Netflix has helped bring attention to a number of British comedians, with specials from Jimmy Carr and Stewart Lee gaining a wide North American audience over the past five years. But if anyone deserves the exposure the streaming service can bring, it's Bridget Christie, the celebrated humourist, writer and standup.
On her first special in both North America and England, Christie chooses to shape her entire act around one specific theme (a common practice in the UK), brazenly skewering the stereotypes, issues and inequality faced by women throughout history.
In 50 completely absorbing and acerbic minutes, Christie never comes off apologetic and she never makes the viewer feel like she's saying something out of line or taboo, as her scope moves from the Biblical Adam ("Eve was created to laugh at Adam's jokes"), the Christopher Hitchens' essay on how women are not funny ("He tried to prove his theory by not putting any jokes into his essay and then dying") and the ridiculous Bic for Her pen ("Before they were invented, women could only use their menstrual blood").
Performing at London's 320-person capacity Hoxton Hall, Christie keeps the gracious crowd captivated with her quick-fire wit and intelligence, demonstrated by her unique narrative style that often finds her coming off as if she's discovering these truths in real time, helping her deliver the absurdity of men's ideals around women, in which she sums things up brilliantly: "I'm not going to stop talking about feminism until short, fat, bald, pissed, sweaty women have the level of self-worth and self-confidence [as men do]."
Even if you find Christie preaching to your own personal choir, Stand Up for Her is delivered with such a level of confidence, intelligence and common sense that you can't help but coming out of it feeling a little more enlightened, informed... and sore from laughter.
Exclaim! is reviewing every standup comedy special currently available on Netflix Canada, including this one. You can find a complete list of reviews so far here.
On her first special in both North America and England, Christie chooses to shape her entire act around one specific theme (a common practice in the UK), brazenly skewering the stereotypes, issues and inequality faced by women throughout history.
In 50 completely absorbing and acerbic minutes, Christie never comes off apologetic and she never makes the viewer feel like she's saying something out of line or taboo, as her scope moves from the Biblical Adam ("Eve was created to laugh at Adam's jokes"), the Christopher Hitchens' essay on how women are not funny ("He tried to prove his theory by not putting any jokes into his essay and then dying") and the ridiculous Bic for Her pen ("Before they were invented, women could only use their menstrual blood").
Performing at London's 320-person capacity Hoxton Hall, Christie keeps the gracious crowd captivated with her quick-fire wit and intelligence, demonstrated by her unique narrative style that often finds her coming off as if she's discovering these truths in real time, helping her deliver the absurdity of men's ideals around women, in which she sums things up brilliantly: "I'm not going to stop talking about feminism until short, fat, bald, pissed, sweaty women have the level of self-worth and self-confidence [as men do]."
Even if you find Christie preaching to your own personal choir, Stand Up for Her is delivered with such a level of confidence, intelligence and common sense that you can't help but coming out of it feeling a little more enlightened, informed... and sore from laughter.
Exclaim! is reviewing every standup comedy special currently available on Netflix Canada, including this one. You can find a complete list of reviews so far here.
