Laugh Riot Grrrl

Laugh Riot Grrrl is a feminist comedy and political online magazine inspired by the homemade zines of the punk rock feminist movement, Riot Grrrl. For Laugh Riot Grrrl Comedy Festival in Los Angeles info, visit www.laughriotgrrrl.com Follow us on Twitter @laughriotgrrrls Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/laughriotgrrrl Are you a riot grrrl or boy and want to share your experiences, art work or write about a comedy, political, civil rights or feminist issue? Contact us at [email protected]

[laughriotgrrrl]

White Women, We Need To Talk By Bobbie Oliver

White Women, we need to talk. For the past year or two, we have taken men to task for sexual assault and harassment. While it’s only a beginning, it’s definitely a good start. But, I say time is now up for white women, as well. 53% of us voted for a man who calls women dogs and pigs and worse. A man who not only has been publicly accused of assault and harassment by many women, but admitted that women can’t stop famous men from grabbing us by the pussy. A man who doesn’t support our reproductive freedom, our body autonomy or our very existence in any capacity except eye candy. And that’s not all.

Have you noticed that most of the viral videos of people calling the police on black and brown people for inane reasons (or no reason at all), are videos of white women? White women yelling at black children for selling water, threatening non-English speakers for talking to each other, calling a well-documented racist and brutal hit squad on black men for having a BBQ, going to a swimming pool or into their own damn houses. Then we go on social media and pretend to not understand why black football players take a knee. We are complicit.

White women have propped up the White Patriarchy for too long. Our complicity has held us all back, kept us all down. Many white women sided with Brett Kavanaugh against our sister Dr. Ford, even when we knew her testimony rang true, as did his furious privilege. I know that they told you that black men will rape you if you don’t stay under the protection of white men. Meanwhile white men rape us. They told you that people of color were violent before they beat us themselves. They tell you that immigrants want to take something away from you. Meanwhile they take our freedom over our own bodies.

They convinced over half of us that the most qualified person to ever run for president in the history of the United States was not to be trusted. Was not likeable enough. Was too emotional and unstable. Meanwhile, we prop us a racist, sexist, unqualified, unintelligent downright nutjob who has undermined our principles and our democracy at every turn. We told our daughters that gropping was just boys being boys. We told them that they shouldn’t go anywhere they could be assaulted, fully knowing that we have been assaulted everywhere.

I am calling out white women. The time for complicity in the White Patriarchy is up. You have had two years to see the results of voting for Trump, voting third party in swing states as if math was not a thing or not voting at all. America has been waiting for two years for the chance to bring back checks and balances to our government. Do not bury your head in the sand and think they will not come for you when they are through with everyone else. We are mothers and sisters and daughters and aunts and it’s time we were there for women (especially women of color), for our LGBT brethren and for the weaker and poorer among us. Time is fucking up. We vote on Tuesday. Don’t let us down again.

[laughriotgrrrl]

My Thoughts On Where Comedy Is Going By Bobbie Oliver

Recently someone asked me where I saw stand-up comedy going in the future. I think they wanted a short answer. I wrote an essay. So, I’m sharing it with you.

Technology has opened up comedy to a vast slew of marginalized voices that were previously unheard in the homogeneous pool of comedians of the past. Social media and easy access to recording and publishing devices have given more people the ability to produce their own podcast, web series, video shorts, record their own comedy album, publish their own book, build their own web sites and blogs, etc. In other words, by allowing people to bypass industry gatekeepers, these tools are changing the game. Comics can create their own comedy shows, festivals, organizations, venues. Many of these groups/voices were (and still are) considered fodder for comedy. Now, they are making their own comedy. This shift has led to a national conversation about what and who is and is not considered comedy material. This split is not unlike the main stream comedy club vs alternative comedy venue debate that has been going on for years.

 When I started doing comedy in 1988, the mainstay adage was: PUNCH UP, not down, meaning don't use your comedy powers to go after the underdogs of society, but rather the people, institutions and beliefs that created those underdogs. Or, as Chris Rock says, only go after people who “have it coming.” While many comics maintain this philosophy, a number of comics have used their comedy powers to, some say, bully marginalized voices. Those voices are now talking back. (What do I mean by marginalized voices? For example, the LBGT+ community; people of color; women, especially women of color; sexual assault and domestic violence victims; people with disabilities; people over a certain age; poor communities, etc.). Splinter groups have formed and the arguments and think- pieces run rampant. There are people who would like you to believe that this discourse is being thrust upon comics against their will. In reality, the calls for change are coming from inside the house.

 A prominent argument in this conversation is that comedy is about FREE SPEECH and that audiences have become too sensitive, too easily offended. I totally get that thought process. But, on the other hand... free speech is defined as the government being prohibited from arresting or detaining someone based on something they said (short of shouting "fire" in a crowded movie theatre). Last time I checked, no one is arresting comics for anything they say. No one is even telling comics they can’t say anything (except Louis CK, who needs to shut the fuck up). Also, support for comics accused (and many admitted) of sexual assault/ harassment (sometimes in the workplace) has somehow hitched its wagon to the "people are too easily offended" argument. I didn’t realize jerking off in front of your co-workers was a First Amendment right. Free speech does not allow one to be free from backlash, consequences or hearing other people's opinions. Free speech goes both ways. And, no, I am not referring to heckling. We all agree that heckling should not be allowed in a comedy show. Or at least, I think we all agree on that. Comics taking this hard-line free speech position sometimes go out of their way just to say the most offensive shitty thing they can to appear edgy. Comedy is not a contest to see who can say the shittiest thing. I am not talking about comics like Anthony Jeselnik, who clearly have a method to their madness.  

 As a comic, I was surprised by this argument that audiences don't get to tell you what they do like and don't like, what they think is funny and what they don’t. When I hear people like Jerry Seinfeld complain that audiences are too easily offended, first I think, what the fuck has Seinfeld ever said that was offensive (I mean, besides his off stage remarks about women in comedy not having any more barriers than men)? Then, I saw it as just a comic complaining that they can't keep up with changing demographics and preferences of audiences. Comedy is changing, waaahh!! Besides, lots of audiences do still want to go see comedy that some people consider offensive, or rather some people consider not funny. Comedy has always been subjective. One man's joke attacking homeless people for annoying him is another man's treasure. Especially with the access that people have to comedians today, audiences will find the comics for them and comedians will find their audiences. There is no reason to squash anyone's voice.

 That being said, there is also absolutely no reason why we can't have this national conversation about the state of comedy. Every industry has “best practices.” Every industry does, or should, take a step back every now and then and look at where they have been and where they are headed. The change in audiences’ attitudes is more about the changing demographics of audiences. Used to be, you had to be able to pay to go see live comedy. You had to live in a place that had comedy shows, be able to afford a baby sitter and the cost of the ticket, and have the free time and ability to get to a comedy show. So, comedy audiences tended to be more people of privilege (or at least resources) and the jokes were only heard by the people in that room (fewer people and limited demographic to feel like they are the butt of a joke) or by people who bought a particular comedy album because they were a fan of that comic or watched a TV show they could easily turn off (but was also censored). Gatekeepers in the entertainment industry tended to be straight white males (and still are) who let performers through the gate that they found funny and fit their views of life. Also, our experiences as comics were limited to the people we knew or had been around in our lives or read about.

 With the invention of the Internet, audiences widened to include the whole world. You may have never met a trans person or known a person with disabilities; you may have not spent much time around people of color; you think you don’t know any rape victims (you do). But, no one with social media can claim that those human beings and experiences are unknown to them now. Previously upheld stereotypes and the ability to distance oneself from the experiences of others are dissolving. Not to mention, things like making fun of people for having an accent when the speak English or how “foreigners” look different from you, or how hearing-impaired people may talk, etc is just considered hack lazy comedy now.

 So, where do I think comedy is going? Everywhere. Now everyone has a comic who looks like them and sounds like them and they can relate to or just find funny as hell even if they are completely different because they find their perspective interesting. Audiences have choices. If they don’t like something, instead of abandoning comedy altogether, they can find someone and something they like or they can start doing comedy themselves. I once guest-tweeted for a feminist organization that brought in women from different careers to discuss their fields with the group’s followers. I got an overwhelming number of tweets from women saying they stopped going to comedy clubs because of rape jokes. I was shocked at how many women just abandoned their love of live comedy because of this. Cue the “well if you don’t like what comedians are saying, don’t go to comedy clubs” argument. They don’t anymore. You can say whatever you want. But, audiences don’t have to sit there and take it. You may agree or disagree, but the fact remains that comedy clubs lost revenue and comedians lost fans. I can and have written long diatribes about the difference between a pro-rape victim blaming joke and a rape culture joke, but that is for another day. Suffice it to say that no one is taking your right to free speech from you. If you don’t want a reaction to what you are saying, go do comedy alone in a dark room. But, as long as you do comedy for and in the presence of people, they are going to have a reaction. Welcome to the future.

