Below you can see the video is submitted for my working progress showing -
The context around my performance that I gave to those viewing this video was as follows -
My research project is an exploration of the extent to which self-deprecation used by female comedians as a platform of content results in a detrimental loss of self from that individuals and has to potential to lead to self-loathing. The leading catalyst that I place emphasis on for this now normalised process and frequently seen content that female comedians use, is the eternal superiority experienced and enforced by males within the entertainment industry. This leads to a constant, unspoken oppression of women in whatever category of entertainment industry they exist within.
My project will aim to express this concept of the loss of the true female voice and highlight the overwhelming effects and influence male presence within the entertainment industry has on any individuals attempting to infiltrating it successfully. I will do this through self-exploration, giving the project an autobiographic structure, along with the support of verbatim and real-life accounts (both personal and from figures within the entertainment industry – specially comedy). The use of the ‘self’ (i.e. my experiences and placement within the environments I will explore) will be subtle and varying, so as to not lose the weight of my argument within the narrative due to it simply being ‘my story’. I want to reclaim the voices of suppressed female comedians and creators in a way that stands them apart from simply being an accessory to a male dominated industry.
It will be both objective and subjective, with evidence coming from interviews and content from highly respecting / relevant comedians in our generation, as well as using material I have collected from people close to me, so as to sustain the emotional drive of the piece.
It is not a rant about century’s worth of male oppression, nor is it a plea for an expansion of female representation within the comedy sphere. It is simply a comment on the complex and unspoken dynamics of the entertainment industry that leads to females creating content that is for the ideal, male audience and the subconscious process one must go through of being approved by the male power before reaching success. An example of this within the comedy platform is the concept of ‘settling into your seat’ at the sight of a male comedian stepping on stage, as all audiences will be filled with inner confidence and certainty that the male they see in front of them will entertain them.
However, when this same environment exists and a female enters a performance space, an internal process begins within an audience, whereby the female has to earn the ability to entertain, and acquire the licence from the audience that they will be made to laugh by this female. This dates back to the overarching male domination of the comedy industry, and the way that this leaks into the perception of female worth in more elements of society than we may realise.
My project exists in an attempt to highlight these elements and enable an audiences’ realisation of the unhealthy and detrimental dynamics of an industry that we are all engaged in, which oppresses women and the female voice in every pillar of the entertainment sphere where males are present. The questions I asked audiences to answer when watching this piece were -
1) To what extent does the verbatim interview dialogue determine the narrative?
2) Should there be more of this or less?
3) Is it obvious or ambiguous who the subject of the questions in the second part are about?
4) Does this whole section feel like an appropriate opening for a piece based within the context above?
5) When hearing the voices and answers, what content would you want to see during this time (maybe rather than the photographs of myself)?
6) What relevance do you see the song montage section having?
7) Did the music and chosen songs make you think about women being the subject of writing content more frequently than we may realise?
8) How can I further this concept?
9) How can I branch this idea of the unwanted focus on women within music to a comedy context?
10) Do you see this content having the potential to be relevant within a comedy/entertainment sphere?
11) What do you want to see more of?
12) What do you want to see less of?
13) Should I focus more on myself or aim to speech more on behalf of other?
14) Where should I place myself within this industry that I am commenting on in order to get my message across as effectively as possible (e.g. only from a spectator perspective, as an actor / comedic creator myself, as only a writer, none of these)?
I also attached the script of what I would have wanted the piece to be if it were performed live in the pre-pandemic conditions. This can be seen below.
Lights come up on middle of stage (in round) mainly on ESTELLE and record player
Natural woman Audio track starts (all audio on one track – beginning with sound of record player going into montage of songs all being interrupted by the sound of a changing needle)
Estelle sits and takes off make up with wipe
She glances over to record player which changes song
Final song plays and sound of needle is heard for the last time
Slow drumbeat begins leading into next part of audio
Estelle gets up with notebook and pen and begins pacing
ESTELLE: I’m so pleased I’ve got you actually I’m so interested to hear your opinion. I’m just working on her at the moment and wanted to ask you a few questions. So, let’s start basic…. Do you think she is funny?
Responses in audio can be heard (ending with “she always makes me laugh”)
ESTELLE: Okay. Great. And, what’s her story, her character? Who is she going to grow up to be?
Audio responses heard (ending with “the friend that’s funny”)
ESTELLE: Erm, right, okay. That’s not really….. what about her though? Who is she? What is she?
Audio responses heard (ending with “I always imagine her as a lesbian character”)
ESTELLE: I don’t think you get what I’m asking… anyway, let’s try something else. So, be totally honest, what do you think her feelings towards men are?
Audio responses heard (ending with “Men as a whole, probably not as fond”)
ESTELLE: Okay…. Maybe she should try and work on that. Could you be a bit more specific, let’s try and work out where all of this is coming from.
Final audio responses heard (ending with “she expects bad things from them”)
ESTELLE: I mean…. can you blame me?
BLACKOUT
SONG (embedded within audio track starts to play loudly – Queen by Perfume Genius)
END
Comments