Feminist Comedy: Stand-up as a Platform for Women’s Empowerment

Satire is the weapon of the oppressed, and women are arming themselves. This talk examines the nature and power of comedy to subvert systems of oppression by focusing on the rise of women stand-up comedians in the United States. Their comic expression is a uniquely powerful tool to expose absurdity, establish identity, challenge misogyny and shift public discourse. This examination will also cover research on the way that performing stand-up is in itself an empowering activity for women, one menstruation joke at a time.