[laughriotgrrrl]

50 Over 50 By Bobbie Oliver

I don’t know about you, but every time I see one of those Hot 30 Under 30 lists, I think, “Finally young people get a break in the entertainment industry!” I kid. I kid. I love young people! Some of my best friends are young people.

But, I also love a good story told by someone who has been around the block a few times. My husband, Chris Oliver, and I just turned 50 and we’re both comics, so what better a time to put together a Hot 50 over 50 list! After being in comedy for 30 years, I’m learning that ageism is giving sexism a run for its money. This industry tends to want to put its mature voices out to pasture, right at the moment when they have the most to say.

So, here’s a list of 50 Comics, Storytellers and Writers over 50 years old that you should go see live, watch their videos online, read all their stuff, listen to their podcasts, watch their web series, buy their books, albums and general merch. Show your support for some funny, smart and important voices.

Is this list exhaustive? NO. Right after I made it, I thought of 25 other people to add. I forgot a ton of people because I’m 50. And no one looks their age anymore, so if you aren’t on this list, you’re probably pulling it off! Sadly, several people declined to be on this list because they didn’t want anyone to know their age. I respect their wishes. But, hey, audiences and bookers don’t need a list to tell you to support comics, storytellers and writers in the real prime of their lives- with lots of experiences under their belts and plenty of stories to tell. Performers and writers don’t lose their perspective at age 39 or 49 or 59. Think outside the under 40 box.

 In no particular order… 50 Over 50

Carrie Snow

Sally Mullins

Tom Simmons

Chris Oliver

Karen Rontowski

Vance Sanders

Bobbie Oliver

John Fontaine

Kim Diaz

Jennifer Vally

Mary Becquet

Adam Gropman

Susan Saiger

Deon Williams

Tuesday Thomas

Dana Snow

Susan Ware

S. Rachel Lovey

Wendy Liebman

Phil Perrier

Lu Ann Landau

Paul Lander

Joan Fagan

Mark Kushner

Betsy Salkind

Chocolate Storm

Elizabeth Dale

Shirlee Smith

Cathy Ladman

Amanda Cohen

Kymedienne Jackson

Chris Kostolefsky

Dari Mackenzie

Tom Riehl

Joanie Coyote

Amy Stiller

Sal Espana

Alex Stein

Kelly Carlin

Robin Roberts

Kimmie Dee

Elayne Boosler

Shane Rhyne

Cindy Shields

Rosie Martinez

Eric Edwards

David Conolly

Rosalee Mayeux

Sandra Valls

Lizz Winstead

[laughriotgrrrl]

Iliza is wrong. But it’s not her fault (kinda).

By Bobbie Oliver On Twitter: @TheBobbieOliver

Iliza Shlesinger begins her interview in Deadline Hollywood ok, “a big part of my comedy is wanting to speak to women and people that are my age in a funny and relatable way. I think the landscape of what’s available out there for women is not as extensive as it could be.” So far, so good (except the limiting it to people her age). But, then she goes on to say:

“I’m so glad you asked that [the way she portrays female comedy in her new project] because I put in those sketches and no one’s ever asked me about it because I think people were too busy laughing in agreement. As a comedian, I have a set of morals. I have a specific point of view. I think a lot of what I see out there, out in comedy clubs, watching contests, watching TV, watching movies—gathering data from these different matrixes…

When you’re a woman in comedy and you get a break, people get so excited about it, but while we have to work hard to get that attention, I do think many women think, “Oh if I just act like a guy, if I go for that low hanging fruit…” Everything’s about sex, or how weird I am. It all just kind of runs together.

I could walk into The Improv, close my eyes, and I can’t tell one girl’s act apart from another. That’s not saying that 30-something white guys don’t all sound the same sometimes, but I’m banging my head against the wall because women want to be treated as equals, and we want feminism to be a thing, but it’s really difficult when every woman makes the same point about her vagina, over and over. I think I’m the only woman out there that has a joke about World War II in my set. I think shock value works well for women, but beyond that, there’s no substance. I want to see what else there is with such complex, smart creatures.”

I included the quote so no one could say I misrepresented her words. Those were her exact words. Since this was released, Iliza has been bombarded with responses from female comics (myself included) because it turns out people weren’t just “laughing in agreement” and that she did not succeed at talking to women “in a relatable way.” Did Iliza look at those comments, think ‘hmm maybe I am missing something and should listen to these women’s collective experiences?’ Spoiler! Um, no. She doubled down; she attacked; she ranted and raved and blamed women with (since deleted) tweets to the effect of ‘women shouldn’t complain about what I said; women just need to get better; my experience is more valid than yours; I worked TEN WHOLE YEARS and nobody gave anything to me; everyone is just jealous; if it doesn’t fit you, don’t be offended...’

There is SO MUCH to unpack there, and I may be all over the place cause I’m pissed I have to sit down and blog about this shit AGAIN. I just got finished producing the 3rd Annual Laugh Riot Grrrl Festival, which features over 100 female comedians each year in a week’s worth of shows and activities. I was feeling pretty good about the state of women in comedy (rare for me) and thinking we just smashed the Patriarchy, even if it were just a little. And then, I turn on my computer to see yet another dick dissing women in comedy, setting us back instead of propelling us forward- and this time that dick was a fellow female comic. I am angry, yes, but mostly I am disappointed. But, Iliza said this is her experience and we have to take that as gold. Well, here is my experience...

I started doing comedy in college at 19 years old in 1988 (a little longer than TEN WHOLE YEARS). As a elder in the comedy community (I am 49, been doing comedy for 29 years, teaching comedy for 13 years, wrote a critically acclaimed book about comedy, own a comedy school, was on the road for years on the East Coast and moved to LA 20 years ago, etc), I feel like it is my OBLIGATION not only to create as many opportunities for women in comedy as possible (in addition to my women’s comedy fest, I produce women-only open mics, feminist comedy shows, etc), but to elevate other women as often as I can ESPECIALLY IN PUBLIC INTERVIEWS. No, I am not rich or famous. Probably never will be. But, I have made my entire living off comedy most of my adult life and my experience matters, too.

Saying women shouldn’t be offended by her lazy answer in an interview if it doesn’t apply to them is like Trump saying Mexicans are rapists and black people are criminals but don’t be offended if you aren’t those things. Nice try. And women just need to get better?? Seriously? Do you know how tired you sound? How many racists have said, in response to being confronted on lack of diversity in their school, business, organization, ‘black people just need to earn it like the rest of us.’ Yeah, cause Obama was the first black man to ever be qualified to be President? Not even close.

Iliza, your experiences are a lot more limited than you realize. Ten years is nothing in comedy and you know that. It is a well-known adage in comedy that it takes 10 years just to find your voice. Getting to your level of success in 10 years thanks to Last Comic Standing (and yes, I and many female comics voted for you, and don’t regret it) is a fast track to the top, bypassing decades of work that other women have put in. Did you deserve that? Sure, why not? You deserve it as much as anyone. But, don’t pretend it didn’t come fast and relatively easy. Because of that, you haven’t worked in as many low level rooms as most of us, so your experience is limited mostly to comedy clubs. Comedy clubs rarely book women, even more rare to have two or more on a single show. All the years I was on the road, I was only in a comedy condo with another woman TWICE. The comedy clubs that do book women are not booking a representation of the best female comedy. Just like Justin Bieber being mega rich and famous is not a representation of the best in music.  A more accurate comment would have been, ‘I walk into the Improv and they only book a few women and all the same kinds of female comics. Comedy clubs need more diversity.’

Iliza was right when she said that the “landscape of what’s available out there for women is not as extensive as it could be.” Therein lies the problem. But, you don’t begin by basing the state of female comedy on the “handful” of women you see around. For one thing, I know women who have been unbooked from shows with Iliza because her ‘people’ told them she doesn’t like to have too many women on a show (if those emails are false, she should take that up with her people). Also, most headliners, Iliza included (in my experience) don’t stay in the room and watch all the other comics. I am guilty of that, too. It’s easy to roll up in the club right before your set and leave the room right after. I mean, what comedian wants to watch every other comedian? But, that limits your ability to accurately report on the state of comedy. Because I produce so many events for female comics (and have to be in the room), I see hundreds of women perform yearly in open mics, standup shows, festivals, sketch groups, etc. By producing events like my yearly Women in Comedy Roundtable, I get to/choose to listen to women A LOT. Those women are trying to speak now, and we need to listen and really hear them.

