Russell Brand: How Women In Comedy Are Pushing Back

This article references rape and sexual abuse.

One month ago, a joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches, revealed allegations against Russell Brand, accusing him of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Brand has strongly denied all allegations.

In the weeks since, conversations around misogyny and sexual violence against women have dominated social media and traditional media. Much of the conversations have been littered with even more misogyny and victim-shaming.

In the wake of the news, I spoke to four women in comedy about the industry they work in and how the reactions to the Brand allegations made them feel. Women are not a monolith – and the conversations I had show this. However, there are certain points the comics agreed on: They had all heard the Russell Brand rumours before they became public, that misogyny is a societal problem and not limited to comedy, and that believing women and victims is imperative.

I feel it's important to be transparent and say that I approached (directly or via representative) almost twenty well-known women in comedy for this piece. Many did not respond, a few rejected my request, and a handful pulled out on seeing the questions. I'm not saying this to shame anyone but rather to highlight the culture of silence that still prevails. Women who speak out against abusers or the culture that allows abusers to thrive are continually dog-piled, shamed and treated with contempt. As someone who has spent many years working on stories that address or uncover systemic misogyny and sexual violence against women, I know this all too well.

Duker has appeared on shows like Taskmaster, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The Last Leg Live At The Apollo, Mock the Week, and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order. Her debut solo stand-up show, 'Venus', saw her nominated for the Best Newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe. Her second show, Hag, has been extended to meet the demand for tickets.

Do you think the comedy circuit has a misogyny problem?

Nowhere's safe from misogyny.  We're all affected by it, no matter what our gender – we need to actively work to eradicate it. If you're an adult, you'll have been exposed to misogynist attitudes, jokes and tropes since before you were able to walk and talk.

Misogyny in live comedy can go unchallenged because live comedy isn't particularly regulated. You don't enter an orderly workplace with a robust HR department as soon as you decide to take to the stage. You don't get a welcome pack on where to go or what to do if you encounter a bully or a creep.  Comedy attracts people who like to make their own rules – unfortunately, the flip side of that means we haven't always established or enforced consistent codes of conduct.

All that said – just because a comedian has been accused, it doesn't mean that the comedy industry is at the root of the problem. I think the cult of celebrity in television entertainment had a much bigger part to play here in failing to support vulnerable people and victims.

Can you tell me about any personal experiences of misogyny you've faced in the comedy industry?

When I was a baby comic, I stayed to watch after my set was done – out of politeness and to learn from more experienced stand-ups. A middle-aged white man who I'd never met before made the entirety of his set about how much he'd like to fuck me, staring at me and my body the whole time and describing in lengthy detail what he'd do. No one challenged him or asked if I was okay.

When I was a not-so-baby comic, [a redacted middle-aged white man] wouldn't let me leave the green room until I kissed him on the cheek – he'd locked us in to give me feedback – and then told me I could tell everyone I'd had my “MeToo” moment.

Did you hear the rumours about Russell Brand before the allegations were made public?

I and many of my peers have been aware of the nature of these allegations for years. We are also aware of other allegations that have not been made public concerning this same comedian and other prominent people in our industry.

“These alleged abuses aren't a comedy-specific problem. They expose our willingness as a society to gloss over the faults of bullies due to their celebrity, perceived talent or power.”

How do you feel about the conversations that have ignited since the Brand investigation broke?

A lot of people in the industry finally feel they can openly comment on this specific investigation with less fear of reprisals. I hope the people to whom it was a complete surprise feel empowered by the openness of conversation and the evidence that at least some people in the media care about trying to hold abusers accountable. But pretty much all of the conversations around this topic are bleak as hell.

Do you think the culture has changed within comedy in recent years?

I guess predators now know to be a little less in-your-face with it all.

What needs to change in comedy to better protect the women who are in it and the fans who attend shows?

These alleged abuses aren't a comedy-specific problem. They expose our willingness as a society to gloss over the faults of bullies due to their celebrity, perceived talent or power. However, we engage with comedy – as audiences, performers, production, and promoters – we need to stop star-fucking and kissing arse to keep the people at the top happy. We need to speak up and stop shitty behaviour instead of turning away, staying silent and laughing along. We need to avoid normalising the unacceptable.

Jen Ives has written for the likes of Channel 4, Hattrick, Radio 4 and Dave. She has appeared on Joe Lycett's Big Pride Party and Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. Recently, she was a guest on the much-loved Off Menu podcast.

Do you think the comedy circuit has a misogyny problem?

