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Podcasts Take Two
Funny sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux of 'Bob's Burgers' on female comedy duos
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Sep 1, 2015
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Funny sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux of 'Bob's Burgers' on female comedy duos
The Molyneuxs, writers for Fox's "Bob's Burgers," say female comedy duos are more successful lately because they avoid the debate over comedy and gender.
Sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux write for the Fox show, "Bob's Burgers." While their experience helps them understand the characters Louise (L) and Tina, they say great writers should be able to come up with great dialogue for everyone.
Sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux write for the Fox show, "Bob's Burgers." While their experience helps them understand the characters Louise (L) and Tina, they say great writers should be able to come up with great dialogue for everyone.
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Fox
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The Molyneuxs, writers for Fox's "Bob's Burgers," say female comedy duos are more successful lately because they avoid the debate over comedy and gender.

Jennifer Lawrence and Amy Schumer have teamed up to write a comedy screenplay about two sisters.

But funny sisters Wendy and Lizzie Molyneux, writers for Fox's "Bob's Burgers," have no advice for them.

"The great thing about both of them," says Wendy, "is they just don't apologize."

The Molyneux sisters write for "Bob's Burgers," a show where sisters Tina and Louise have their own sibling bond that gets them into misadventures.

The history of comedy is filled with many duos, but most are men: Laurel and Hardy, The Smothers Brothers, Cheech and Chong.

Only more recently have female pairs, like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, made waves.

The Molyneux sisters say part of that success – and their own – is because they avoid the debate about whether women are funny.

"They're not even entering into the discussion of, 'Are we as good as the guys?' Well, yes!" says Wendy.

The sisters gravitated towards each other early in their writing careers, and working together has become part of their natural rhythm.

"I've always enjoyed writing with a partner," says Lizzie. "For both of us, it's always been easier for us to have someone there to work out issues and jokes."

"We have all the same inside jokes that literally go back 30 years," adds Wendy. "It would be very awkward for Lizzie and I to go back our separate ways!"

They don't see themselves as oddities in comedy, however.

"As more women get into the field, it's just going to naturally evolve," says Wendy.

"There are so many female performers that are duos, too," Lizzie chimes in. "I feel like that will help other women see that it's great to work with someone."

There is more from the Molyneuxs on the way, too. They've been tapped to write for a female "21 Jump Street" by Sony.