Women, Satire, and Imposter Syndrome

This week we looked at the role of gender in several ways, but I was especially interested in the idea of women in satire and comedy.  In the article, Hannah Gadsby on the limits of Satire author Rebecca Krefting cited Gadsby's special stating "I cook dinner way more than I lesbian. But nobody ever introduced me as the 'that chef comedian', do they?"Krefting, (95-96). Gadsby, whose comedic presence is based on satirical humor around queer and woman's inequality seems to have some frustrations with the topic. With enough of a following, she recognizes that she has more of a voice than just that of the self-deprecating act that she's been putting on. Gadsby is frustrated that she was limited within her comedy based on her gender and sexuality. While Gadsby is turning away from this type of humor, not every woman or queer person has the opportunity to do so. These marginalized communities already have such small voices that the ones they do manage to catch peoples' attention need to fall in a certain category. 

Essentially people are forced into quieting their voices and opinions rather than have them muted by others. Satire is one of the few tools that can convey a message under the radar and still get the point across. Gadsby and other people have been forced to use this tool more often than not. The ability to make fun of something, however, while simultaneously calling attention to said thing is no easy task. Gadsby is ready to try a new approach and few can blame her. We also talked about imposter syndrome this week, which is an important concept to note. Gadsby is most likely suffering from this feeling a smidge as well after being forced to pursue a comedy method that she maybe didn't want to adopt. The imposter syndrome is something I've experienced more often than I'd like to admit, and it is a heartbreaking feeling. Reading this week's article about it, however, was somewhat a breath of fresh air. Essentially the article indicates that this feeling we experience is due to the systematic inequality faced in the workplace. While this is maddening beyond belief it is also a relief to know that this feeling of inequality is not because I'm less, but because of how I am treated. That being said I am white, so I've only experienced a portion of what women of color experience.

The article states at one point " Even as we know it today, imposter syndrome puts the blame on individuals, without accounting for the historical and cultural contexts that are foundational to how it manifests in both women of color and white women"(Tulshyan and Burey, 2021). Clearly, women have been made to feel as if they're causing their own feelings of inadequacy, but rarely is imposter syndrome recognized as being part of a bigger picture. Rarely do we hear that we're not inadequate, but we've been instead forced to believe we are less than we are. I'm sure Gadsby has felt this at least once when it comes to her comedy, and I love that she's exploring other methods of comedy.