Annotations
(26/05/2023 à 14:02:45)

« In addition to being somewhat peripheral players in the Canadian cultural production scene, comedy workers operate in a grey area, like many freelance artists, and do not fit into a formal occupational category. Achieving artistic and financial success proves even more difficult for comedians with marginalized identities, who already face barriers to entry in an industry that is dominated by white, cisgender, straight men. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 86)

« Due to a lack of research on the comedy industry and the difficulty of obtaining data in an industry largely populated by self-employed workers, demographic information comes primarily from journalistic and anecdotal evidence. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 87)

« What information can be gathered from the limited data points to the continued underrepresentation of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ performers in comedy (Becker; Kachel and Sheaffer). Little research engages the complicated dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality within the creative industries (Conor et al. 1). Overlooking these workers’ experiences helps sustain historical patriarchal structures as well as growing job insecurity, and it limits the inclusion of a diversity of voices in creative and artistic production. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 87)

ENGAGER DES AGRESSEURS

« Yuk Yuk’s has also been accused of supporting alleged abusers. For example, in 2019, Yuk Yuk’s booked Louis C. K. for eight shows. In 2017, C. K. had been accused of alleged sexual misconduct by five women (Ryzik et al.). Breslin claimed that he was proud to book C. K. because, unlike with other accusations lodged against comedians and celebrities in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Breslin said there was “no assault” committed, just lack of “consent (followed by regret)” by C. K.’s accusers (Breslin). Breslin’s comments were not only inaccurate but also followed a nefarious script used to delegitimize the experiences of survivors of abuse. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 90)

AGGRESSION GILBERT ROZON

« JFL also has a spotty history regarding gender-based violence. In 2018, Gilbert Rozon, the co-founder of JFL, was charged with rape—and although he was later acquitted, it caused him to step down (CBC News, “Just for Laughs”). This, however, was only the latest accusation against Rozon. In 1999, he was » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 90)

« charged with forcible confinement of a 31-year-old woman and the sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman. The former charge was dropped due to a lack of evidence, but he pled guilty and was fined $1,000 and put on one year’s probation for the latter (Sweet). He avoided a criminal record and jail time, which would have made him unable to travel for work, because the presiding judge believed that it would negatively impact JFL, which brings in tourists and provides hundreds of jobs. This means that the justice system prioritized JFL and its revenue over the safety of women. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 91)

PERSONNES TRANS

« Some comedians are unwilling/unable to take the risk to cross the border, including many transgender women, who fear how the legal system/border guards might treat them if they were caught performing » (Trusolino, 2022, page 93-94)

CRÉER SES PROPRES SOIRÉES

« Toronto’s comedy industry is home to a rapidly growing women’s and LGBTQ+ comedy scene. Despite the major clubs in Toronto, my participants were more likely to perform at comedy nights taking place in bars, cafés, restaurants, and a handful of independent comedy venues. Finding the major chains unwelcoming at best and discriminatory at worst, my respondents actively worked to produce and create shows and spaces that provided alternative avenues for “coming up” in the industry. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 94) **

« Open mics provide free and, usually, unbooked stage time where comedians work on new material, scout out talent, and, importantly, network, since the audiences at open mics are usually composed of other comedians. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 94)

NETWORKING EN LIGNE POUR ÉVITER DES SITUATIONS INCONFORTABLES

« Participants stressed the importance of networking and relationship building in comedy, or what Rosalind Gill calls “compulsory sociality” (520). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 94)

« Compulsory sociality demands a level of time, energy, and resources to engage in networking activities that are not always available to comedians. Empirical work on the creative industries has shown that, due to a lack of formal hiring structures, reputation plays an important role in securing work and building careers. Bridget Conor et  al. argue that “reputation is a key commodity” (10) blurring the boundaries of the workplace. Although being funny is important, Max says it is only about “30 percent of your job.” » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 95)

« For comedians who are less comfortable with networking in person, like Grace, social media can help create connection: “I’ve heard a lot of people say, ‘I feel like we’re just friends ... because I see you on Instagram all the time.’” Networking online allows for Grace to remain on the radar of other comedians without having to put herself in situations that she finds uncomfortable or unappealing. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 95)

