Who are some good women comedians?

Answer 1

Ellen DeGeneres
Sarah Silverman
Janeane Garafalo

...and two great comediennes (as opposed to stand up)
Lucille Ball
Carol Burnette

Answer 2

Assuming you mean stand-up comediennes, I would say Ellen DeGeneres is one of the best ever, right up there with Lucille "The First Lady of Comedy" Ball. Kathy Griffin and Janeane Garofalo are both very good current performers, but are better known nowadays for movie and TV performances. I don't know too many of the newest funny females, but I always thought Paula Poundstone and Elayne Boosler were great, and they're still out there.

Going back a ways, Whoopi Goldberg and Lily Tomlin were considered top stand-up comediennes in their prime, and before that the legends were Carol Burnett, Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers (yes, the same one doing those pre-awards show interviews.) Before them -- in Lucille Ball's day -- Gracie Allen was probably another of the best.

More from the Johnny Carson era:
Imogene Coca
Minnie Pearl
Moms Mabley

Note: Back then a comedian had "made it" if they were asked to perform on the Tonight Show. If Johnny actually asked you to sit next to him after your performance, he was giving the signal that you were in the elite ranks, at least in his mind, and his mind was considered extremely important. I believe that criteria still holds true for comics that perform on David Letterman's show or Jay Leno's or Conan O'Brien's. I would imagine Ellen will have that power soon, if she hasn't already been using it.

Other female artists I like that have done stand up include:
Rita Rudner
Sandra Bernhardt
Judy Tenuta

I'm not sure if Bonnie Hunt ever did actual stand-up -- she doesn't seem to be remembered for it -- but she is a great comedic talent. Her contemporaries, Joan Cusak and Gilda Radner were standouts from the improv/sketch/SNL tradition, as were many others that worked their way through Second City.

Finally, after looking through various sites for lists of top comediennes, I find it hard to believe there are no mentions of Anne Meara. She and her husband Jerry made up the brilliant comedy team Stiller and Meara who performed often on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the other hallmark of 1960's TV entertainment stardom, the Ed Sullivan Show. These days her biggest claim to fame however is that she and Jerry are the proud parents of one of Hollywood's best current comedic actors, Ben Stiller. Thank god Wikipedia at least recognized her worth.

Answer 3

Rita Rudner, Ellen Degeneres, Sarah Silverman, Lucille Ball, Rosie O'donnell, Roseanne Barr, Brett Butler, Paula Poundstone, almost any SNL alum

Answer 4

Sarah Silverman, Lisa Lampeneli

Answer 5

Tina Fey
Sarah Silverman
Ellen Degeners
Rosanne Barr

Answer 6

I seem to like the Grand Old Dames of comedy.
Joan Rivers and Carol Burnett are both hysterical, and Shirley Maclean (though strictly speaking she is not a comedienne) is a very funny woman.
A little younger, Whoopi Goldberg also rates a mention.

Answer 7

Carol Burnett, Roseann Barr,

Answer 8

Lisa Lampenelli

Answer 9

Sheryl Underwood and Elaine Boosler

Answer 10

Lisa Lampanelli, Sarah Silverman, Wanda Sykes (sometimes), Ellen...

Lampanelli is pretty raunchy though. It isn't for the faint of heart.