Abandoning Self Deprecation: Reflection of Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette”
When I first stumbled across this hour long comedy special on Netflix, I was expecting to laugh and to delight in the fact that an openly gay woman comedian is getting the recognition she deserves. What I wasn’t expecting was to learn about art history, to be reminded how important self love is, and to see someone be so vulnerable, honest and angry in front of such a large audience, in the midst of her own comedy show.
I loved it because it wasn’t a typical stand up show. She didn’t feel obligated to provide the audience with non-stop laughs, just for the sake of it. She challenged both the viewers in the Sydney Opera House, and the viewers watching at home, to have a much deeper experience. Gadsby undoubtedly incited laughter, but she also held back nothing when tackling the intersectional experience of being both a queer and a woman.
It truly was beautiful to witness her “I’ve had enough” moments as she denounced self-deprecating humor, validated her trauma and her anger, and emphasized the power of stories and of healing, in front of an audience that probably expected her to make fun of the exact things she decided to be candid about.
Jokes are fine, and they can arguably bring awareness to certain issues. But to make light of such serious things, in the form of self…
