'Minions' Are All Male, But They Shouldn't Be

If you're a fan of Despicable Me its adorable Minion characters, then chances are you've noticed something about the creatures: All of the Minions are male. This didn't escape the notice of Minions co-director Pierre Coffin, who justified the decision by telling The Wrap, "Seeing how dumb and stupid they often are, I just couldn’t imagine Minions being girls." Naturally, the internet had a lot to say regarding his response.

Buzzfeed gathered up reactions, which included people pointing out that "Girls can only ever be portrayed as badass/heroic/sexually appealing, and the film industry would rather exclude the gender altogether than make them clumsy silly and generally unattractive?"

Another Tumblr user wrote, "that minions not being female post is actually really really stupid because it just implies that minions creator guy is too close minded to make a fun/silly female character."

What Coffin might have intended as a compliment is not flattery at all. History proves again and again that women are more than capable of handling the slapstick humor associated with the Minions. Females continue to contribute to the genre, despite the clear gender biases against them. In hopes that in the future, Minions get some female representation, here are seven women who are comic geniuses — and who were able to look flawlessly silly and expertly clueless doing it:

Lucille Ball

There's no doubt that Lucille Ball is a comedy icon. This famous chocolate scene is just one reason why.

Melissa McCarthy

From Bridesmaids to Spy, Melissa McCarthy is a scene-stealer, thanks to her comedic timing.

Betty White

Whether she's starring in Hot in Cleveland or making a talk show appearance, Betty White's sense of humor is timeless.

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus might be the dark horse on this list, but watch any episode of Hannah Montana and you'll see her comedic genius at work.

Mindy Kaling

From Twitter to her books to her eponymous TV show, Mindy Kaling's comedy is so great because it speaks to all of us.

Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler comedic genius is what kept fans loyal to Parks and Recreation for so many years. Who else could make Leslie Knope so ridiculously charming?

Tina Fey

This list wouldn't be complete without Poehler's partner-in-crime, Tina Fey. Fey is the force behind arguably one of the greatest TV shows of all time — and it's all thanks to her comedic talent.

These characters were often clueless and sometimes bumbling, but were they just as funny as their male counterparts? Hell yeah, and then some.

Images: Universal Pictures (screenshot); Giphy (7)