When the late, great, Les Dawson was one of the kings of stand-up in the 1970s and 80s, he was known for his mother-in-law and wife jokes. The jokes touched on the surreal: "I knew the wife's mother was in becuase the mice were throwing themselves on the traps!" But there was always the context in which they were told. His comic persona was of a hangdog, beaten-down man who had never had a bit of good luck all his life. He had married a woman who had turned into a battleaxe and whose mother was a nightmare. He never disparaged any other woman - this was his own nightmare, his own fault and he had to put up with it. You laughed because whatever gripes you might have about the women in your life, at least you were better off than him!

Peter Kays' humour is different. His jokes centre around what people actually do and say. Things that are only bizarre and funny when looked at from the outside. So when he talks about the 'mother' at the big family Christmas lunch, who never actually sits down and eats anything, or more than a mouthful, we all recognise it. More, we all decide to help out a bit more next Christmas, and most of us do!

In other words, it is possible to be funny about women - because women are human and have their foibles, as we all do - without being misogynistic.