But the joke wasn't that they were men dressed as women. Typically they played it completely straight. The joke was the character they were portraying, a type o

But the joke wasn't that they were men dressed as women. Typically they played it completely straight. The joke was the character they were portraying, a type of character that was often a man or a woman. When femininity was an important part of the sketch, they often had Carol Cleveland or other women play the role. If you don't find it funny that's fine.