“Humor is just another defense against the universe,” Mel Brooks told Rolling Stone in 1978. This insight is perhaps even truer for women — we’ve often had to wield our senses of humor as a weapon against misogyny, inequity, and the general horrors of womanhood. From Ali Wong to Tig Notaro to Whoopi Goldberg, women have long been using comedy as a means to claim agency, carve out power, and find the humor in their lived struggles.
This round of VOD and web series picks showcases women filmmakers and creators who are using comedy to find meaning and humor in some of life’s — and our world’s — most pressing and serious issues. Kimmy Gatewood and Alison Becker’s “Control” crafts dark comedy from one woman’s laborious and surprisingly considerate suicide attempt. Hailey Gates’ “Shako Mako” tells the amusing story of a young actress on a military base, where U.S. soldiers are trained to infiltrate Iraqi villages. “Everything is Fine!” features six women comedians frankly dissecting the present hellscape of womanhood with hilarious insight.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest VOD and web series selections.
VOD
“Control” (Short) – Directed by Kimmy Gatewood; Written by Alison Becker
Much of the work of comedy is to tackle taboo subjects head on, even at the risk of causing discomfort, with the intent of creating conversation. In its brief 14-minute runtime, that’s just what Kimmy Gatewood and Alison Becker’s “Control” does. The short film follows a woman (Becker) in the preparatory stages of a suicide attempt: she puts on her slippers, makes her bed, and gets to work crafting the perfect note to leave behind before she ends her life.
“Control” is morbid, to put it mildly. But it is also darkly and unexpectedly hilarious: the woman’s suicide note soon becomes a suicide binder, complete with collated pages, printed labels, and tab dividers. (She types, prints, and three-hole-punches pertinent documents ranging from “Dog Care After My Death” to “Friends To Apologize To” to “Unused Groupons”). And it’s no surprise that “Control” manages to find twisted humor in such a serious story — Becker and Gatewood both have deep roots in comedy. Gatewood is best known for her role as Stacey on “GLOW,” and she has also acted and directed on “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” Becker is a familiar face as well, with a recurring role on “Parks and Recreation” and appearances in shows like “Kroll Show,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “New Girl.”
“We wanted to show the humor that can come out of a very serious moment,” Becker told We Are Moving Stories. “The film reveals [a] very real struggle with gravity, unexpected humor, and an extremely cute dog.” And thanks to its authenticity, hilarity, and perhaps even its canine co-star, “Control” swept the LA Shorts Awards in March 2018, winning Best Short, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Cinematography. It’s no wonder — the short is a surprisingly affecting and well-told story, despite its sole character never uttering a single word.
Watch “Control” on Vimeo.
“Shako Mako” (Short) – Written and Directed by Hailey Gates
A lot of things may come to mind when you think of Miu Miu: thick-heeled Mary Janes, dainty gold-chained purses, every conceivable shade of pink. But for the past seven years, the Italian high fashion house has also been quietly supporting women filmmakers through its “Women’s Tales” series. Past participants include Ava DuVernay, Lucrecia Martel, Miranda July, and Chloë Sevigny.
Hailey Gates’ comedy “Shako Mako” is the 17th installment of Miu Miu’s “Women’s Tales.” The unconventional story was born when Gates was doing research for a documentary project, for which she traveled to fake Iraqi and Afghan villages built on U.S. military bases to train soldiers. As she began to interview these villages’ inhabitants, the narrative pieces of “Shako Mako” came together. The film follows Laila (Alia Shawkat), a young actress who portrays a bread seller in the replica Iraqi village of a California military base. Shawkat, an “Arrested Development” alumna, infuses the film with characteristic charm and irreverence. “I actually wrote the part for [Shawkat],” Gates told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s a friend of mine, and I’ve always wanted to work for her, and I knew that she’s Iraqi, and I just thought she was the perfect person for the job.”
At the film’s Los Angeles premiere in January, Gates and Shawkat discussed the ways in which “Shako Mako” attempts to confront the issues of war, Islamophobia, misogyny, and ethnic stereotyping with humor and style. “I became fascinated by instances of people acting, but in real life, and how that affects the psyche and your emotional state,” Gates said. “I thought it was so interesting that we were sending soldiers to Iraq and training them in a Hollywood-esque facility.” With a charismatic lead, stunning visual aesthetic, and brash script, “Shako Mako” makes for an amusing and whimsical watch.
Watch “Shako Mako” on YouTube.
Web Series
“Everything is Fine!” – Created by Xan Aranda and Emily Best
“What do you get when you take six comedians, give them a mic, and let the cameras roll?” asks the homepage of Seed&Spark’s stand-up web series “Everything is Fine!” The answer? “Jesus camp, sex with actor, Beyoncé, haunted fishbowls, catcalls, and font jokes.” Not only that — you also get a fantastic hour of stellar women-centric comedy.
“Everything is Fine!” features six rising comedians: Lianna Carrera, Leah Rudick, Katrina Davis, Heather Turman, Riley Silverman, and Amelia Harris.”We sought to champion lesser-known comic voices as they react to our present day political climate,” executive producer Emily Best told We Are Moving Stories. “This group of brilliant storytellers help you see the world for what it is: beautiful, tragic, joyful, ridiculous, and funny.” The group is as diverse as they are hilarious, covering every topic under the sun and citing influences that range from Lucille Ball to Lisa Simpson. The series also includes exclusive “behind-the-comedy” episodes, which give intimate and hilarious offstage access to each comedian.
Though the series doesn’t flagrantly boast its all-women lineup, Best hopes the show’s women-centric focus makes an impression on the comedy scene — and on audiences. Best shared a story about a male fan who had something of a revelation upon seeing the show: “A guy came up [to me during the show] and said, ‘I realized about three-fourths of the way through that this was an all-women lineup. And then I realized that I was noticing that, and it was the first time I had ever seen that. And then I realized this was the best stand-up show I had seen and how terrible that it’s the first time I’ve seen this many women performing in one night.'”
Ultimately, Best believes the power of stand-up — especially from women’s point of view — is healing in today’s current climate. “You want to laugh. You NEED to laugh,” Best says. “Joy is also part of the revolution.” And these comics are certainly leading that revolution: “Just their act of standing onstage and being themselves feels like a radical act.”
Watch “Everything is Fine!” on Seed&Spark.