Let’s also talk about smart comedy, low hanging fruit and using our comedy powers for good or evil. I have mutiple degrees, am extremely well-read and follow politics very closely. I don’t think I’m unusual. Most comics make it a point to have informed opinions. Iliza boasted that she’s the only female comic with a WWII joke. Well, she’s not. And, even if she were, what the fuck does that matter? I talk about politics, rape culture, feminism, homelessness, as well as marriage, kids, my Trump-supporting  dad, and occasionally, will make a pussy reference if I goddamn feel like it. Men are never policed on their dirty joke subjects, on their ‘bad language’ so I will not be, either. All the hateful rape jokes men tell, and we are worried that a women said, ‘pussy,’ really?? And my pussy does not hang low, thank you very much.

Iilza, like every person you ever hear say women aren’t funny enough, is a victim of the Entertainment Industrial Complex. Art is not TV. If you see a limited number of women and those women all make similar jokes (all jokes that Iliza herself has made), you are not seeing a fair representation of women. You are seeing the ones that made it past the gatekeepers in one way or another. Perhaps they are funny, but perhaps they are also hot, don’t rock the boat, know their place or were in the right place at the right time and got lucky. I have always rocked the boat, never accepted their idea of my place and have never been hot. I do feel lucky because I make a living performing standup and writing jokes for other comics. And I can tell you that I am AMAZED by the state of female comedy. Absolutely flabbergasted at the depth and talent and wit of the incredible women I get to (because I make it a point to) work with weekly. Right after the festival, I was quoted as saying that the only way I was able to get through 14 shows in one week is because every women was not only hilarious, but SO DIFFERENT from each other. My husband, comedian Chris Oliver, said the same. We also book tons of men and, frankly, some of them run together in my mind. Sometimes I can’t remember who made which shitting my pants in traffic joke and which ones told which rape jokes. I mean, let’s face it, MOST COMEDY IS HORRIBLE. It is. It’s painful. But, a lot of those comics get better and wiser and more likeable. Some are given regular spots at the Comedy Store (by some, I mean men, of course) and have an opportunity to grow and reflect and change and improve.

Feminism is already “a thing,” and we are equal, no matter who acknowledges it. As feminists, we need to use our comedy powers for good, to help a sister out. Iliza mentioned hiring women on her show and as openers for her. That’s great. Honestly. It is. Does it make you Feminist of the Year? No. In that major public platform, Iliza was given a chance to be heard by more people than most comics, especially women, ever get. She did not widen the landscape for women, she relied on tired old easily-disproven stereotypes that will not elevate us a profession, but will serve to help keep us as second class citizens in comedy. That statement validated every person who thinks women aren’t funny enough. I mean a famous female comic said it, so it must be true.

There is nothing wrong with misspeaking. We all fuck up. But, after the shock and anger wears off, it’s time to take a real look at our own misconceptions and the role we play in the fight as a whole. And did anyone ever figure out what that “one point” about the vagina is?

[laughriotgrrrl]

Essay on The Red Badge of Courage

by Sydney Keys

The most memorable moment of The Red Badge of Courage for me was a thought Henry had after a battle. “He saw his gaping audience picturing him as the central figure in blazing scenes. And he imagined the consternation and the ejaculations of his mother and the young lady at the seminary as they drank his recitals. Their vague feminine formula for beloved ones doing brave deeds on the field of battle without risk of life would be destroyed” (86). This moment is an interesting discrepancy in Henry’s thought. Throughout the novel, femininity is connected to ideas of naivety and indifference. Where at first this would seem something that Henry would despise, the reader comes to realize that this is comforting to him, as it is for all the soldiers. The early feminine history of the United States can be characterized by the idea of republican motherhood, where a woman came to be valued as a moral highpoint/the moral educator of her sons. First wave feminism was combated by the idea of the cult of domesticity, which was dedicated to keeping the woman confined to the home by saying that that was where her only true value lay. They were never allowed on the battlefront. Each of these ideas perpetuated the existence of men and women in separate spheres. So naturally, anything female is a means of escapism from the ravages of war. They are comforted by the socially promoted gentle femininity of the time, as well as by female indifferent ignorance of war, because that is something they themselves wish to possess once more.

This is where Henry’s attitude about women in relationship to war changes to one of spite. Even though he left of his own accord, he wishes to blame someone for all his trouble. This distant party is the scapegoat he seizes upon. In the beginning of the book, the youth expresses disdain and disappointment for the current state of war. He longs for the glory of valiant sword-fighting, and the associated fussing-over by the women. Throughout the book, women remain a simple object, but where before, they have been a prize or spoil of war, here they are the object upon which he can take out his anger. This moment is remarkable because in its changed treatment of women, it is rather uncharacteristic of him. An important example of the usual distant respite with which Henry commonly associates femininity can be seen during another battle: “[The flag] was a creation of beauty and invulnerability. It was a goddess,  radiant… It was a woman,… that called to him with the voice of his hopes. Because no harm could come to it, he endowed it with power” (105). A woman is welcoming, unknowing, and distant.

Nature is the most notable woman in the novel, the chief qualifier of which being her seeming ignorance and indifference. She is the only female character with whom Henry is consistently angry; she has betrayed him. A woman is idealized as an object for his refuge. But he is only angry with her indifference because he feels helpless and angry in the first place; an angry man will shake his fist at the sun, but a joyful child will happily splash in the rain. This is one of the most notable discrepancies within the youth. What he appreciates in women that he has no interaction with, he despises in the one which he now sees regularly. Perhaps the full separation of spheres can be seen in this fact: very few female characters make an appearance in the novel, and those that do are unsatisfactory.

“ ‘ A dog, a woman, an’ a walnut tree, Th’ more y eh beat ‘em, th’ better they be! That’s like us.’ ‘Lost a piler men, they did. If an ol’ woman swep’ up th’ woods she’d git a dustpanful’ ” (96). Henry’s disconnect about women is not singular. They talk first about beating a woman into submission, and then about having her clean up their mess. Once again, she is merely an object upon which they can dump their problems. This portrayal of women is especially comforting to them now that they have been through so much trauma, and through the efficiency of battle, temporarily had their individuality taken away from them. Thus it reasserts their validity and individual power to do these things to someone else.

Women are loved in this story when they are portrayed simply. They are made easy to control, order, and understand. The social climate of the time dictates that women are relatively frail (in thought and action) yet moral, and confined to the home- completely separate from their male counterparts. Thus they can be made to be (in his eyes) whatever the man wants, a convenient refuge. This idea is notable because it is a fantastic irony common to all the story’s male characters: what war has done to their self-worth, they are incredibly willing to do to ‘their’ women, as an efficient and convenient means of escapism from the efficiency of war. In Henry’s discrepancy about what he wants from women or wants to do to them, he exhibits something not uncommon to the men of his time. That is all ‘the youth’ is, anyway: a man of his time.

[laughriotgrrrl]

The Laugh Riot Grrrl Interview: Jen Kirkman

By Bobbie Oliver On Twitter: @TheBobbieOliver

Bobbie Oliver talks to the hilarious Jen Kirkman about comedy, feminism and role models. Be sure to check out Jen’s new Netflix special I'm Gonna Die Alone and I Feel Fine and follow her on twitter @jenkirkman

Laugh Riot Grrrl: How did you get started in standup?

Jen Kirkman: I think there are many answers to how I got started in stand-up because stand-up is so fluid and goes through so many phases in your life – “your”meaning the stand-up.  I literally first stepped on stage in 1997 doing a booked open mic at the Green Street Grille in Somerville, MA on Eugene Mirman's show.  But, I wasn't paid. I wasn't good, and that sort of unpaid not being good went on for years and years.

But the way I started - and the way most stand-ups start is a very Riot Grrrl…

I got started getting paid in stand-up about 12 years later when just from being around and having not a terrible reputation, I started to open for other comics on the road as their feature (Maria Bamford, Greg Behrendt) and eventually working and appearing on Chelsea Lately brought me my first big truckload of audience members who came to see me at comedy clubs.......and right now because my Netflix special (I'm Gonna Die Alone and I Feel Fine) just came out, I'm starting over in stand-up again. I'm on tour doing new material and people could hate it so that could bring me to getting started again....working in a vintage clothing store.

LRG: Did you always incorporate feminism into your act or did that come later?

JK: When I first started doing stand-up comedy – and I’m talking week one, I used to read from women’s magazines and critique the articles and advertisements.  I didn’t say it was funny.  But, I’m just saying I did it.  As a feisty little girl in the world, I always was a feminist even if I didn’t know the word.  Those bits with the magazines weren’t really ‘my voice’ and I just needed to start doing stand-up with whatever thoughts I had at the time. I don’t think feminism is something that I try to incorporate on purpose for the sake of furthering feminist ideas. I’ve gone through phases in my stand-up where I suppose I’m saying nothing blatantly socio-political or talking about current feminist issues.  But then again, I think just being a woman in a sexist world, using your voice on stage – even simply just to be funny without second guessing if you have the right to is in itself a feminist act.

LRG: What/who influenced you to become a feminist?

