Why Michelle Buteau Is Glad She Was Pitted Against Other Women Comics
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When Michelle Buteau started going to comedy shows, she noticed a familiar pattern from the hosts.
“Every time there was a female comedian, it’d always be a male host being like, ‘Alright, everyone, we’re gonna switch it up, get a difference of opinion.’ They’d have to announce that a female’s coming to, like, get everybody ready,” she recalls on the latest episode of the “Nice Talk” podcast.
Soon, Buteau became one of those women comedians herself, after coworkers at her TV news editing job insisted she was hilarious and should give standup a shot.
“There’s always this thing, like, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?'” Buteau says. “The minute I grabbed that mic, it was like, Oh, this is what I want to do when I grow up … It was just fun and freeing. I felt like I was flying safely. And then I ended up finding my voice and becoming an advocate for not just other people, but for myself.”
Becoming an advocate for others—particularly women in comedy—was something Buteau decided she wanted to do long before she actually had the power to do it.
“There was always, like, this weird competition or something,” Buteau says of herself and other women comics when she was coming up. “‘There’s only space for one of you guys.’ Like, this crabs in a barrel bullshit, which I’m so allergic to. And I’m glad it happened to me, because I say to myself, ‘The minute I get my own comedy show or my own TV show, we’re not gonna be pitted against each other. We’re gonna be stronger together, no matter what shape or size, stronger together. Fucking unity. Get the fuck out of here with anything else.'”
Today, Buteau is able to provide jobs and support others in the entertainment industry through her Netflix series Survival of the Thickest. (The third and final season premieres July 2.) The show, which is based on her 2020 book of the same name, stars Buteau, who is also its co-creator. Its third and final season premieres July 2.
Buteau has high hopes for what people around the world take from the show.
“I want, at the end of the day, my kids to watch it and be like, ‘Damn, my mama did that shit.’ I want that queer Kenyan teenager to be like, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to watch this again.’ I want that plus-size Italian baddie to be like, ‘Wow, I’m gonna cut this T-shirt and wrap it up and have my belly out,’ you know? I want that Brazilian person to be like, ‘I should leave this person, because they’re not good for me anymore,'” she says. “I want people to be motivated to do something for themselves, but also just fucking laugh.”
For more from Buteau—including the life-changing trip she booked for a milestone birthday—check out this week’s installment of “Nice Talk.” The episode is available everywhere you listen to podcasts.
Fox News delivers a concise wrap-up of July 4th headlines, starting with President Trump’s scheduled NATO summit in Turkey and a forthcoming meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu. Pope Leo accepts the Liberty Medal for religious freedom, while NYC Mayor’s wife draws criticism for attending an Islamic retreat instead of the America 250 celebration. The segment concludes with Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo winning their respective hot dog eating contests.
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Rama Duwaji, wife of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, faced criticism over the Fourth of July weekend after she reportedly traveled to Mallorca, Spain, for an Islamic “spiritual wellness” retreat while New York and the rest of the nation celebrated America’s 250th anniversary.
The New York Post reported that Duwaji was seen Monday at Newark International Airport before boarding a flight to Palma and heading to a sold-out retreat run by The Women Sanctuary.
“Nothing says ‘America 250’ quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation, but I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident,” Councilwoman Joann Ariola, R-Queens, told The Post.
The New York Post reported that Rama Duwaji was seen Monday at Newark International Airport before boarding a flight to Palma and heading to a sold-out retreat run by The Women Sanctuary.(Getty Images)
Councilman Frank Morano, R-Staten Island, also criticized Duwaji’s absence during the semi-quincentennial celebration, saying officials’ family members can take trips but should recognize the importance of the milestone.
“It’s disappointing that the First Lady chose to be overseas instead of taking part in one of the biggest civic events our city and country will mark this year,” Morano told The Post.
Morano said the issue was not whether Duwaji was allowed to travel, but whether she should have appeared at events in the city during the 250th anniversary.
“No one is saying elected officials and their families can’t take vacations, but this was a moment to show up for the city and for the country, and she missed it,” Morano said.
Republican council members claim the Duwaji’s absence from the semiquincentennial was a missed opportunity for the city.(Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment, but did not immediately hear a response.
Mamdani’s office told The Post that Duwaji was not accompanied by officers assigned to the couple’s taxpayer-funded NYPD detail.
Conservative commentator Arynne Wexler posted photos of Duwaji at a United Airlines gate and criticized the timing of the trip.
“Funny how when @ZohranKMamdani was telling New Yorkers to lower their AC his wife Rama Duwaji was boarding a flight to party in Mallorca,” Wexler said on X, according to The Post.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivers a speech to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States of America at City Hall in New York, July 3, 2026.(Anna Connors/Pool via Reuters)
The Women Sanctuary’s website lists the event, “Plants Of The Quran | 6th Edition,” as a sold-out retreat, among other sold-out events. A separate retreat page describes the Mallorca program as centered on plants mentioned in the Quran, including olives, pomegranates, dates and figs, with workshops, meals and spiritual reflection.
Mamdani remained in New York City during a heat wave and the city’s America 250 events. His office said July 1 that the city was expanding cooling centers, extending pool hours and asking businesses and New Yorkers to set thermostats to 78 degrees during peak demand.
CJ Womack is an associate editor at Fox News.
CJ joined Fox News Digital’s team in 2026, which highlights the vital role journalism plays in shaping politics and culture. He has years of experience analyzing and reporting on the news media.
CJ graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism.
T20 World Cup: England show plenty of positives but margin of Australia defeat a concern
But all is not rosy and the pain of defeat was evident when Edwards spoke post-match.
After a run of five single-figure scores in seven matches at this World Cup, the time has come for England to find a successor to wicketkeeper Amy Jones.
The 33-year-old’s glovework has rarely been in doubt but she has two centuries in 260 matches and was unable to deliver in a free role at the top of the order here.
Pressure on her place would have come sooner but for a scarcity of options, with Surrey’s Kira Chathli, 26, or Lancashire’s Ellie Threlkeld, 27, the next in line without building a compelling case.
The bold move would be to invest in Capsey, who was England’s back-up keeper here and is highly regarded for her skills but has not kept regularly since Under-17 cricket.
That would allow the immensely talented Davina Perrin to come in as opener alongside Danni Wyatt-Hodge – this tournament’s leading run-scorer aged 35.
Eighteen-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman, part of this squad but not picked, should now also be given a run.
By reaching this final England repositioned themselves as the second best team in the world behind Australia. That was once a given but was no longer the case after three underwhelming World Cups since their previous final in 2022.
Rather ominously, in her news conference, Australia captain Sophie Molineux said her side has not “reached any ceiling”.
Praised for being a “people person” by all-rounder Ellyse Perry and, shown by her lycra-wearing aerobics instructor alter-ego, external, more relaxed than her predecessors Meg Lanning or Alyssa Healy, it may be that Molineux is the perfect captain for this experienced group in green and gold.
If so, that would add even more difficulty to the challenge awaiting Edwards.
She has also dragged England back into the conversation at these world events.
England’s coach has many of the components needed but her third challenge, catching and overhauling Australia by next summer, is the most difficult of all.
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