That women love to laugh has always been known; that they know how to make others laugh, on the other hand, is a taboo that has only recently been broken. In the past, women’s comedy largely unfolded in the private sphere; in recent years, however—thanks in part to the success of stand-up comedy—more and more female comedians have stepped into the spotlight, making their voices heard in a field long dominated by men. Among them is Luisa Merloni who, fully aware of this historical moment, asks herself in these pages how one should position oneself as a new comic subject. After a long and rich theatrical career that led her to become the author of her own material, she realizes that it is not enough simply to be admitted into a system governed by rules set by someone else: women’s comedy should change those rules. To gain this awareness and find the necessary courage, feminist texts prove to be an indispensable tool. First, however, one must overcome the very stereotype of the feminist—the slightly shabby woman, still dressed like it’s the Seventies, always angry, with hairy armpits. Can you see her? Good—because she, too, can become a perfect comic mask. The encounter between comedy and feminism sparks fireworks that spare no one. In this brilliant little book, packed with ideas, jokes, hilarious anecdotes, and philosophical reflections, Luisa Merloni starts from these premises and from her own lived experience to explain, with great clarity and effectiveness, the mechanisms of comedy. By way of example, she frequently recalls masters and mistresses of the Italian comic tradition—Franca Valeri, Totò, Monica Vitti, and Massimo Troisi, to name just the most prominent (in order of appearance). She also tackles some of today’s most sensitive issues, such as the vexed question of political correctness. The result is a poetic, militant, and thoroughly enjoyable essay—tight as a theatrical monologue—that, while offering valuable advice to anyone who wants to make people laugh, also sketches out a more open and feminist idea of society.