In Hannah Gadsby’s Hour “Nanette”, Gadsby Reveals and Undoes the Seams of Comedy to Properly Tell Her Story of Sexual Assault
Much of 2018 is left, but we’re already thinking that Aussie comedian Hannah Gadsby and her new special Nanette, now streaming on Netflix as of this week, will be talked about for quite some time.
There are so many facets to it that, we think, demand such attention.
First off, Gadsby, like the recently released Rape Jokes from Cameron Esposito, confronts the topic of sexual abuse and assault by sharing her story. Gadsby does so by joking about it and then stripping away the humor to reveal the truth (and to also get closure for herself and make other victims of sexual abuse and assault feel less alone).
The contrast between the two angles lends to Gadsby also sharing her personal philosophy on how comedy exactly works, down to the very DNA of it. From this almost critical dissection of comedy, Gadbsy goes on to suggest that she might have to step away from comedy as she wants to present the truth, warts and all, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
With this mix, Nanette is an hour that really is dramedy more than it is a simply labeled stand-up comedy special. There are funny, charming bits and passages that are incredibly intense and effective, both of which Hannah manages to weave in her expertise in art history as well.
So, we highly urge you to go see all this for yourself in Gadsby’s Nanette on Netflix.
