Bibliographie complète

La distinction entre la persona et l’humoriste

« Unlike the Weinstein allegations, there is a disconnect between comedians’ private lives and their comic stage personae in many of the aforementioned cases. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 153)

« The context of comedy gave bad actors cover, as was the case with Louis C.K. He regularly talked about masturbation in his comedy sets so perhaps it was not a surprise when he admitted that he had masturbated in front of women in a hotel room. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 166)

« It is also not always clear if the material delivered on-stage is a complete fabrication or a glimpse into a comic’s personal life. Comics are not quite actors and not quite nonfiction versions of themselves. The schism between these men and their stage persona creates confusion. Fans may not recognize bad acts since comical exaggeration and play acting blur the line between reality and fantasy. Even when they are outed, abusers can hide behind the romanticized cliché of the troubled comedian. Devotees want to suspend belief for the sake of loyalty, similar to fans who ignore or dismiss bad behaviors of beloved music artists or sports heroes. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 166)

Affection pour l’artiste

« One way to explore the consequences of sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations against well-liked and successful comedians is through the application of the affective disposition theory (Zillmann & Cantor, 1976). The theory explains that audiences make judgments as to whether the character or performer is a “good guy” or a “villain,” which in turn influences their enjoyment of the entertainment. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 154)

« When audiences invest time and money to see a comedian perform or download a comedy album, they may experience cognitive dissonance when the comedian acts off-stage in a manner that contrasts with his or her on-stage persona. Raney (2004) explored the ways viewers seek to “perpetuate and defend those strong feelings for the sake of enjoyment.” » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 155)

« Even as rumors of Cosby’s transgressions multiplied, fans simply did not want to believe it was true, especially if it meant tarnishing their love of the Cosby Show. Disposition and cognitive dissonance theories can also apply to fellow comedians’ attitudes toward perpetrators of sexual misconduct. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 155)

« Audience members, but more importantly fellow comedians who knew them on a personal level, were blinded by their affection for abusive comedians like Bill Cosby. As purveyors of humor and joy, comedians are often met with more dissenters when a woman comes forward with a story of abuse and/or sexual misconduct. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 165)

Liens serrés du milieu

« The response in the comedy world to allegations against fellow comedians has varied. The stand-up world is often a tightly knit community; however, divisions in this debate appear to occur along gender and racial lines. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 156)

Race

« For example, race was a tangible component regarding responses to the  Bill Cosby allegations. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, page 156-157)

« It was Hannibal Buress, a black comedian himself, who was instrumental in bringing the accusations to light in 2014. Other African American comedians joined the criticism of what they perceived to be Cosby’s holier-than-thou lectures to young black men. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 157)

« Other black male comedians, however, vehemently defended Cosby against the rape charges. Eddie Griffin claimed that female victims orchestrated false rumors to “take down a Black man” (cited in Howard, 2015). According to Griffin, “There is a systematic effort to destroy every Black male entertainer’s image” (Djvlad, 2015). Damon Wayans argued that Cosby was left vulnerable because of the split in the African American community. He claimed that the accusers saw an opening when young black men rejected Cosby for his critical comments about the way they spoke, dressed, and parented (Moyer, 2015). » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 157)

Backlash envers les personnes à l’origine des dénonciations

« Much of Griffin’s and Wayans’ defense of Cosby was racially motivated; however, it intersected with sexism as well. After Hannibal Buress’ outing of Bill Cosby, Reverend Jesse Lee Peterson (2014) wrote, “Could it be that Cosby’s accuser is aligned with the man-hating feminists who want to destroy Cosby’s traditional patriarchal image?” Even after Cosby was found guilty of sexual assault, his defense attorneys continue to vilify the victims, calling Andrea Constand a “con artist” and other accusers “failed starlets, fame seekers and liars” (Benshoff, 2018). Male comedians were also harsh in their description of the female victims. They questioned the accusers’ motivations, labeling them “gold diggers” and “attention whores.” » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, page 157-158)

« Louis C.K.’s accusers, Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, claimed they experienced a backlash when they told others in the comedy community about the masturbation incident (Ryzik et al., 2017). » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 160)

Les humoristes mettent en place des moyens pour se protéger

« Other female comedians have tried to protect themselves as best they could from potential incidents. For example, several female performers reported that they refused to work with T.J. Miller, citing the rumors of abusive behavior and apparent jokes Miller made in private about punching women (Suebsaeng, 2017). » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 160)

Enjeux liés aux liens et à la « redevance » [Obstacles à la dénonciation]

« Much of Tig Notaro’s early career was tied to Louis C.K., making it difficult for her to speak out personally and professionally about his misconduct. He helped launch her stand-up career and was an executive producer on her Amazon Prime show, One Mississippi (Wanshel, 2017) » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 161)

Lorsque le harcèlement se fait par l’utilisation du registre « comique »

« The condemnation of Harvey Weinstein was universal, most likely because of the serious tone of his threats and alleged assaults. Matters appear more complex, however, when the bad behavior involves comedy or a comedian. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 161)

« What happens when the sexual misconduct is part of a comedy skit, as in the case of Al Franken? » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 162)

« When a comedian takes the stage, he or she enters into an agreement with the audience that anything said will defy the usual rules of decorum. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 162)

« Franken attempted to justify the photo taken of him with his hands over Tweeden’s breasts as a “joke,” while acknowledging that, in hindsight, the “joke” was in bad taste. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 163)

Séparer l’art de l’artiste

« We are left then with the question, “Can one separate the art from the artist?” Comedy differs from other occupations perhaps because audiences tend to have a positive disposition toward someone who brings them joy and laughter. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, page 166)

Des femmes qui quittent le milieu

« Briana Hansen, Tiffany Haddish, and Iliza Schlesinger all report experiencing sexual harassment by others in the comedy business. It could be that this treatment and incidents such as Dave Becky’s warnings to Louis C.K.’s accusers drive women out of comedy. » (Oppliger et Mears, 2020, p. 167)