Ali Wong’s new Netflix special is out. I remember watching her earlier specials when she is pregnant - both times. So I watched both again. And in hindsight it feels like performing while being pregnant is way of making a statement. She herself says in one of the specials - that once female comedians have kids - they literally vanish. So I think it sends a strong message that she’s expecting and yet strong in her profession too.
As I started watching them, I realised a lot of it is not to my taste. It’s fine when she talks about equality and reversing gender roles. The bit where she reveals how she trapped her husband - a conventional gender dynamic - because he is educated and she hoped to live the rest of her life as a housewife. But the build up reveals how she earns more than him and it seems like he was doing the trapping!! That’s a fun twist in the favour of women power!
But there is no need to get scatological talking about office life. I don’t think taking a dump in the office is like the number 1 concern for working women. There are bigger problems like power politics, inequality, not getting credit and not being able to stand up for oneself. So getting graphic about toilet shit (pun unintended) is in bad taste if you ask me.
The other thing that I comes across as crass to me is the graphic sexual references while talking about gender dynamics. She could have made money just be charging a nickel every time she “sucking dick” in the show. And that’s how many references there are.
It is great that female comedians, at least on the international stage, have a voice and they talk about gender stuff. However, I think there is a line between writing intelligent material and going crass for laughs. Pussy jokes, sucking dick and making doo doo in the office is a particular brand of comedy that I wouldn’t call sophisticated. It’s writing for cheap thrills. People are more likely to enjoy dumb stuff like this and hence it’s just an easier bet.
To prove my point, let’s look at some others. (I’ll come to Indian comedians bit I guess they are so far below the international standards that their mention can wait)
Ellen came back to comedy after 15 years. And her comedy also talks about gender issues - albeit the same gender issues. She could talk about men she dated in college who kept pushing her down against her will! I am sure a lot of people would identify with that. But she doesn’t. She keeps it mature and intelligent.
She touches on different topics - and maybe she doesn’t need to project herself as a strong independent woman because despite all the setback she has been a rich, privileged white woman for more than 2 decades.
My all time favourite is Iliza Shlesinger - and I realised today that she has 5 Netflix specials to her credit! A smart, independent woman who’s material is aligned to the stage of her life she is in at the time. You can actually see her grow in the trailers of the specials - from the 20s to her 30s and the last one is when she’s 36 and married.
She is a vocal advocate for equality. Speaking up and doing your own shit. Not giving in to what society expects or even what other women expect. Hers is a whole different brand of comedy! Something you enjoy and don’t cringe at! Even when she talks about sex, it doesn’t seem crass. Her comedy is contextualised in the universal truths about women in their 20s and 30s. And that makes it relatable.
All these women are from a different - non-Indian - culture and I think some of the jokes are lost in translation. But still it’s fun to watch women also write strong material and be vocal about gender equality.
When I think about comedians in the Indian scenario, I am at a loss for names. No one really stands out in the crowd. Adits Mittal was a loud-mouthed comedian who kicked up a storm in a tea cup but that did not last long. Her comedy also wasn’t to my taste - with jokes like sanitary pads have become so advanced that we have technology in our chaddi for 5 days a month! Jeez!!
Anu Menon has one special and her writing is definitely of an intelligent level compared to counterparts. Sumukhi suresh is also great in her timing and comedy. When Kaneez Surkha does comedy all I can hear is her accent. I can’t go past it and I think it interferes with her jokes. Neeti Palta has confidence but her comedy doesn’t stand out.
Thanks to Comicstaan for 2 seasons, there is a smattering of names in the comedy scene. Urooj Ashfaq, Aishwarya Mohanraj, Sejal Bhatt, Prashashti Singh - all still relegated to maybe doing stand up at open mics and clubs. They seem to be far away from being good enough for a platform like Netflix. I don’t think specials with Indian female comedians is a genre on online streaming networks.
It is safe to say that Indian comic scene - at least with the women, has a very ling way to go to achieve fame or the level of success that the international ones have. And I think the only way to do it is with strong material. Strong, intelligent material which has a message. Not useless stuff like what I saw in a metro and how Karva Chauth is bullshit. It has be a universally appealing to ensure that it captures the intelligent masses.
Well! This definitely isn’t an impossible dream and I am sure it can be done. If only some of us set our eyes on the prize, at least enough of us will reach it to make a difference.
What do you think?
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