Nhi Duong
4 thg 11, 2021
Vietnamese women have acquired a footing in Vietnam's comedy scene in recent years, despite the fact that it is dominated by men. However, as the sector expands, the evidence of a gender disparity appears to be more visible.
Right before the country plunged into social distancing, we had the opportunity to interview three Hanoi and Saigon-based stand-up comedians — Kim Thanh, Yen Nhi, and Minh Tu. With events temporarily canceled owing to COVID-19, the young women are using the opportunity to concentrate on new content and hope to re-introduce themselves to audiences shortly. We met with the trio of comics and heard about their inspirations, problems, and possibilities on stage.
How the story began
Though it may appear odd, the epidemic has unintentionally increased the number of opportunities for young people to pursue other professional routes, one of which is stand-up comedy.
Vo Yen Nhi, better known as Nhi Vo, got into the profession because she was skilled at making people laugh. In September, Nhi discovered Sai Gon Teu, the city’s resident stand-up comedy club, and began performing at their open mics, where she was able to hone her act. She was quickly called the "Queen of Open Mic" for having the longest streak of performances.
At the opposite end of the nation, Haha Hanoi's Kim Thanh, who previously specialized in improv, became familiar with the stand-up comedy community during the epidemic. Following the release from last year's lockdown, the Hanoian comedy club began experimenting with stand-up comedy at the recommendation of its founder and they finally made it to the Vietnam Comedy Competition.
Meanwhile, Vo Minh Tu is a stand-up comedy expert who has been active in the scene for about four years, primarily doing English-language routines. Tu used stand-up comedy to recuperate from mental health concerns that she claims have harmed her friendships, job, and language ability. Finally, she chose stand-up comedy as a type of storytelling or a creative outlet through which she could express herself emotionally, confide with audiences while simultaneously amusing them.
"Being on stage is like playing a thrilling game. It's terrifying, yet exhilarating and addictive. And after you've devoted all of your energy to perform, you'll also discover the solution to your difficulties" - Tu expresses how it feels to be on stage.
“Isn’t that inappropriate for a girl to do?”
Even in nations where stand-up comedy has a long history, such as the United States or the United Kingdom, data reveals that the profession is still mostly for males, with males getting the bulk of performances. In Vietnam, where stand-up comedy is still in its infancy, this imbalance is even more pronounced, as audiences are already familiar with male comedians but rarely with female comedians.
"The first challenge for female stand-up comedians is definitely needing to spend more time on cosmetics than our male counterparts," Nhi jokes. She did, however, agree that there are prejudices against women in the field, particularly when they wish to stand up. Girls are taught from an early age to "be quiet," to be submissive, and to keep their inner feelings to themselves and this persists until adulthood.
A few of Kim Thanh’s male colleagues claimed that female comedians have a hard time finding a partner because they “pay too much attention to details and show a lot of attitude about it.” Some men are also uncomfortable with having a girlfriend who is funnier than him.
Tu was even physically harassed during a performance, but her coworkers and the bar owner ignored her claims when she sought to report it. “It is very difficult for women to speak up in a male-dominated workplace as there are so few of us. Even our truth is taken for granted,” she says.
When a woman does stand-up comedy, prejudices such as "she's not as good as the boys" or "how dare she say such nasty things" are propagated. Many people come to concerts with an ill-conceived prejudice, expecting their artists to be ladylike and being surprised when they start talking about sensitive topics.
This type of gender stereotyping has a significant impact on the creative-making process of comics, leaving them cautious while writing scripts, especially when explicit issues are included. On the other hand, Nhi Vo managed to flip the cliche by giving a skit on how society's demands intrude on women's liberty even in matters of excretion.
Female comedians may, in some ways, convert these restrictions into the source material. Tu said that she used to do acts about gender stereotypes all the time, but she soon realized that she needed to find a solution to the problem rather than just dwell on it. This mirrored her growth as a stand-up comedian. T believes that knowing when to move on and explore new topic themes is how she develops as a performer.
When it comes to evaluating the success of an act, Tu has her own set of criteria. For her, stand-up comedy is a type of psychiatric treatment, so even if no one laughs, the show has accomplished its objective as long as she feels happier.
A new scenario
In Vietnam, stand-up comedy has yet to reach its full potential. With increased internet access and digitization of entertainment, it is just now utilizing social media to attract a larger audience.
Tu said that young Vietnamese have the advantage of being able to obtain knowledge from a variety of sources, allowing young performers to study and explore topics more extensively. She believes, however, that they should not confine themselves to shallow issues drawn from elsewhere, but should instead go deep into their own culture and communicate their own experiences in the most fascinating way to audiences.
Despite the fact that women in this industry face several challenges, there are numerous chances for females to further their careers and establish their own brands. In the far future, Nhi Vo hopes to be acknowledged as a professional stand-up comedian and to be able to give a special performance to commemorate a career milestone. Meanwhile, Minh Tu primarily wants to use this period to collect life assets, appreciate fresh content, and convey amusement to everyone.
When the material of life is brought to the stage of stand-up comedy, whether it is thorny, sensitive, or negative, it demands the trust and dedication of the artists themselves; only then can the audience feel connected.
With that in mind, these young ladies are continually improving themselves, progressively expressing their equal position on the new artform, and thereby contributing to the Vietnamese stand-up comedy section— in its early stage— both popularity and quality content.