Alice Vol. 5 No. 1

Courage,
Comedians,
and Cancel Culture
By Lindsey Wilkinson
Turning controversy into comedy can cause an
uproar, but one thing is for sure: Comedians will not be
silenced. Comedy is looked at by many as a safe place,
because everyone can be turned into a punchline.
Comedy isn’t exclusively about the laughs; it’s about
the struggles, misfortunes, and every day bumps in the
road.
While comedy is always around to make us laugh,
there seems to be a recent renewal with the help of
streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube that
allow comics to expand their audience.
UA alumna and comedian Hannah Widener said
that the increase in streaming services has decreased
the cutthroat, competitive nature of the business.
“More opportunities are available for comedians,”
Widener said. “Twenty or thirty years ago your success
would be judged by if you landed on a sitcom or
landed a late night spot. These limited spots created a
competition and heightened animosity between comics
[...]There are just so many more avenues, and there is a
spot for everyone. Comedians can see that I can create
my own path and my own way in this industry, and it
doesn’t mean that your success is my loss.”
While the services broaden the horizons for
comedians, there are still some drawbacks. Most of
these services promote content based on what has been
previously watched. In this aspect, these services can
still be limiting.
“If a comedian does a special on Hulu, you might
not see it. So people — in particular Iliza Shlesinger
— had a Netflix special when Netflix was just getting
started. At that time when you researched female
comedians on the platform you might see three or four
women. Whereas today, while Iliza Shlesinger is super
famous now, I don’t know if you would see her on the
platform because there are just so many people.”
Another obstacle for all comedians is the recent
explosion of cancel culture. The definition of cancel
culture, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary is
that it “refers to the removal of public support of public
figures on the basis of their objectionable opinions or
actions.” Most comedians follow the golden rule to
never apologize for a joke, but that doesn’t mean they
don’t catch backlash for their content. Kathy Griffin
shared a photo a few years back that resulted in her
unemployment. Agents wouldn’t keep her, networks
wouldn’t greenlight her shows, but that didn’t stop her.
Using her own funds, she booked venues and toured,
promoting the concept that free speech could not be
silenced.
“Kathy Griffin has been a huge inspiration in
the past few years in terms of fighting for speech and
fighting for the right to say what you want to on stage,”
Widener said. “She is a huge example of being knocked
down and rising from the ashes.”
Widener went on to explain cancel culture’s role in
the industry, explaining its possible negative effects on
free speech.
“Silencing comedians will do no one any good,”
she said. “At the end of the day, we are here to create
entertainment. You may not like it, you may not
agree with it, but you can learn from it. You can’t just
shut people up. If you silence that person, you aren’t
learning from them. You are casting them off. They will
not disappear because you blocked them on Twitter.
Cancel culture perpetuates silence, and we have to
stop.”
Cancel culture can be a daunting obstacle for
comedians, especially in regards to speaking on
difficult topics. When asked about navigating these
treacherous waters, Widener described her experience.
“I’ve talked about my sexual assault, and it is very
difficult to talk about that on stage,” Widener said.
“There is a line. The intention of a comic is never to
be malicious, so when you are talking about a topic
like sexual assault, you tread lightly. You want them
to root for you, and you want them to laugh with you.
You want to take some of their pain away. That is all
you can do at the end of the day — is laugh. Laugh,
especially at some of the horrible things that happen
in the world, because that is the only way you will get
through them.”
40 Alice Winter 2020
Alice Winter 2020 41