Comedy can be an incredible tool for furthering social justice by challenging seats of power and shining light on uncomfortable truths. Alternatively, comedy is often wielded by those with power—straight white men—to perpetuate oppression and discrimination by picking on people marginalized by society; by punching down. In Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, “Nanette,” the Tasmanian comic squares her feet and punches upward strategically and relentlessly at those who wield power to hurt others, straight white men, and others, both those in power, and those who enable them.
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“Nanette” starts out as a rather standard stand-up special and Gadsby endearingly chuckles her way through her set, holding a hand to her heart. The action, whether a nervous tick, or intentional gesture, hints at an underlying connection with the material; that this is more than just a comedy bit. This is her life.
Gadsby first brings up tension as the key to comedy; the setup builds tension, and the comedian’s job is to deliver the punchline effectively to relieve that tension. But, Gadsby asserts, some tension cannot be relieved by a punchline. Some tension is deeper. Some tension is people’s everyday lived experience.
When Gadsby declares that she has to quit comedy, “Nanette” begins to take on a different tone.
Gadsby: “I have a built a career out of self-deprecating humor, and I don’t want to do that anymore, because do you understand what self-deprecation means from somebody who’s already exists in the margins? It’s not humility. It’s humiliation. I put myself down in order to speak, in order to seek permission to speak. And I simply will not do that anymore. Not to myself, or to anybody who identifies with me.”
I don’t want to say much more, because I went into “Nanette” knowing nothing other than that it was highly recommended by people whose opinion I value. It is one of the finest hours of television I have seen in a long time, and not only worth your time, it is essential viewing.
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Check out the trailer for “Nanette” below:
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– Brett Goldberg
After watching the special, check out this interview with Hannah Gadsby via Vulture, and this great write-up via IndieWire.
