Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Watch Nanette. Hannah Gadsby makes you uncomfortable with her words, but also makes you laugh and makes you recognise the truths she speaks about.
Netflix special ‘Nanette’ by Australian standup comedienne Hannah Gadsby has been gathering a lot of attention since its debut online in June 2018. It is making headlines and garnering appreciation from people from all walks of life for the discomfort caused from watching it.
Yes, you read right- Discomfort.
But it’s standup comedy- it’s not supposed to make you uncomfortable. It’s supposed to make you laugh.
And Hannah Gadsby does make you laugh, even when she goes about her act, educating and priming you during parts for harsh revelations, known but oft neglected truths, and hope. She is a brilliant story teller, with a knack for creating tension and diffusing it effortlessly, all the while making you feel more and more uncomfortable as you enter her world of experiences and gain comprehension.
Hannah Gadsby’s content, while based on her personal experiences growing up as a lesbian, raised in a bible belt of Tasmania is just as relevant and identifiable for heterosexual women and the LGBTQI community of India. She talks about being closeted, about the ‘shame’ of knowing she was not heterosexual, and the fear and the impact that this has had on her psyche.
How many of us have our own personal stories of experiencing and living with ‘shame’ in similar or adjacent context? She talks about the importance of societal and family acceptance. We need this more than ever in the Indian family, the nucleus of Indian society, particularly towards young children and people who are still exploring and navigating through their own personal discoveries.
She calls out patriarchy, misogyny, and male privilege, of how we as a collective society are more than willing to sweep under the carpet a man’s misdoings just so that his reputation is maintained, but are more than ready to throw a woman under the bus and hold her responsible.
Hannah’s experience cutting over violence against women, particularly assault with bystanders watching, and her own rape, are subjects that hit very close to home. ‘If I’m the only woman in a room full of men, I’m very afraid’ is a statement that all Indian women can relate to.
One would think Hannah Gadsby is an angry lesbian standup comedienne. She isn’t. She tells her story to give us insight into the other side, one which we often don’t make the effort to understand. She wills you not to be angry, to channel that discomfort towards being accountable. To take ownership for all times you’ve turned a blind eye or criticized something or someone that was different from your own sensibilities.
Throughout the show, Hannah is fierce, funny, cheeky yet vulnerable. As a self-deprecating comic, she talks about how mentally damaging it can be to humiliate oneself to make others laugh. ‘It is not humility’ she says, ‘but humiliation’. And continual humiliation can reinforce one’s own beliefs about themselves. That is an epiphany that will hit you straight in the gut. Many of us will struggle to accept and come to terms with it because how many times have we convinced ourselves, and reinforced to others, that we were just not good enough?
She reiterates her decision to leave comedy so that she can rewrite her story and come back anew. Because as Hannah Gadsby concludes powerfully- ‘There is nothing stronger than a broken woman who has rebuilt herself.’
Although Hannah Gatsby’s states that ‘Nanette’ is her swansong from comedy, I believe we’ll be seeing much more of her. Watch ‘Nanette’ an impressive live performance on Netflix.
You won’t regret it.
read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
Please enter your email address