Yes, undeniably. The stand up circuit still has a lot of residual bravado left over from the ‘Glory Days’. It’s an art form that was practically built on observations on the ‘differences between men and women’. For every individual who goes into it for the love of comedy, there are 20 others who go into it to ‘get pussy’ and ‘look cool’.

Is there environmental factors specific to comedy that make it worse?

Most stand up comedy takes place in bar environments, which certainly makes it worse. Some promoters and acts seem to think they’re running a social club, as opposed to a professional work environment, which results in the mishandling of serious matters. Also, most comedy shows take place at night. I think that if a show ends later than advertised, then promoters have a responsibility to all of their acts to make sure they get home safely.

Can you tell me about any personal experiences of misogyny you've faced in the comedy industry?

In my 6 years on the circuit, I have experienced my unfair share of inappropriate touching, verbal abuse and unsolicited advances. More commonly though, I frequently find myself in a token position on a line up. It’s still extremely common to be the one ‘woman’ or one ‘queer’ on an otherwise all male lineup. I feel like the voices of women are still not as trusted by promoters or audiences to pull off comedy, which is of course bullshit.

Did you hear the rumours about Russell Brand before the allegations were made public?

Yes I did. Women in the comedy industry have been talking about him and his antics for years - and to a lot of us, his reputation was common knowledge. What was always an alarming subject of conversation in these instances though, was our continued surprise that he still hadn’t been pulled up on it. ‘Any day now…’ was the mantra. Those who worked with him, employed him and know him closely have a lot to answer for.

How do you feel about the conversations that have ignited since the Brand investigation broke?

So many of them are poignant and necessary. Unfortunately, there are a lot of utterly thoughtless, unempathetic and outright cruel commentators being platformed who seemingly have no idea what they’re talking about. A lot of the ‘conversations’ being had by these bad-actors are reactionary and exhausting, and ultimately unhelpful.

Do you think the culture has changed within comedy in recent years?

I think it will inevitably change some things within comedy, but it’s too soon to say what, exactly. My hope is that it will signal a sea-change where predatory men’s careers aren’t put before the safety of women whose careers are sometimes just beginning.

Have you found the conversations since to be positive or negative?

I think ‘conversation’ and ‘debate’ are virtues that are being exhausted in the media currently. Of course, they’re important, but at the end of the day there are victims here and their care and pursuit of justice are much more important to me.

What needs to change in comedy to better protect the women who in it and the fans who attend shows?

I think there needs to be less complacency from those who run gigs and productions. If a woman complains that there is a sex offender on a line up, or in a tv studio, very often her reluctance to be involved will be understood or accepted, but very rarely will said sex offender be the one who loses out. There are a lot of stand ups out there who seem to be more than happy performing alongside, or being the co-host of a podcast, or being on a panel show team with an absolute, undeniable wrongun. Until this changes, the comedy scene will continue to be a toxic environment for women.

Grace Campbell is a comedian who hosts the Disgraceful Club, and the author of ‘Amazing Disgrace: a book about shame’. She recently appeared on Celebrity Gogglebox with her father, ex-politician and journalist, Alastair Campbell. Her Instagram skits regularly go viral.

Do you think the comedy circuit has a misogyny problem? Are there environmental factors specific to comedy that make it worse?

I think there's two parts to this. Comedy historically has been so misogynistic, and people have been able to get away with abuse against women through comedy and joking. And then what happens is, when a woman calls that out, they're accused of being a boring,feminist snowflake. It's a really good way to silence women, because in comedy you're made to feel like you have to be like, fun and like down with it, and never offended I've done shows before where I was about to go on stage, and the man in front of me was making really bad rape jokes. I was like, now I have to go on stag? So, I think there's that one part, which is the actual comedy in itself being misogynistic, which is changing, obviously, but still taking quite a long time.

And then in terms of industry wise, most industries are still misogynistic. There are so few industries that aren't. So, I think in that sense, it's still systemically run by a few powerful men who get to decide who gets to go and what panel shows. I don't think women are respected as much in comedy as men are. I don't think men find women as funny as they should. I think men in comedy are really afraid of finding women funny, because then they think that they're going to lose work, if women are funnier than them.

Can you tell me about any personal experiences of misogyny you've faced in the comedy industry?

I'm very lucky because I've been able to slightly isolate myself from more traditional sides of comedy, by building my own audience, and working with women and queer comedians. I actually very rarely work with straight men. But when I was starting out, yes.