JK: I didn’t know what one was really until I was in high school and my feminist ally male friend, Nick, had a really cool mom who would read books with us at the kitchen table.  I learned about women like Gloria Steinem, bell hooks and Alice Walker.  I was proud and excited to say that I was a feminist.  Around that time – Kurt Cobain married Courtney Love and from her I learned about books she was reading – she always mentioned it in interviews, so I picked up some Susan Faludi as well.  What influenced me I think to attempt feminist notions in my stand-up – really clumsy attempts – was reading Roseanne Barr’s biography back in 1995. I loved that she started her stand-up career at a feminist bookstore in the Midwest and her stories were raw and angry about how she had to fight to be heard.  In an odd way I knew that was what I had ahead of me and I couldn’t wait to jump into the fight.

LRG: What do you see as the hurdles/ barriers for women who do comedy?

JK: The same hurdles that exist for women in culture.  Culture is geared towards male interests and boys stories are thought of as “all of our stories” – and women are still seen as something not everyone can relate to. These hurdles aren’t women’s hurdles, but everyone else’s.  We already know we’re equal and have fun, quality entertainment to provide for every gender, but some of the dominant paradigm hasn’t caught up yet.

LRG: What do you think is the best way to improve the comedy culture for women as comics and/or audience members?

JK: I truly don’t know. Again I don’t think it’s on us. Male allies can help a lot. Truly. Men can start by stopping men who host shows from saying, “We have a lady coming to the stage…”  Put more than one woman on every show, even if they aren’t funny, because most comics aren’t funny at first. So let’s have every gender equally suck so that if one woman isn’t funny it doesn’t look like “all women aren’t funny.”

LRG: What do you have to say to people who say that "feminists are killing comedy" and trying to make comedy "too PC"?

JK: I haven’t actually heard anyone say these exact words, but I want to give them a hug. What a sad way to live – imagine being that scared of women.  I hope these people don’t come back as women in another life because they wouldn’t have the strength to walk through the world like we do.

LRG: Who are your favorite comedians and/or non-comedy role models?

My favorite comedians are….  Dave Chapelle. Maria Bamford. Sharon Houston. Allison Castillo. Eddie Pepitone. Paul F. Tompkins. Wyatt Cenac. Greg Proops. David Quirk. Sarah Kendall. James Adomian. Wil Anderson. Chris Rock. Eugene Mirman. Janeane Garafalo. Lizz Winstead. Sarah Silverman. Sarah Colonna. Heather McDonald. April Richardson. Dana Gould. Todd Glass. Marc Maron. Dave Hill. Joan Rivers. Colin Quinn. So many to name….

I don’t have any comedians as role models really because I find enjoying an art form just something that always changes. People I’ve learned values from and enjoy are usually not comics. I tend to not be too obsessed with comedy and comedians. So my role models are Caitlin Moran, Dr. Cornell West, Bernie Sanders, Jack Kornfield, Gloria Steinem, Jeremy Scahill, David Bowie, Bill Cunningham, Anna Wintour, Kanye West and Morrissey.

LRG: Do you feel a responsibility to be a role model for other (female or male) comedians?

JK: I do not. I just feel a responsibility to not treat other comics like shit.

I would add that anyone man or women who isn’t a feminist – IS but they just don’t know it yet.

[laughriotgrrrl]

By Mat Biller On Twitter: @TwitMat78

Not too long ago, America’s bold and bright spotlights were centered on comedian(?) Daniel Tosh. During a stand up performance he found his material about trying to relate to skaters and trust fund babies had dried up, so he did what came natural to him. He decided to engage his audience. “Crowd Work” as it’s referred to in the stand up industry. However what followed next was not the expected “Where are you from” tourist banter. A woman in the audience expressed her discomfort at his casual treatment of rape victims. She was kind and brave enough to inform the performer that she felt rape was no laughing matter. Tosh in a zero to sixty move basically asked those in attendance whom would find it funny if the woman was suddenly and shockingly raped by five strange men.  

The fallout would be devastating. A morality bomb had gone off inside that comedy club without warning. Just as it had for Michael Richards years before when he shared his views on black equality in modern America. The fists of victimized women raised in unison (some comedians, themselves) while male comedians and other talking heads quickly raised a Berlin Wall of free speech arguments. The morning news shows ate it up. Bill Maher opened his mouth but remained firmly on the fence. Late Night smartly didn’t touch it with a ten foot pole and the only one to come out unscathed when the smoke started to slowly clear, was Daniel Tosh.

His television show, Tosh.0 was renewed.

Today all you have to do is enter the right search string on Twitter and you can see the debate between rape culture and modern feminism rages on. Men claim to be victims now. Outraged males rigged the game very early. They fought back too hard against the women who were fighting back. It’s a classic technique. If you have caused a problem, get mad louder and faster then the other party so in the end they take on the fault and the guilt. This is something spouses understand very well.

There is no conversation anymore. It is threat versus rebuttal. The norm generally is when a woman starts to hit close to home regarding the real dark heart of sexual discrimination or harassment, the fearful man fires back with a bon mot like “Yeah…well you should be raped anyway because of your cankles!” Wow. Game-set-match I guess.

Ashes would not be ashes if a phoenix did not slowly rise to reshape what had burned to the ground. We have been given Amy Schumer. Not a moment too soon either. In a few short years, Schumer’s show “Inside Amy Schumer” has done something no other show has in recent memory. It has stolen the keys to the lab, and managed to turn the high powered telescope around and point it directly into the mind and heart of today’s entitled and privileged white male. And believe it or not, it airs on Comedy Central, a network that has choked itself on its own frat boy image while it airs back-to-back commercials for video games and erection aids.

If The Honeymooners made us uncomfortably laugh every time Ralph Cramden threatened to send his wife into orbit with a loving haymaker punch, Amy Schumer stands in front of him with a smirk saying “Try it motherfucker!” The show’s popularity has surged both on streaming media and boosted ratings during network airings.  She now adorns the covers of magazines and billboards. #DraftAmy was probably meant to be a joke, but after America demanded via Twitter that Schumer be cast as the next Bachelorette, nobody was laughing. They were tweeting.

The show is a fierce and funny mishmash of audacious sketches, parody commercials, on the street interviews, and excerpts from Schumer’s own brand of acerbic standup. She’s even managed to invade music videos. Her booty shaking “Milk, Milk, Lemonade” is a direct send up of pimps and ho’s gangster rap with a scatological punchline that will have you sort of hating yourself as you hum the beat all day long.

During one sketch, Schumer sits down with her boyfriend to play a Call of Duty style video game. She quickly assembles a female avatar and sets herself to kick some ass. Instead of racking up kills and unleashing digital hell, she is immediately sexually assaulted by a soldier. Soon several menu prompts are appearing onscreen.

-Do You Wish To Report This Offense To Your Senior Officer?-

“Yes I wish to report it.”

-Are you sure?-

“Yes I’m sure!”

-Did you know he has a family?-

“....No.”

-Does that change your mind about reporting?-

“No!”

The writing and staging of this sketch make it absolutely side splitting when the subject matter is anything but. Actually reading it in text form is somewhat unnerving, yet as many documented cases can attest, this is extremely accurate of what goes on in the darkened barracks of our nation’s military.

Giving her gender an equal shake, Amy Schumer also goes full throttle at the anxiety and insecurity of the modern female. A birthday party goes absolutely off the rails when it becomes a contest to see who got the birthday girl the largest and most effective vibrator. Amy comes up with a volume of excuses so she doesn’t have to run a small 5k fundraising race for a cancer stricken co-worker. In the school of “How To Talk To A Date” a battle arena is erected where women scowl for no reason at the dinner table and their hapless dates have to maneuver these bizarre and dangerous waters.

All of it works. Each new episode finds a YouTube clipped treasure chest of hilarious comedy and biting but fair neofeminism. It has also just been renewed for two more seasons and her first major feature film “Trainwreck,” Directed by Judd Apatow, will be in theaters soon. Amy Schumer is here to stay, kids. Believe me, anyone that purposefully face plants on a red carpet just to make Kanye West and Kim Kardashian look stupid can stay as long as she wants.

[laughriotgrrrl]

Notes on the Comedy Culture War

By Chris Oliver On Twitter:@ChrisWoodOliver

There's a culture war going on in the comedy world, as you know if you follow comedy closely.  On the "left" are comics and fans calling out comics who do racist, misogynist, homophobic, or otherwise cruel jokes.  On the "right" are comics and fans protesting that comedy should have no rules, and that the "left" is advocating censorship when they should be standing up for freedom of speech.  So I want to air out a few ideas and opinions on this situation. As much as possible, I'm going to avoid getting into the weeds of calling shots on any specific incident.  These are just general thoughts on an overall situation.

