Hysterical

By: Maggie Stankiewicz

Hysterical is director Andrea Nevins’ fresh and frustrating contribution to a growing collection of documentaries on women in stand-up comedy. The documentary, which will be featured on FX, is an in-depth look at the career and struggle of comedy’s most groundbreaking, side-splitting women. The film, much like stand-up comedy itself, masterfully manipulates its medium to explore, expose and call attention to the industry’s history of sexism through the prism of humor, trauma and the universal appeal of unbridled laughter.

Nevins is no stranger to the documentary format, with a robust resume of documentary films and television series under her belt. Known for her ability to expose social issues through the prism of entertainment, Hysterical is another successful venture behind the scenes of an industry that is not without its problems. Hysterical doesn’t just identify problems in the world of stand-up, it exposes them with first-hand accounts from comedic giants like Nikki Glaser, Margaret Cho, Kathy Griffin, Fortune Feimster, Marina Franklin and countless others.

The movie takes audiences to the back lounges and spot-lit stages of comedy’s hottest spots from the Comedy Cellar to The Stand and everywhere in between to tell the stories of its subjects across state lines, career trajectories and personal circumstances. Nevins first dives deep into the childhoods of her subjects, digging up more than just their influences – revealing that at the end of the day comedians across all walks of life are simply trying to be seen, to be heard.

From pioneers like Phyllis Diller and Vaudeville women to those who stand before us on stage today, there is a common thread of oppression. Men have long tried to stifle female comedians for simply asking for equity, for the ability to be seen and heard in their purest form. This is the sour note of Hysterical, though it’s a necessary pill to swallow. Beneath the veneer of these powerful, hilarious women is the trauma they’ve been forced to endure by audiences, by colleagues, by producers and the world around them.

Hysterical, honoring its subject matter, does not pull any punches to keep the viewer comfortable. It explores the #MeToo movement, the atrocities of Harvey Weinstein and personal stories of survival from its participants. The film briefly touches upon the radical performances of rape survivor and comedian Kelly Bachman, who faced undeserved backlash for the jokes that would eventually evolve into her show Rape Jokes by Survivors. This is the only shortcoming of the film – as the documentary takes a tonal nosedive towards the end. Bachman’s story, and the stories of other comedians surrounding assault, deserve more real estate within the film’s runtime.

Ultimately, Hysterical accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It reflects the rampant misogyny poisoning the industry, and challenges the notion that women can’t be angry, outspoken or simply free without being called hysterical, crazy or weak. This documentary shows more than the hearts behind the humor, but the scars that they’ve acquired to be seen and heard in the name of keeping us entertained.