregon. Her favorite type of bean is pinto.