My acupuncturist said I needed to laugh a lot this past week, and I made a funny face at her—not funny-haha, but funny-“What the??” I made this face because I work at a rape crisis centre and it certainly has proved a challenge to laugh a lot there. Further, as an activist, most people have deemed me as too serious, over-political and of course, “can’t take a joke.” I love jokes. And I, myself, am a riot! But yes, I believe there is humour out there that doesn’t require putting certain folks down to be funny.
Even though my “funny” face was enough of an inspiration, I was also inspired to write a post this month about feminist humour because of a local comedy night called the Humourless Feminist Comedy Night. They put this night on for a few reasons, including:
Because humour can exist without rape jokes and some of Toronto’s best comedic talent is going to prove it! We know many people involved in feminism and fighting oppression are told that we take things ‘too seriously’, and often have our perspectives minimized with stereotypes, like that of the ‘Humourless Feminist’. We also know the value of creating alternative, safer spaces where communities can connect by challenging labels and gathering together.(more inside…)