First, a definition of terms.  I'm going to use the term "shitty comedy" a lot in this.  I don't mean it in the sense of "Collective Soul is a shitty band," but more like "that was a shitty thing to say." So this is my term for the "punching down" style of comedy that has been popular for as long as anyone can remember.  This will be easier than saying "racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. comedy" or "rape jokes," especially since those require even further explanation.  When we talk about "rape jokes," we're not talking about a rape survivor using comedy to process their experience, or a joke that critiques rape culture, we're talking about jokes that are from the point of view of the rapist, that cast the victim as the butt of the joke, that just use "rape" as a punchline, using someone else's trauma to get cheap laughs.  You know, shitty comedy.

And here's the thing that I want people to understand: I don't want to wipe shitty comedy off the face of the earth.  If comics want to tell shitty jokes, and there's an audience that wants to hear them, then they should be able to.  Why not?  What I want is for shitty comedy to no longer be synonymous with comedy.

And to a great extent, it's not.  That's largely why these people are so angry, and that's really what the debate is about.  For years, comedy has been dominated--perhaps "overwhelmed" is a better word--by men. (My instinct is to say "white men," but that's too narrow.  Black and Latino scenes are at least as bad.)  That means that everything is viewed from a male point of view.  And there is a certain school of comedy that can best be described as venting the male id.  And to people who like that sort of comedy, that IS comedy.  That's the whole thing.  And that's the way they want it to stay.

But that's not the way it's staying.  More and more voices are being heard in comedy, both comics and audiences (and audiences most certainly have something to say about what comedy they are willing to watch).

I can't speak for everyone on my side of this culture war, but I feel like few if any people really want to "censor" comedy.   For one thing, I doubt any of us can really agree on what jokes are or aren't OK.  I think, for instance, that Daniel Tosh's audience-interaction-gone-wrong was clearly unacceptable, while Tracy Morgan's violently homophobic rant was (as far as I could discern from the reports) framed in his act as him playing the character of an ignorant person, and thus acceptable.  I know another comic who feels the opposite. How would we even go about censoring?

But even beyond that, even if we wanted to terraform the comedy scene with our Social Justice Warrior values, how would we?  Pitchforks and torches will only go so far.  The truth is, a comic like, say, Hari Kondabolu or Janeane Garofalo is never going to draw the kind of crowds that will come out for, say, Andrew "Dice" Clay or Adam Carolla.  Comics who wring their hands about fear of being shut down for telling an politically incorrect joke are as delusional as the people who think the U.S. government is about to round up Christians and put them in FEMA camps.   Shitty comedy will always be a big money maker, which means that it will always be allowed at comedy clubs.

And even if I could, even if I were the Dictator of Comedy, I WOULDN'T WANT TO.  In fact, I love a lot of comics who do material that I'm not always down with.  Dave Attell, Doug Stanhope, Bill Burr and Anthony Jeselnik are all pretty great comics.  Do I think I can tell them what jokes they should be doing?  The whole idea is absurd.  And even someone like Artie Lange, who is a shitty comic in both senses of the word, apparently has a big audience who loves to listen to his hack bullshit.  By all means, they should be allowed to hear it.  Who am I to stop them?

So what do I want?  Well, first of all, we should be able to talk about it.  So many of these dudes howling about the First Amendment also see comedy as an art, and themselves in a tradition of truth tellers that includes Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Richard Pryor and Bill Hicks.  Satire is a powerful tool against the forces of evil, and they see themselves as the wielders of that tool, and want to be respected for their art.  Until someone points out that a joke is shitty, then "it's just a joke, man, come on."  Can we really have it both ways?  If we expect people to really LISTEN to comedy, can we get mad when people actually do that and don't like what they hear?  Any serious art form is open to critique.  It's not always pleasant, but it's part of the deal.

But beyond that, I'm less interested in "silencing" shitty comedy than I am in amplifying the comedy that I like.  I want to live in a world where shitty comedy is just one voice in a great sea of comic voices.  And like I said, we're already starting to walk into that world.  That's really what the argument is about.

One final thought: so a lot of people say things like "where does it end?"  The idea is that we're entering an era of intense censorship, where nothing that has even a whiff of political incorrectness can be said in public, and it will continue to get worse and worse.  But that's not really how these things work.  Remember Carlin's 7 words that you can NEVER say on TV?  Even if you limit it to prime-time network TV, that list has gotten a lot shorter.  People get less interested in censoring words as time goes on, not more.  But if you want an answer to the question of where does it end, I think I have one.  It ends when comedy is no longer controlled by white dudes.  If you think people are too uptight about racist/sexist/whatever jokes, keep in mind the context.  Maybe hearing "bitch," "nigger" and "faggot" wouldn't be so big a deal if it weren't always coming from white dudes.  And even when it's not a straight cis white dud actually saying it, it's coming out of a scene/institution that is largely controlled by white dudes.  So if you want less outrage, work for social change.  We can all win!

[laughriotgrrrl]

Duck and Cover

By Greg Bach On Twitter: @igregbach   

When Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson spoke last year on the subject of homosexuality, there was an immediate and justifiable backlash. Though I don’t agree with him at all, I believe he has every right to say what he wants. Now he's taken on atheism with macabre imagery and my guess is people will focus on the gory nature of the speech, rather than the fact he has turned people like me into theoretical rapists and killers who have zero regard for the law, operating on a moral compass which is pointed straight to Hell. Is he a crackpot bigot? Yes, but he voices an opinion many share, maybe not in such a graphic manner, but in some form or another.

The background: While giving a speech at a Florida Prayer Breakfast, Mr. Robertson spoke on faith, specifically on those who have none by spinning a yarn about an atheist family being the victim of a break-in. He presents the audience with the visual of the husband bound to a chair, his wife and children raped and ultimately shot to death. And then, like a cherry on top of a blood-covered sundae, the husband is castrated, all while being told by the imaginary criminals that because of the husband’s atheism there is no right and no wrong and the intruders are “just having fun.” Talking Points Memo on their site included a Soundcloud clip of his talk, so nobody could mistake his intentions. You can hear the snickering in the background as he talks about the family.  I have to wonder how many people there were appalled by the tale, how many agreed and how many thought he didn’t go far enough with his story.

So how will the media approach it? My guess, they’ll focus on the violence of his words, because they're awful and disgusting, which makes it salacious and simple to cover. “Why did he have to be so vivid?” “Is he a proper representative of Christianity?” Everyone can get behind violence and religion. Yeah, we might ponder the subject for a moment; MSNBC will embrace us, Fox News will decry us and CNN daytime will fill an hour slot with useless people having an even more useless discussion. This has to happen, it's part of the story. News outlets will refer to his homophobic statements last year. They’ll ignore his ultimate point: people with no belief system have no sense of right or wrong.

It’s easy to utilize images of castration, child rape, and murder to generate a buzz in this clickbait society. What isn't so easy (or sexy) is to take on the topic of atheism, because it incites so much anger and vitriol, based out of ignorance. And it’s this ignorance, which has allowed the media to sweep us under the rug, because we aren’t a group who demands to be heard. Yes there are a few organizations here and there, but overall we don’t march and we don’t scream, because people don’t take us seriously.

We’re viewed as angry, bitter and waiting to be saved. We're misunderstood, hated and feared by so many. We are the children who have a collective chip on our shoulders, teenagers who hate our dad, only this dad happens to be God. I won’t try to compare our struggle to those in countries where atheism can result in death, but in the United States there are no elected officials in the Senate or Congress who openly identify as atheists and no President could ever dare publically say it and there's a reason for this: to proclaim a lack of faith aloud, is a political death sentence. It is my belief that we’ll have a gay president far before we’ll ever have an out atheist in the Oval Office. If you want an example, in 2008 Elizabeth Dole, while running for US Senate in North Carolina tried to ruin her opponent Kay Hagen by spreading a rumor that she was an atheist. This attempt blew up in Mrs. Dole’s face, as Ms. Hagen was not only Christian, but she also taught Sunday school. The backlash was so fierce; it was a major reason why Dole lost the election. In politics you don’t mess with a person’s faith.

I was once a believer. I was born, baptized and raised Catholic. I went to Catholic school for twelve years and served as a youth minister for seven years. Long story short; in 2004 I had a crisis of faith and I began questioned what I believed. I read books on the subject, I spoke to people and I listened to what they had to say. As time went on, I slowly let go of my Catholicism, which for the record was so much harder than when I eventually let go of God all together. But how do you tell people? Though I’m not a huge fan of Richard Dawkins, he says in “The God Delusion” that atheists have their own version of “Coming out” and we expose ourselves to the judgment of others. He’s right, without a doubt. It was hard; some were absolutely accepting, some were concerned, some didn’t care and some just didn’t want to hear it.