Men would find ways to patronise me, or men who would be inappropriate  because I go on stage and have my tits out, and wear quite revealing clothes. I look hot when I'm on stage, and they think that means they can say creepy stuff to me.

“People need to believe women. And that's not just in comedy.”

Did you hear the rumours about Russell Brand before the allegations were made public?

Yeah, I heard [the rumours] when I started doing stand up, like six years ago.

How do you feel about the conversations that have ignited since the Brand investigation broke?

I wasn't shocked [by the allegations]. But I just feel like every time something like this happens it depresses me on such a deep level, because nothing is changing. And the way that a lot of the internet responded, by denying reality and saying what they [the alleged victims] were saying wasn't true. That affects me deeply, and sends a message to other people who have been raped not to do anything about it.

Do you think the culture has changed within comedy in recent years?

It's very hard to know. We're almost eight years on from #MeToo and not much has changed. It changes in very small ways. I think the more that men are scared of being held accountable for their behaviour, the more that their behaviour will change. They need to be afraid of doing the wrong thing, and then they will be forced into doing the right thing. But, there is an amazing support network in comedy amongst women. There are so many older women who've really protected me and made sure that I'm okay. Women just talk to each other more about this stuff.

What needs to change in comedy to better protect the women who are in it and the fans who attend shows?

I think that people need to believe women. And that's not just in comedy. None of this changes if people don't believe women when they come forward.

Alexandra Haddow, 35, stand-up comedian, writer & founder of Indie Amnesty. Alexandra Haddow is a regular at comedy clubs all over London. She has contributed to Have I Got News For You, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Refinery29, Time Out, Metro and Independent magazines, and has been a columnist for NME.

Do you think the comedy circuit has a misogyny problem?

I personally haven't experienced any misogyny in comedy, but that's probably because I'm based in London, where promoters have been very conscious of balanced, diverse bills, for a long time. But I think in places that don't have as much live comedy, there's still no qualms about booking all male bills, and audiences definitely seem a little more apprehensive of female acts.

Can you tell me about any personal experiences of misogyny you’ve faced in the comedy industry?

I haven't really experienced it, like I say. Very early on in my career I was booked to do less time on a night where everyone else was male, and I thought that was probably to do with being a woman, so I've never played that club again. But in the grand scheme, I've had a great time and always worked with supportive bookers and promoters.

“Clubs now have blacklists where they won't book acts that they've received complaints about, and I feel like most modern bookers are always willing to listen to female comics if they have any concerns.”

Did you hear the rumours about Russell Brand before the allegations were made public?

Yes, around two years ago.

How do you feel about the conversations that have ignited since the Brand investigation broke?

I feel like, with anything like this, in any industry, the day we stop putting profits over people, is the day things change. His behaviour was allowed to escalate around vulnerable people who were working for him, because he was making people enough money that they didn't care.

Do you think the culture has changed within comedy in recent years?

I feel like the last two waves of #MeToo within comedy have done much more with regards to women's safety, reporting predators and dodgy behaviour, than the Russell allegations. Clubs now have blacklists where they won't book acts that they've received complaints about, and I feel like most modern bookers are always willing to listen to female comics if they have any concerns. Russell was never on the comedy circuit, he was a TV presenter who went into stand up comedy.

Have you found the conversations since to be positive or negative?

Mostly positive I think. I haven't spoken to anyone who thinks the progression of the industry is a bad thing.

What needs to change in comedy to better protect the women who are in it and the fans who attend shows?

I think the main thing that needs to be done is for an environment to be created where if a crime / sexually inappropriate behaviour is committed, women feel safe to go to the relevant person to tell them. (As well as the police of course) More female bookers and promoters would help with this. Audience members can sleep with performers all they want, there's nothing wrong with this. I've dated guys who I've spoken to on stage, I've slept with other comedians. All of this is absolutely fine. What isn't right is the way that somebody who is a problem gets away with it and escalates their behaviour, because they feel like they have nobody to go to, or if they do tell someone, it's not believed / not acted on. Clubs need to make it clear that they have a safe contact with whom someone can report inappropriate behaviour.

For more information about reporting and recovering from rape and sexual abuse, you can contact Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222.

If you have been sexually assaulted, you can find your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre here. You can also find support at your local GP, voluntary organisations such as Rape Crisis, Women's Aid, and Victim Support, and you can report it to the police (if you choose) here.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLjApqauqp2WtKLGyKecZ5ufY8Kse8Crq6KbnJp8s8HSrJylpF2Xv6K6w2auqKWVo3qku8yem7JlmaOxtr%2FTq7A%3D