Brat summer might be over but most of us can probably agree that being a girl is so confusing sometimes, right? So, with this listicle, we're tapping into the feminine psyche and girl-specific humor. And what's a better way to do that than showcase some memes?
These are from the Facebook page named Girl Banter. And yes, they are about the ways girls talk to each other, and even to themselves sometimes. Women might find many of these relatable. And men might get some insights into the feminine mystique through the lens of British humour. So, scroll away!
Bored Panda got in touch with the creator of the page. They kindly agreed to take us behind the scenes of curating Girls Banter. Read our short chat below!
#1
Image credits: girlsbanter
"My friend helped me open this page in 2019," the owner of Girls Banter told Bored Panda in a DM. "I just wanted to make people laugh with memes and other funny stuff. My friend has since passed away and I miss her dearly," the creator shares. "I carried my page all through lockdown which helped cheer [up] myself, my family and friends and lots of followers."
The owner of the page says that Girls Banter experienced a boom in followers this July. Before, the follower count for the page was 108k, and about six weeks ago it suddenly went up. "Over an eight day period I gained 93k followers, so my followers stand at over 201k," the creator gushes.
"They are all amazing we have such a good laugh. I have so much respect for all my followers and I appreciate them so much because. If I can make one person smile and laugh my work is done. But I'm managing to do that for over 201k of them. It's also down to the memes; I make some and others I share. I enjoy making people laugh," the creator concludes.
#2
Image credits: girlsbanter
#3
Image credits: girlsbanter
What does it even mean to be a woman? Having or lacking certain body parts? Having specific personality traits? There were 7.95 billion people in the world in 2022 and 3.95 of them were women. Each is vastly different from the last, especially in their sense of humor.
In 2019, Teen Vogue asked 17 women what being a woman means to them. Every lady had something different to say. To one, being a woman meant "being gentle while still being firm." Another said: "Being a woman means I can be anything and everything I want to be."
A lady from New York shared: "I believe being a woman means knowing you are not alone; that all around the world, woman are, have and will rise above any definition, using knowledge, strength, confidence, and passion."
#4
Image credits: girlsbanter
#5
Image credits: girlsbanter
#6
Image credits: girlsbanter
When it comes to things people find funny, is there a difference between men and women? Is there anything that makes women's humor unique? Apparently, men and women generally can find different things funny. A 1991 study found that men are more into slapstick, active humor and hostile jokes. Women, in turn, preferred self-deprecating humor and sharing funny jokes.
A study in 2023 also sought to understand whether men and women have different humor preferences. The researchers didn't find any major differences, but the men did like situational and visual jokes over the rest. Women, in turn, preferred jokes about domestic situations and political commentary.
#7
Image credits: girlsbanter
#8
Image credits: girlsbanter
#9
Image credits: girlsbanter
A 2005 study also found that gender affects how a person perceives humor. Psychiatrist Allan Reiss from Stanford University led the research and found that women's brains responded to funny stimuli more than men's. They showed a set of cartoons to each participant, and when women got the joke's punchline, they were more pleased about it than men.
#10
Image credits: girlsbanter
#11
Image credits: girlsbanter
#12
Image credits: girlsbanter
Yet the roles reversed when they were in each other's company. When women are in the presence of men, they tend to tone down the self-deprecation and joke by teasing them. Men, on the other hand, tease and try to one-up each other more when they're by themselves. When they're in the company of women, they turn the jokes and teasing on themselves.
#13
Image credits: girlsbanter
#14
Image credits: girlsbanter
#15
Image credits: girlsbanter
When women are looking for a partner, they don't particularly like dirty jokes. One study compared how women perceive men's dating profiles with crude jokes and without them. Those who wanted a long-term relationship rated higher those men who didn't use dirty jokes in their profile. Those who had more relaxed attitudes toward casual sex, however, preferred the crude jokesters.
#16
Image credits: girlsbanter
#17
Image credits: girlsbanter
#18
Image credits: girlsbanter
Interestingly, humor plays an important role in attraction and flirting. Numerous studies have found that women prefer a partner with a good sense of humor or who can make them laugh. Evolutionary psychologists say that's because humor means intellect and strong genes. And women, who are more selective because of the burdens of pregnancy, view being funny as a genetic benefit.
#19
Image credits: girlsbanter
#20
Image credits: girlsbanter
#21
Image credits: girlsbanter
Men, on the other hand, are not so bummed if their significant other doesn't have a great sense of humor. In one study, guys said they preferred someone "who laughs at their jokes" over someone who's funny. Moreover, men find women more attractive when they laugh, because it signals appreciation and interest.
#22
Image credits: girlsbanter
#23
Image credits: girlsbanter
#24
Image credits: girlsbanter
Researchers have also found that women tend to laugh more in general. When women are socializing with other women, they tend to laugh the most. When men are in the company of other men, they laugh only half as often as women. And in a mixed-gender environment, men are usually the humor producers and women are the audience. The class clown theory is real, y'all.
#25
Image credits: girlsbanter
#26
Image credits: girlsbanter
#27
Image credits: girlsbanter
One study set out to find out the truth to the old-age debate: who's funnier, men or women? They asked 3,500 people to rate jokes without knowing the gender of the author. The results were in favor of men: 65% of men were funnier than the average woman.
#28
Image credits: girlsbanter
#29
Image credits: girlsbanter
#30
Image credits: girlsbanter
However, the lead researcher of the study Dr. Gil Greengross told the BBC that this is not innate. He says that the average woman doesn't get the pressure to practice and hone her jokester skills in the same way that a man does, therefore she might not be as good at it. "Over our evolutionary history, men likely had to compete harder with other men to impress women with their sense of humour," he explained.
#31
Image credits: girlsbanter
#32
Image credits: girlsbanter
#33
Image credits: girlsbanter
#34
Image credits: girlsbanter
#35
Image credits: girlsbanter
#36
Image credits: girlsbanter
#37
Image credits: girlsbanter
#38
Image credits: girlsbanter
#39
Image credits: girlsbanter
#40
Image credits: girlsbanter
#41
Image credits: girlsbanter
#42
Image credits: girlsbanter
#43
Image credits: girlsbanter
#44
Image credits: girlsbanter
#45
Image credits: girlsbanter
#46
Image credits: girlsbanter
#47
Image credits: girlsbanter
#48
Image credits: girlsbanter
#49
Image credits: girlsbanter
#50
Image credits: girlsbanter
#51
Image credits: girlsbanter
#52
Image credits: girlsbanter
#53
Image credits: girlsbanter
#54
Image credits: girlsbanter
#55
Image credits: girlsbanter
#56
Image credits: girlsbanter
#57
Image credits: girlsbanter
#58
Image credits: girlsbanter
#59
Image credits: girlsbanter
#60
Image credits: girlsbanter
#61
Image credits: girlsbanter
#62
Image credits: girlsbanter
#63
Image credits: girlsbanter
#64
Image credits: girlsbanter
#65
Image credits: girlsbanter
#66
Image credits: girlsbanter
#67
Image credits: girlsbanter
#68
Image credits: girlsbanter
#69
Image credits: girlsbanter
#70
Image credits: girlsbanter
#71
Image credits: girlsbanter
#72
Image credits: girlsbanter
#73
Image credits: girlsbanter
#74
Image credits: girlsbanter
#75
Image credits: girlsbanter
#76
Image credits: girlsbanter
#77
Image credits: girlsbanter
#78
Image credits: girlsbanter
#79
Image credits: girlsbanter
