The world of standup comedy is a difficult one. For a woman, it can be even harder. The new documentary Hysterical looks at the history of comediennes and the importance of using your voice.
Hysterical has interviews with modern comediennes like Margaret Cho, Carmen Lynch, and Ilza Shlesinger, as well as clips of those who helped start the path for women in the business.
Hysterical can be funny. It can be thought provoking. Most of all, it will make viewers appreciate the importance of those comediennes who came before. You don’t realize how dangerous the world of a woman in comedy is. The women break it down how they’ve been felt up while taking pictures, assaulted by fellow comics, and even locked in dressing rooms. There’s also the dangers of the motel on the road. Oh, and there’s that infamous string of double standards.
If you catch one movie at SXSW, make it Hysterical. If you don’t have a chance to watch it at SXSW, it comes to FX April 2nd.