I've been told by many to keep my opinions to myself, because it makes individuals uncomfortable, so I traded my ideas for silence, and all because some religious people are absolutely incapable of handling such a simple and possibly enlightening conversation, which makes me doubt their faith entirely. And when I proudly do extol my non-belief, I'm looked at as if there's something wrong with me. Sometimes people say "I'll pray for you" and I find this to be crude and oppressive (Yes, I said oppressive). By saying those words you diminish me; you say what I believe is something which requires some sort of cure from a higher power. If you mean it with a good heart, I get it, but it still hurts and you need to know it, because I don't want the good to be lumped in with those who say it as a joke or with condescension. I know some of you don't like these words, which I understand, but I don't like some of the words hurled at people like myself.

I'm a moral and good person; I think (and hope) you know that. My heart is huge, my love and support for those around me is absolute. My faith is derived from the magnificent works of my fellow human beings and I believe we are capable of so much good, even in the face of what seems to be so much bad. We are all we have and this is the only life we get. I'm not living for an afterlife; I'm living for right now. My moral compass isn't based on the words of deities interpreted by man, words which describe beings in the sky whose moral compasses are just as lacking and awful as the atheists Mr. Robertson created for his speech.

Some of you will sentence me, some of you will make fun of me, some might even unfriend or unfollow me on social media, but I'm tired of holding my tongue to keep from offending others when others have no regard for what offends me. I won't apologize for this post, nor will I compose the requisite "This doesn't apply to everyone" sentence or paragraph. If you can't make the distinction on your own, I can't help you. If you feel judged by my thoughts, that's your problem and if you don't, you get it and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I believe in you, all of you. I just hope you feel the same about me.

[laughriotgrrrl]

The Laugh Riot Grrrl Fest is June1-8 at Tao Comedy Studio!! www.laughriotgrrrl.com  to submit! Just $15!

[laughriotgrrrl]

What Freedom of Speech is Not

By Bobbie Oliver On Twitter: @TheBobbieOliver

There has been a lot of talk lately in comedy about Free Speech. Mostly by

people who don't understand what it is.

Here's how it usually goes:

1. Some asshole delivers a lame unfunny joke or Facebook post or drawing/ pic, etc. that is racist or sexist (often sexist because even most idiots are ashamed of being racist)... or classist or ableist or homophobic/ transphobic... you get the idea.

2. People who recognize the joke is lame, unfunny and, gasp, offensive, say so.

3. Lame idiot screams: "I have the right to free speech!! You aren't allowed to criticize me cuz free speech!! Now shut up and be silent cuz free speech!"

These people understand the first amendment about as well as gun nuts understand the second amendment (um, "well regulated" militia, hello!). So, let's have a little Electric Company style schooling (*speaks in condescending baby talk*):

The first amendment protects you from being jailed for the dumb thing you just said. It does not protect you from criticism. Criticism does not equal censorship. Let me repeat that one cause I know it's hard. Criticism does not equal censorship. An audience not liking your joke (physical audience or online/ on-air audience), a corporation deciding not to do business with you anymore because you said something stupid and they don't want it to be a reflection on them or people commenting on your Facebook post disagreeing with you is not an infringement on your constitutional right to free speech. In addition, they too, have the right to speak their minds. OH MY GOD WHAT?! Yep. It's true. (Free speech should also protect you from terrorists running into your magazine office and shooting your staff. But, then again, France does not have free speech, no matter what we like to tell ourselves). Free speech does not mean I get to say whatever I want and you have to sit there silently and take it.

So, who are these protectors of faux free speech? You can recognize them easily. They are the ones who use terms like "politically correct" because, sigh, no one lets them say nigger anymore :( And who sit around lamenting that feminists are killing comedy. I like to refer to them as Archie Bunkers. They accuse people of whining about political correctness when all they do is whine about the good old days when you could call a faggot a faggot and tell rape jokes about how that dumb bitch had it coming and wear black-face cause damn it that was funny, right? Right?? They like to say, "if you get offended, don't go to comedy clubs." Good marketing tag! "If you don't like Coca-Cola, fuck you! Don't drink it!" Ok. We will. And then you can get a job at McDonald's slinging Pepsi instead of jokes.

I'm sorry Archie Bunkers, but times change. The cis straight white able-bodied American male is no longer considered the default voice in our society or in comedy. Neither is the gay female or the black male or the Asian transgender woman or the blind immigrant or any one perspective. Your peers and your audience are growing and expanding to people with diverse perspectives, whether you like it or not. And they, too, have the right to free speech. Free speech is not an uninterrupted monologue; it's a dialogue. It's not a one-way street, it's the fucking 405 during rush hour traffic. The world is both bigger and smaller than it used to be. Get used to it.

People new to the comedy game, or just ignorant of what came before them, don't understand that one of the oldest adages in comedy is Punch Up. Punch up; don't punch down. Chris Rock said, "Only pick on people who have it coming." The main difference between a brilliant comic and a lame comic (besides being funny) is who they choose to make the victim of their jokes. Taking down easy targets doesn't make you a sharp shooter. It makes you a hack. Like they say in Spiderman, "with great power, comes great responsibility." If you have a microphone/ a platform, how you choose to use it says a lot about you as a so-called artist. Use your powers for good, not evil. Don't use your powers of free speech to kick the underdog, to brutalize the brutalized, to pile on to easy targets. Be brave. Stand up to the people in charge, rock the status quo boat, speak truth to power. Go after targets that deserve it and that it takes actual courage to confront. It doesn't take courage to make fun of homeless people. It takes a lack of empathy for your fellow man. Don't bully victims; bully bullies. A lot of people who came before you worked hard to raise comedy to the level of art form, social commentary, political activism. Don't lower it to the level of middle school bullying. You have enough lunch money. Leave the weaker kids alone.

Why am I even saying all of this (I mean besides just being tired of listening to Archie Bunkers whine)? Because every well-respected profession has "best practices" and peer reviews. Consider this your peer review. I recently criticized a rapey-looking comedy show flyer (a bloody knife coming out of a pair of testicles in front of the words "you lil stupid ass bitch.") and the response from the artist was to draw a pic of art in a cage that read "Bobbie doesn't like art." No, Bobbie thinks this particular drawing is rapey and inappropriate for a comedy show flyer. The censorship argument is a strawman to distract people from your shitty art. Criticism has long been a part of art. If you can't take criticism and believe that criticism and censorship are the same thing, stay out of art school, drama school, music school, dance school, school school and life. CRITICISM IS NOT CENSORSHIP. Free speech is a two way street. Times change. You are allowed to say and draw whatever fucked up thing you want and I am allowed to say whatever I want about the fucked up thing you just did. Some people will agree with each of us. Others will let us fight our battles for them.

So I will continue to use my comedy powers for good like W. Kamau Bell, Hari Kandabolu, Janeane Garafalo, George Carlin and more, and I will continue to call you out on your hate if you spew it. And you will continue to accuse me of censorship. Cuz, ya know, free speech.

[mattoswalt]

THIS IS A POSTER FOR AN ACTUAL COMEDY SHOW

So this needs to be discussed.  A comic friend of mine posted this photo on Twitter.  A lot of females complain about how unsupportive the comedy community can be and this poster speaks volumes.  And since I’m a 44-year old man who is offended by very little I’ll go at it from her point of view.

Imagine being a 24-year old girl driving by yourself out to Covina on a Sunday night for a little bit of stage time. You’re nervous, excited, don’t know what to expect but are eager to try out some new jokes. As you enter the club the first thing you see is this poster nailed above the door. Belly-drop!

And it’s not really offensive. Most female comics worth their salt are immune to ‘dick’ jokes.  What this poster does is far worse. It’s unwelcoming and simply cruel.  It’s the kind of thing that might gnaw on a young comics mind as she waits to go on stage when she should be busy mentally preparing for her set. It’s like a vegetarian invited to a swanky dinner party and upon arriving seeing a pigs head impaled on a stake in the front yard.

This is a girl who knows at around 1AM she’ll be leaving this club alone and walking through a dark parking lot to a clunky car she prays doesn’t break down on the long drive home. I know lots of comics and one of the recurring problems I’ve heard is the profession they’ve chosen often ends late late at night and requires some quick feet in the parking lot.  Having a sign like that weighing on their conscious doesn’t help.  Especially if they’re performing at this show for the first time and don’t know anyone there.  The courage to go thru with this evening in the first place is nerve-wracking enough for a newbie, all this sign does is add to the fear.  I just think it’s a shitty thing for a club to do, especially on a night when they’re inviting female comics to perform.

And I know nothing about this show, the organizers, the promoters, the audience.  For all I know it’s a supportive environment and they made the mistake of going for an ‘edgy’ poster and failed. It happens. 

