Janine Brito performs during OUT On Stage (All photos courtesy of OUT On Stage)
WHEN BEING THE PUNCHLINE IS OK
Gay streaming service Dekkoo just dropped a new stand-up series, OUT On Stage, with comics serving us their best gags in a cast of all queer comedians.
The binge-worthy six episodes, filmed in Los Angeles, feature an eclectic mix of queer diaspora with bits on gender norms, stereotypes, race, culture and more.
"I don't think comedy is an easy field for anyone, but it can sometimes be especially difficult for those of us with unique, diverse voices,” says OUT On Stage host Zach Noe Towers. “We're a much smaller percentage of the population, stage time can be harder to come by, and often times audiences aren't as willing to give us a chance.”
Subscription-based streaming service Dekkoo offers a collection of gay-centric entertainment larger than Here TV, Netflix or Amazon.
Hear+Qwere caught up with OUT On Stage comics Gloria Bigelow, AB Cassidy, and Janine Brito to find out what’s so funny about being a woman in comedy.
Gloria Bigelow performs during OUT On Stage
How did performing with OUT On Stage differ from other stand-up gigs you’ve done?
Gloria Bigelow: Performing in OUT On Stage didn't feel very different when we were doing it — it did feel different when I saw it in the theatre though. It felt incredibly special and a bit subversive that it was even happening.
AB Cassidy: Usually I'm the token lesbian, but this time it was a stage full of queer people. It was very cool.
Janine Brito: It was a fun experience hanging out with so many queer comics backstage. There’s a shorthand you don’t have with straight comics, so it was glorious, we were eventually able to clearly communicate in clicks and death drops.
“I think it’s the trifecta of the whole black, female, lesbian thing that makes for a fun response from people.”
OUT On Stage aside, what has been the response to your queer comedy?
GLORIA: My comedy definitely deals with me being queer, because that's a part of my identity, but I think it's the trifecta of the whole black, female, lesbian thing that makes for a fun response from people. It depends on what kind of audience I'm performing to. For me, being a queer comic has nothing but helpful to me in my career.
AB: The response has been pretty receptive and mostly positive! And funny thing is, the majority of my fan base isn't queer.
JANINE: My fans often give shout outs to my dogs, so honestly, they truly SEE me.
AB Cassidy performs during OUT On Stage
Is it challenging being a female in comedy? Does being queer compound that? How?
GLORIA: I think comedy is challenging anyway. I believe that it is one of the hardest art forms, so being a woman doing it definitely compounds that. Still fighting that whole, "women aren't funny" mess and then the queer thing — that has actually been something that when I began in comedy 10 years ago — I actually think it made me stand out. There is also a network of queer comics and that network has been helpful and supportive. A lot of the work that I've gotten has been from queer folks who have helped to put me on.
AB: I think it's challenging being a female in anything. But in comedy? I guess. Some people just assume that because you're a woman you're gonna tell certain jokes. So whenever I write anything, I try really hard to avoid those stereotypes.
JANINE: Yes. It’s difficult being this inherently gorgeous around some real drabby drabs.
“Some people just assume that because you’re a woman you’re gonna tell certain jokes. I try really hard to avoid those stereotypes.”
Which queer comics make you bust a gut with laughter?
GLORIA: Ummm- there are so many of them- but we can start with Wanda Sykes, Erin Foley, Dana Goldberg, Page Hurwitz, Pete Zias... I could go on all day with this.
AB: Fortune Feimster, Julie Goldman, Chaunte Wayans, and Daniel Franzese...Oh, and all the hilarious legends on this show!
JANINE: Guy Branum, Solomon Georgio, Erin Foley
Keep the laughter going with the ladies on socials:
Gloria Bigelow is an out black woman who’s got a bone to pick with everybody. She tackles issues of sexuality, race, and gender, and her facial expressions are a punchline in and of themselves.
AB Cassidy is a non-binary comedian, actor, writer, and animal whisperer. Catch her performing at the Laugh Factory in L.A. or hosting her own regular show at The Mint.
Janine Brito is a writer (One Day At A Time, Netflix /Bless The Harts, Fox). Her pronoun are she, her, and this dyke right here. She's half Cuban, half Icelandic, and aaaall lesbian.
Dekkoo (pronounced “DECK-koo”) is available internationally via iTunes, Google Play, AppleTV and Roku. In the U.S. and U.K., Dekkoo is also available via the Amazon Dekkoo Channel.