RESSOURCES MONÉTAIRES ET TRAVAIL GRATUIT (LIÉS À INTERSECTIONNALITÉ)

« The willingness to work for free, however, sets a dangerous precedent for others in the industry and drives everyone’s prices down. This shows how, as Oakley writes, “there is no self-exploitation without exploitation of others.” At the same time, working for free is often one of the only ways to get stage time when coming up. The normalization of working for free not only discounts individual comedians’ labour but sets a precedent that is not sustainable for those who do not come from privileged backgrounds. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 95)

« In comedy, the “hustle” is better known as “the grind.” The grind, according to Oliver, is the idea that “you have to do as many shows as possible every night.” The grind is about actively pursuing and performing in all spaces, even those that are undesirable, but, as Elliot argues, “it shouldn’t suck, comedy’s fun ... it shouldn’t be this badge of honour that you lost a limb.” Grind culture was referenced as exemplary of the ways in which comedy privileges straight, cisgender, and able-bodied men because it requires the ability to be flexible with one’s time: doing multiple shows in one night most nights of the week and not turning down work in any particular venue. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 96)

« Those who are unable to participate in the grind are perceived as less committed to their craft. The privilege of success, then, often goes, as stand-up comedian Celine argues, to those who have “[t]he luxuries of a stable income and an identity that is not going to be met with hostility anywhere.” The appreciation and privileging of grind culture may not explicitly come across as discriminatory, but my participants show how the mechanisms of comedy hold deeply rooted biases against marginalized comedians even when they appear to be “neutral” (Jeffries 139). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 96)

ABSENCE DE RESSOURCES HUMAINES

« The lack of human resources (HR) in comedy was repeatedly referenced by my participants, who saw it as a huge barrier to their safety and security in the industry. Although some comedic institutions have HR departments, such as JFL and The Second City, most comedians I interviewed worked outside of, or across, institutions. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 96)

« Several participants said they perform a kind of risk analysis, deciding whether an opportunity is worth the potential harm or distress it might cause. Grace says the problem is not that she gets harassed regularly; rather, it is on her to turn down opportunities where she does not feel safe. For example, she says she could be making more money if she was willing to do more out-of-town gigs, but she does not feel comfortable taking rides with groups of cisgender, straight men: “I refuse to be in cars with other male comedians where they’ll be talking about how they hate their girlfriends and, you know, whatever super toxic things.” Similarly, several comedians say they must closely navigate the open mic scene to avoid racist, homophobic, and transphobic content and treatment. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 97)

BACKLASH SUITE À DES DÉNONCIATIONS

« Participants also addressed the difficulty of working in comedy while maintaining their own reputation. The fragility of reputations can act as a silencing technique to quell dissent in the industry. Robin shared her experience of being harassed by a comedy club booker in his forties when she was eighteen, which ruined her relationship with the club. Although the booker was fired, she began to lose opportunities. After that, feeling she had little to lose, Robin began to address other experiences of violence and harassment in the industry, such as the booking of alleged sexual abusers at comedy clubs. This further isolated her in the industry, which is one of the reasons she began to produce her own shows. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 97)

MANQUE DE FEMMES DANS LES LOGES ET INSÉCURITÉS

« Because of how few women there are in the industry, green rooms are often spaces of unchecked toxic masculinity and many women find themselves in situations where, as the only woman on a lineup, they feel uncomfortable or at risk. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 97)

À PROPOS DES QUOTAS VS TOKENISME

« Marginalized comedians are often tasked with filling the diversity quota and/ or being tokenized. Tokenizing in comedy occurs when members of marginalized groups are used in a “perfunctory way or as a symbolic gesture of inclusivity, lending a multicultural veneer” to a predominantly white show (Diffrient 43). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 97)

« Tokenization places comedians in a double bind in which they can get more stage time but they know they will be the only women/LGBTQ+/BIPOC comic on the bill. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 97)

