Broad City and Slapstick Feminism

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Broad City, Season 3 (Comedy Central)

From The Marx Brothers and Buster Keaton to flicks by the Farrelly Brothers and Judd Apatow, slapstick and physical comedy has traditionally been dubbed a man’s game. Even though we are familiar with the success of hits like I Love Lucy and the Laverne and Shirley show, both TV networks and film studios have never truly taken a step outside their comfort zones and fully committed to endorsing a “left of center” female driven physical comedy series. Sociologically, women are not expected to joke around about sex or potty humor—as this behavior is contradictory to the gender norms of what defines a “lady”.  We definitely saw this antiquated way of thinking defied by the widespread popularity of Bridesmaids and it’s memorable food poisoning scene at the bridal shop. However, more recently Broad City, the American sitcom, created by and starring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, has begun to penetrate the mainstream as their TV show is not only broadcasting on network television, but is also becoming popular culture’s “go to” references as the show’s humor transcends a particular common ground amongst members of the millennial generation.  

From 2009 to 2011, the sitcom initially began as an independently produced webseries but was taken over by Comedy Central in 2014. Numerous critics are recognizing Abbi and Ilana’s comedic style as “slapstick feminism”. Even though Broad City’s humor is generally predicated on millennial tropes, their visual gags are reminiscent of everything from Charlie Chaplan tricks, all the way to the gestures found in a Carol Burnette sketch. I believe this term; “slapstick feminism” marks the emergence of a genre of comedy that can play a large role contributing to the progress of women in relation to the outdated stereotypes that have dominated popular culture as well as mainstream media for decades. 

Contrary to HBO’s Girls, Broad City possesses a diverse cast with characters of different races and spectrums of sexual orientation. In particular, the show utilizes visual gags, bathroom humor, and sex talk to deconstruct and redefine what we consider to be the “norm”. I believe women and men alike organically subscribe to this outlandish humor because it humanizes the modern day conception of how women should act or who they should be. At large, Broad City is reestablishing the “absurd” within the context of “normal”—thus allowing audiences to identify with yet laugh at the daily struggles and triumphs of Abbi and Ilana’s characters. Broad City has already been renewed for a fourth and fifth season on Comedy Central.

Nevertheless, I don’t believe we would have a space for Broad City in our society today if the Internet did not exist and threaten to disrupt the narrow confines of broadcast media. And for that reason, I encourage all female artists to use the “web” as a chief medium to get their voices heard as well as a device to breakdown traditional stereotypes and redefine genres of film. Audiences are clearly craving content that appeals more directly to the taste buds of today's society.

Women Can Be Funny-The Rise of Female Comedy

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Kristen Wiig, NBC Universal

In Hollywood, it’s common knowledge that women are grossly underrepresented in influential roles in front and behind the camera. In particular, the genre of comedy has always been dubbed a “man’s game", regardless if a woman possessed the talent to be “funny”. However, in the past five years, with trailblazers, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, leading the way, a growth of female comedians have hit the mainstream (like Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, Kristen Wiig, Amy Schumer, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few of the A-listers). Even Broad City’s “left of center” dynamic duo, Abbi and Ilana, are receiving critical praise for their original content in which cultivates organic humor by redefining the "absurd" as the norm.

Nevertheless, we are experiencing an exciting surge of female driven comedy, with gags and jokes appealing to the amusing taste buds of both men and women. In particular, Jessica Williams’ performances on the Daily Show and Kate McKinnon’s versatile portfolio of iconic impersonations on SNL have permeated the digital channels of social media and online streaming services. For example, McKinnon’s Calvin Klein Ad/Justin Bieber impression received over 6.7 million views on YouTube and more recently her Close Encounters skit topped that number with almost 14 million views. McKinnon’s description of her alien abduction was so hysterical, Ryan Gosling, a man, could barely keep it together.

Comedy relies not only on the construction of a joke or the nuances of a particular impersonation but also the intelligence of the comedian and his or her ability to assess the boundaries of what's funny or too personal, especially when involving politics. As a comedian, you have to be witty, well read, and up to date on which relevant current events could be a potential incubator for humor to thrive. Long story short, these women are not only pretty faces, they are also super smart. So in honor of Women’s History Month, I want to celebrate Hollywood’s funniest ladies with a few clips from the most ridiculous “rolling on the floor laughing” skits by women in 2015.