Before you think this little rant means I’m a champion for women’s causes you should know not 5 months ago I was blocked (and rightly so) by a very funny female on Twitter because I responded to a tweet of hers with a sexist, offensive remark that, at the time, I thought was soooo clever.  See, everyone fucks up now and then. The difference between a reactionary tweet in the spur of the moment and a poster that was drawn, printed, uploaded onto their website is massive. You’d think at least SOMEONE along the chain would have seen it and suggested it wasn’t a good idea.  I hope enough eyes are drawn to this poster that people realize the huge gulf between ‘edgy’ and ‘cruel’. 

(Postscript Amendment) - I don’t think any of the comics on poster knew about it’s content before/or even after show. So if you’re angered by the drawing please don’t take it out on them.

[laughriotgrrrl]

The Modern Gal in: Irish Sunglasses? Not for you! By Beth Seaver amd Daphne Lamb On Twitter: @bethseaver and @StabbyMcFires

[laughriotgrrrl]

The Modern Gal in: Assault? Not for You! By Beth Seaver amd Daphne Lamb On Twitter: @bethseaver and @StabbyMcFires

[laughriotgrrrl]

“Fresh Off The Boat” Isn’t Racist. It’s Probably Just You. By Marie Watschke On Twitter: @MarieWatschke

I will admit I had little to no hope for Fresh off the Boat when I first heard rumblings about it this last summer. I had even less confidence in it when I saw the promos and I just wanted it cancelled before it even aired after I started reading Eddie Huang’s Vulture article “Bamboo-Ceiling TV: The network tried to turn my memoir into a cornstarch sitcom and me into a mascot for America. I hated that.”

But then…wouldn’t it be kind of cool to see Asians on TV? Even if they turned out to be my worst Mickey Rooney, Hong-Kong Phooey nightmare I would still get to see an Asian family on AMERICAN TV playing a CENTRAL ROLE ON AMERICAN TV on a MAJOR NETWORK SITCOM ON AMERICAN TV instead of bit characters used as throwaway punchlines by “more marketable” white faces. Eddie Huang even admits at the end of his Vulture article that even if the show isn’t exactly his memoir, it doesn’t matter; he was able to put Asian faces on White America’s TV. It’s bigger than him. 

So, in an effort to show solidarity with my Asian American brothers and sisters (I know Marie Watschke is a white ass name, but I’m Filipino. I got it from my mama! I got it from my mama!) I streamed the first two episodes of Fresh Off the Boat and braced myself for impact….

IT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!

Even though I’m only half-Asian, and not even Chinese, I completely connected with Eddie and his family. The “stinky” foreign lunches, the strict sometimes antiquated mom, and the weird 1st gen disconnect from both friends and family. These weren’t the cookie cutter characters I was used to seeing. No god-awful forced cringe-worthy pidgin accent. Not ONE mention of Kung-Fu. God, this show felt good to watch. 

This show felt like wearing clothes with that Adobo/Lugaw/Sinigang scent every day I lived at home. This show felt like my mom yelling at me, and then stopping just long enough to make sure I was fed. This show felt like home-grown lectures on immigrant sacrifice and checking my American-born privilege. This show felt like home. 

And apparently it felt like home for a lot of other people too. According to the website TV By The Numbers Fresh off the Boat premiered with 7.93 million viewers! Which is definitely something ABC is heavily promoting in all of their new promos for next week’s episodes.

While Asian Americans all over the country were celebrating representation like we were never going back to just being Kung-Fu masters, shifty Chinatown store-owners peddling Mogwai, and exotic whores with hearts of gold, White America was not happy with our new look. 

Just type “Fresh Off the Boat Racist” in twitter and you will find an overwhelming amount of white people so angry at this show. Why are they angry? Because it’s the first time they’ve seen a show so blatantly use the phrase “white people” like it’s not the default for what it means to be an American. How dare the characters of this show based on a straight-up Chinese family note differences between themselves and White Americans? How dare they use the words “Chinese” and “White” in a show explicitly about a Chinese family living in a White majority neighborhood? Note that none of these users are calling out the show as racist when they kept the scene where Eddie was called a “Chink” at school. Side-Note: it was integral to an over-all plot point about defending yourself, so don’t even try to go there as an after-thought. 

Maybe it’s the way that Eddie and his family say “white”. Not with hatred, but like it’s foreign. Like white people are different from the norm. At least for Eddie and his family, (and millions of other minorities in America) white IS different from their norm. Of course there are some jokes at white people’s expense in the show. For instance, the hilariously ill-informed Cattleman’s Ranch commercial in episode one, but even then, Eddie’s dad was the only person who thought that commercial was a good idea. Again, it is a sitcom from an Asian American perspective about Asian Americans living in White America. Maybe people thought Fresh Off the Boat would still somehow show a White Perspective; that it was a light-hearted comedy about Pilgrims settling at Plymouth Rock, or immigrants from Ellis Island despite all the fucking Asians in the promos. 

The people getting mad and calling this show racist have obviously never met an Asian American family in the flesh. Now, I’m not talking about meeting a singular American-born Asian at a liberal arts college away from home, because they tend to run white-washed to fit in (ex: Me: Hello, how are you? Yes, I like the Killers and Hometown Buffet). We are Eddie and his family. Wanting to fit in with the white kids at school and wanting to be proud of who we are at the same time. So just deal with it and let us have this one show. Maybe do us a favor and boycott a show actually racist towards Asians? I’m looking at you, 2 Broke Girls.

*SPOILERS FOR FOB MEMOIR: I didn’t start reading Eddie’s memoir until after I read his article, so of course, I felt bad for him and his issues with the network. But after reading it…holy shit, dude, how the fuck did you expect a Primetime ABC Family Sitcom to ever keep your story 100? Did you think they’d want to include your philandering ex-Taiwan Mafioso father or the cut-up face of your little bro after your mom threw a steel brush at him? I appreciate honesty, and I realize your parents are overall good people with flaws and histories just like everyone else, but good lord, if you wanted your work preserved as-is, go to AMC with that realness instead of having it bookend Modern Family on a channel run by Disney.

[laughriotgrrrl]

Christmas Eve By Raja Michael On Twitter @rajaChristina

​This past holiday, I decided to fly home to New Jersey from LA on Christmas day to save money. It was Christmas Eve and all my housemates were already gone. I love having the apartment to myself, so the holiday was already off to a good start. I slept in late. And by sleeping in late, I mean lying in bed in my pajamas even though I was awake- just rolling around and stuff. By pajamas, I mean a ratty old sweatshirt and my ugly Costco granny panties that I walked around my apartment in all afternoon. By the time I had a couple of dance parties in which I magically danced like Beyoncé (somehow only happens when no one else is there to witness it-boo!) it was turning out to be the greatest Christmas Eve ever!

​‘Hmmm…’ I thought as evening approached, ‘it would be nice to see another human being today…but who do I know who is still in town?’ As fate would have it, my phone rang and friend of mine was on the other line having a crisis. Not the real emergency type of crisis. More the ‘I was trolling my ex on facebook and noticed that he changed his relationship status to “In a relationship” and I spilled red wine on my favorite shirt’ type of crisis. He only lived a few blocks away, so I threw on some pants and walked over to visit. I left my friend’s house around seven. It was getting dark and I was walking. I live off a busy street, but it was Christmas Eve and the streets were completely abandoned.

​Prone to an overactive imagination, I was creating scenarios in my head where I was the lead in a suspense-filled thriller walking home on an eerie night. I had an uncomfortable feeling and this was my coping mechanism. Suddenly, I heard a car approach and a guy shouted in a southern accent, “Excuse me miss, would you like a ride.” This snapped me out of my daydream and I began to walk faster. He drove ahead and I realized it was a taxi. “Do you need a ride, miss? I’m just trying to make some money. I’m just trying to make it out here.” he asked again very politely. “No thank you.” I answered and kept walking. He drove ahead of me and slowed down as I approached the corner. “Would you like a ride, miss?” he asked again. But this time no southern accent. It sounded more Midwestern. It creeped the hell out of me. “Would you like a ride? I drive this cab to make a little money.” I was officially scared. I crossed the street and kept walking. I was looking around for a store to walk into but everything was closed. I was so close to home, but even if I made it there, I would lead him straight to my apartment. If I pulled out my phone to dial 911 would he jump out of the taxi and attack me? Would the police even come? ​The man in the taxi approached me again. Third accent. I couldn’t place it, but I can tell it was meant to be foreign. This time he reached his body across the passenger seat and stuck his head out the window. He looked straight at me and started to laugh. “You’re beautiful,” he said. I am a sexual assault survivor and I have seen that expression on a man’s face before. “Oh my God,” I thought, “am I going to die tonight?”

It was the first time in a long time that I prayed. I normally find it very difficult to pray. But it comes out real easy when I am in full-fledged panic mode out of fear for my life. I guess my prayers were answered because at that moment, I noticed that a Japanese restaurant was open. As much as I was trying not to run this whole time so the man wouldn’t chase after me, I broke. I ran into the restaurant. I was crying out loud by the time I made it through the door. Now, I have eaten at this restaurant many times. Let’s just say that it is a place people go to for affordability, not for customer service. I can’t say I ever remember any one of the servers there being polite to me. This day however was completely different.

