Hysterical tracks the rise in mainstream acceptance of female comedians, from the boundary breaking funny ladies in the 1950’s up to those who have the same level of name recognition as their male counterparts today. The film isn’t so much about craft or the art of comedy, but instead the challenges women face in a male dominated industry that has long stigmatized them as “not funny”.
The film features a boat load of great subjects talking about their experiences as working stand ups including legends Margaret Cho, who talked about being the only female Asian comic for the longest time, Kathy Griffin, who despite earning almost fifty million dollars throughout her career had it all came crashing down when Republicans found her photo shoot with a fake severed Trump head too much, to up and comers like Kelly Bachman who broke out after using her time on stage to publicly shame rapist and former movie producer Harvey Weinstein when he attended a comedy show she was performing at after he was exposed for his crimes.
These women may come from diverse backgrounds, have different comedic styles and vary in levels of success, but they all have suffered at the hands of bookers who refuse to book “vaginas, back to back” even though they have no problem booking “dick, dick, dick, dick, dick” for showcases. They tell stories about how up until the last few years these same women who have had to fight through all the misogyny and disbelief from audience members, booking agents and male comedians would still have to be cutthroat with their peers as a survival mechanism.
The film features plenty of great early career footage of all the interviewees along with some of the women who have paved the way for success including the likes of Moms Mabley, Phyllis Diller, Joan Rivers and others. Director Andrea Nevins cuts around the biggest superstar in this realm, Amy Shumer in a few ways. Subjects talk about how her show Inside Amy Shumer allowed plenty of talented women the opportunity to be involved both in front of the camera and in the writers room, and she is briefly shown in a few clips, but her not being interviewed looks like a big omission and someone that seemed integral to the story arc.
The use of title cards make for some awkward editing as it shows the viewer what the upcoming segment will touch on by using dictionary definitions both literal and how they pertain to the world of female stand up comedians, but they often completely kill the pacing and add little to what the talking heads proceed to rehash in often funnier and more insightful ways.
Overall the sheer amount of funny people in a single film, talking about a subject that often gets brushed aside or worse told it doesn’t matter makes the movie a must watch for anyone that is a fan of stand up comedy. The archival footage and interviews all come together to make a very compelling documentary that looks to be a hit for FX.
Hysterical was seen during the 2021 Hot Docs Festival. Thank you to the festival and Disney for the screener. Hysterical is currently streaming on FX.