« Sara Ahmed, in her work on diversity initiatives in the university, argues that diversity often acts as a “technique of arranging things” so that institutions can appear “better” or “happier” (98) without doing the work that disrupts the status quo. This is likewise present at comedy festivals and shows that tend to use marginalized comedians to commodify difference rather than work to address deeper institutional problems. Ivy says these producers “don’t actually want to represent these people” and just want to open the demographics of their audience. Festivals and shows then use marginalized comedians to appeal to niche audiences. Niche marketing segments social groups through “identifying characteristics” (Christian 114) and considers representation a commercial imperative rather than an ethical or moral one (Saha). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 98)

« My participants had an ambivalent relationship with the idea of representation. Although tokenization adds undue pressure for marginalized comedians, my findings echoed Jeffries’ in that they felt they were “breaking through glass ceilings and being an example or role model for other group members to emulate” (172). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 98) Discrimination positive

« This demonstrates the importance of seeing oneself reflected in the media. Several participants said that they did not pursue comedy until they saw other women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ comedians perform. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 98)

Canadian Association of Stand-Up Comedians

« In 2017, motivated by the lack of recognition for Canadian comedy and comedians, comedian Sandra Battaglini, along with a small group of fellow comedians, formed the Canadian Association of Stand-Up Comedians (CASC) » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 99)

« CASC has over six hundred members and has hired lobbyists to advocate for them on Parliament Hill. The purpose of the group is to “advocate on behalf of professional Canadian comedy writers and performers and collaborate with private and public sector stakeholders in the comedy industry” and to “promote and insist on a harassment-free environment for comedy professionals that fosters racial, social, economic, physical, mental, and gender justice and equality” (CASC, “About”). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 99)

« Many of my study participants respect CASC’s mission but are still hesitant to become due-paying members. Even among its own founders, there has been some confusion about CASC’s purpose. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 99)

« CASC is still working to solidify its role in the industry and build trust with comedians. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 100)

GROUPE FACEBOOK POUR S’AUTOORGANISER

« While formal organizing is still rare in the comedy industry, informal organizing happens regularly. Facebook groups are an important organizational tool for comedians, especially for women and LGBTQ+ comedians. These groups function not only as spaces for networking and sharing opportunities but also as whisper networks to warn one another of, for example, bad producers or predatory comedians, away from the view of cisgender, straight men. Quinn, a group moderator, admits that these groups are far from perfect spaces and, like the entertainment industry, are largely populated by white artists, meaning that the onus is often on BIPOC members to step up and educate the group. This speaks to the added labour that marginalized, and specifically BIPOC, comedians take on in the industry. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 100)

« Lisa Nakamura argues that the labour of educating “white men and women about racism and sexism is difficult, valuable, and unappreciated.” Furthermore, it puts BIPOC comedians at greater risk of being “harassed, trolled, and threatened” (108). » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 100)

CRÉER SES PROPPRES SOIRÉES

« Other comedians try to transform the ways comedians navigate the industry, whether it be through workshops or producing inclusive shows that not only elevate marginalized performers but facilitate inclusive audiences. Improvisers Ada and Gwen both integrate anti-oppression training into their comedy workshops through discussions of unconscious bias in comedy. Another group of comedians, recognizing the difficulties (and sometimes dangers) of the open mic scene, started an open mic exclusively for women and non-binary comedians. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 101)

« These mics provide an opportunity to make entry into comedy less turbulent while still allowing comedians room to fail and grow. Several comedians also saw the gap in BIPOC, women’s, and queer-centred shows and, as Ivy says, rather than “wait(ing) for anyone to give us that space,” actively carved out a niche for themselves. Not only does this provide a platform for marginalized voices, but, as Grace notes, it is a smart marketing decision that helps comedians “cultivate their own audience.” » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 101)

MAIS NE GARANTIT PAS LA REPRODUCTION DES VIOLENCES

« Importantly, abuses of power are not only relegated to the world of comedy primarily occupied by cisgender, straight men. Several comedians brought up an instance of alleged abuse within the Toronto queer comedy scene where an up-and-coming queer comedian used their power to silence dissent. This demonstrates the weakness of what Dave O’Brien et  al. call the “demography and representation approach” (274) that underpins many strategies to address inequality, where the assumption is that if a workforce mirrors a nation’s demographics, it will have a positive impact on cultural representation. This approach does not consider how precarity and entrepreneurialism perpetuate exclusionary and unsafe practices lacking a fulsome understanding of “inequalities and power imbalances” (275) that shape the industry. Nonetheless, the opening of LGBTQ+, feminist, and BIPOC comedy spaces has had a remarkable impact on the comedy scene in Toronto. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 101)

?