​Three female servers ran to me and embraced me as I was trying to explain what happened through my sobs. They brought me a chair to sit on and a cup of water. My phone was dying but I called the police. The 911 call kept being re-routed to highway patrol or coming up busy. One of the servers at the restaurant called the police department from the land line. The police, being the ever faithful public servants, suggested I call a cab to get home. Yup, because a cab is where I wanted to be at that moment. One of the servers went outside. She came back and said that she there is a cab about a block ahead pulled over by the sidewalk. A chef at the restaurant wanted to go out and confront him. I begged him not to. He agreed. He said he didn’t mean to upset me more.

​‘I need to call someone to pick me up so I can get home.’ I thought. Although I am generally a tough cookie, all my insecurities were hitting me like a collapsing brick wall. My friend who I visited did not have a car. Mine was home in my garage. LA is a very transient community and most of my friends were out of town for the holidays. I knew a few people who were in town but lived far away. LA is big place. And my mind was playing tricks on me. ‘I can’t call them and ask them to pick me up’ I told myself. ‘I would ruin their holiday. I would be a burden.’ It’s an irrational thought. I wouldn’t find it a burden to pick up a friend who is in danger. In fact, I would very willingly do it. And my friends are the same. But this was not a rational moment for me.

​Suddenly I remembered my friend Kristal. She was a new friend, a comedian I know from the girls only open mic at Tao Comedy Studio. I knew she lived only a few minutes away and I remember her saying she would be in town. I managed to give her a call right before my phone completely died. She was there in minutes. ​She approached like a restaurant patron and I snuck into her car. We drove off without the man in the taxi realizing I ever left. I was finally home.

​But Kristal did not just drop me off. She came inside and sat with me in my living room for hours. She waited until I did not feel afraid anymore. We drank red wine and ate chocolate. We laughed and joked. She let me take my time and cry. I also vented about a horrible show I was in earlier that week at a big club where another comic and the booker who booked me couldn’t stop telling me how sexy they thought I was. “And funny. Sexy and funny.” I said and walked out of the club to get some air.

When I returned, the “security guard” wouldn’t let me back in the comedy club because he wouldn’t believe I was a comic. Yet he let my male friend in believing he was a comic, and he wasn’t even in the show! It was good to have a friend to talk to after the week I had. Saying this is not meant to minimize the fear I felt, or how unfair the situations was, but to say having a supportive friend gave me strength to push through. I am following through with what happened with the police, in case you were wondering. The whole thing was not okay.

​When I first started going to the girls only open mics at Tao Comedy Studio, Bobbie Oliver shared with me that her vision for this mic is to create a supportive community for female comedians. It certainly was working. When you go to a regular mic, other comedians don’t necessarily laugh. Everyone is concerned with their own jokes. LA is saturated with talent and the competition is real. But at the women’s only mic, everyone laughs and stays till the end. It’s amazing.

​But it goes so much further than that. I have made a few close friends who help me not quit when the comedy world gets too discouraging, or when I have had it with getting sexually harassed at shows, or when people tell me I look like the “wrong kind of Indian” (I look nothing like Mindy Kaling). Or when I just don’t feel funny and can’t seem to write anything good. That night, my friend Kristal saved my life. ​I used to work in women’s shelter. I had a manager who loved quoting an ancient Chinese proverb. “When women work together, the mountains move.” That’s real talk.

[laughriotgrrrl]

Sexist Aggression in Comedy Isn’t Funny Mary Becquet On Twitter @BecquetSQ

I’ve been doing comedy since 2009. I started out in Los Angeles taking classes from Bobbie Oliver. That means I learned and did comedy for my first several years in a supportive environment where everyone was respected and we were taught to be professionals on and off stage.

All that changed when I moved to Texas. The fist time I went up at an open mic, I had the room laughing and the club owner approached me and said he is always looking for openers. But then something weird happened. After I started appearing around town, the male comics in San Antonio began to put me down. When I did a set about my elderly mother and how inside, I kind of wished she would die, a very well-known Hispanic comic looked me up and down and said derisively “Matricide? Nice.” He has never, ever booked me into one of his local shows. I have approached him many times. He deflects and avoids any real conversations with me because my comedy about my Mom conflicted with his male family values.

There was one guy who booked me in many shows. Once I tried to convince him to book an all-female show. He said, “There aren’t enough funny women in San Antonio. And there’s no one to headline.” Another guy told me, when I approached him to see if I could be on his regular showcase,“Oh, I’ll call you later, I’m going to do an all-girl show.” He never called back.

I struggled to maintain a thick skin and shake it off. Everyone has to pay their dues. Recently, I showed up to an open workshop hosted by two experienced (white, male) local headliners. The workshop was billed as an offer to local comics to build their set in preparation for the annual “Funniest In South Texas” comedy competition (that’s right….the acronym is FIST).

When I arrived, the headliners (let’s call them Tiny and Dick) were sitting at a table in the main room of the club. A local feature-level comic was with them, and all three of the guys were mentoring a young guy, a nice Philippino kid who looks about 10 years old. The headliners would have the kid throw out a joke, then they’d offer tweaks or ideas in an encouraging way. They urged him to play up his youthful appearance, and use the Asian stereotypes our audiences hold in their heads to turn up some of the punchlines.

Then it was my turn. I threw out a couple of jokes about how I work a corporate job for the money, but I hate it, so that makes me a whore.

Tiny went first: “So basically you need to know that when you get on stage, all the men in the audience are thinking that you’re good looking, how old are you, and what would it be like to fuck you.”

Wow. I was stunned into silence by the aggression contained in that comment. Here I was, a grown 54-year old woman, in a huge empty room with four men, and this guy thinks it’s ok to create a vibe where I’m depicted as nothing more than a sex object. In that moment I was afraid. I became the scared little kid that lives inside all of us. I just sat there in silence and took it. I looked up at the exit to the club and wondered if I could make it there if I had to make a run for it.

Dick went next: “Yeah, when you get on stage, everyone in the audience is thinking, ‘Is she gonna be funny? Because most women aren’t...If you're an ugly woman, the audience thinks, 'She had better be funny since I have nothing to look at.' A good looking woman has a little more time to get the first laugh."

Because apparently, the audience is busy imagining what it would be like to fuck me so I can exploit that!? OK, so on top of being worthless except for my vagina, I was told I’m not funny (in front of everyone). And I can’t be funny because I’m a woman??

I just sat there nodding my head, trapped at this table with four men, being told how worthless and unfunny I was. It was surreal. I felt like I was suffocating. I couldn’t defend myself, and I began to internalize their overwhelming sexist devaluation of me and to think I was a complete failure. I felt bullied, like I was being beat up psychically.

Why? Because these men all KNOW me. I’ve been on the comedy scene in San Antonio for more than two years. I’ve been booked in dozens of shows, been on the same stage with Tiny and Dick who were now sitting here tearing me down. Is this really what they think of me? Have they just been waiting for their chance to say these things to me? My writing, my delivery, is it all so bad as they are saying? "These are guys who are successful in this market," I thought. "So I should listen to them," I thought. "But I always do well and get laughs," I am thinking now.

Then the others chimed in: “Yeah, you come off as arrogant because you look like a rich white person. We know you come from a poor family. You are white trash! So why are you so fake? Everyone can tell your comedy is superficial and you aren’t showing us who you really are. Why are you so false on stage?” For the record, I have never been accused of looking or acting rich before.

At this point, my attention was devoted to trying to get out of the room without bursting into tears. And without getting attacked or raped. I believed what they were telling me – that I was not funny, I am only valuable for my looks, and that everyone saw past successful adult me to the extremely sad, neglected, impoverish child I used to be – the one who was dirty, had no shoes, no education and no hope. And that I would never be funny because I am a woman.

I was devastated. I lowered my head while they continued to bash me (asking questions like why did I wear t-shirts and jeans on stage; why not a skirt or dress??). All I could think of was getting out of that room. As I left with a muttered “Oh, I gotta run,” I literally ran for the door.

And after that, I could not stop crying for 5 hours. I was completely and utterly devalued, defeated, and beaten. I never wanted to do comedy again.

Then I talked to Bobbie Oliver, thank goodness! She asked me to write about it. So I am. I don’t know what deep truths I can find in my experience, except that some male comics are a bunch of motherfucking sharks. Comedy really is one of the last bastions of the patriarchy. I felt that day as if they were supporting each other but genuinely trying to get me to quit comedy. They almost succeeded. Maybe they didn't even notice that they treated me differently than they treated each other. But, they did and they do. The only way women can succeed in this or any other business is to stick together and support each other. And keep writing about it!