« After her transition, she began to feel alienated and noticed diminishing opportunities: “I stopped being able to do the road, I stopped getting booked on certain shows, I stopped being able to work with certain people.” Celine’s experience reminds us of the limited opportunities for marginalized comedians outside of Canada’s largest city. These interventions by marginalized comedians into the Canadian comedy industry demonstrate the tensions between the mainstream comedy scene and the growing women’s and LGBTQ+ comedy scene(s). As this chapter has demonstrated, comedy is still overwhelmingly dominated by white, cisgender, straight men, who are considered the standard and form the lens through which comedians and comedy are seen. Because of this, diversity in the industry is presented as a binary between white, cisgender, straight men and, as Ivy says, “the rest of us” (Saha 92). By opening these spaces of resistance, marginalized comedians are platforming their own voices rather than waiting for opportunities and showing that, as Elliot says, “we can be successful outside of those spaces and we can be visible and talented and funny and successful.” » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 102)

« 1. Comedy is not considered an art form in Canada. Develop a policy proposal advocating for, or against, its recognition by the Canada Council for the Arts. Consider comedy’s economic and cultural contributions and definitions of the performing arts. 2. Choose a local comedy venue and compile its roster of comedians for a recent week. Who is represented on the bill? Who is not? What does this say about the potential social and political dynamics of the industry? » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 103)

RÉFÉRENCES

« Butler, Nick, and Dimitrinka Stoyanova Russell. “No Funny Business: Precarious Work and Emotional Labour in Stand-Up Comedy.” Human Relations, vol. 71, no. 2, 2018, pp. 1–21. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 104)

« Canadian Association of Stand-Up Comedians. “About,” https://www.canadianstandup. ca/about/. Accessed 4 November 2020. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 104)

« Davies, Helen, and Sarah Ilott. “Gender, Sexuality and the Body in Comedy: Performance, Reiteration, Resistance.” Comedy Studies, vol. 9, no. 1, 2018, pp. 2–5. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 105)

« Deveau, Danielle J. “English Canadian Stand-Up Comedy as a Field of Cultural Production.” PhD dissertation, Simon Fraser University, 2010, https://summit.sfu.ca/item/12496. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 105)

« Finley, Jessyka. “Raunch and Redress: Interrogating Pleasure in Black Women’s Stand-Up Comedy.” Journal of Popular Culture, vol. 49, no. 4, 2016, pp. 780–798. Gem Support. “Can I Watch CBC Content on Gem if I’m Outside Canada?” CBC Help » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 105)

« Gill, Rosalind. “Unspeakable Inequalities: Post Feminism, Entrepreneurial Subjectivity, and the Repudiation of Sexism among Cultural Workers.” Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State and Society, vol. 21, no. 4, 2014, pp. 509–528. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 105)

« Jeffries, Michael P. Behind the Laughs: Community and Inequality in Comedy. Stanford University Press, 2017. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 106)

« Proulx, Melanie. “Shameless Comedy: Investigating Shame as an Exposure Effect of Contemporary Sexist and Feminist Rape Jokes.” Comedy Studies, vol. 9, no. 2, 2018, pp. 183–199. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 107)

« Tomsett, Ellie. “Positives and Negatives: Reclaiming the Female Body and Self-Deprecation in Stand-Up Comedy.” Comedy Studies, vol. 9, no. 1, 2018, pp. 6–18. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 107)

« Willet, Cynthia, and Julia Willett. Uproarious: How Feminists and Other Subversive Comics Speak Truth. University of Minnesota Press, 2019. » (Trusolino, 2022, p. 108)