by Rachael Healy
When US comedian Kelly Bachman found herself performing to a bailed Harvey Weinstein at a New York show in October 2019, she confronted him from the stage. But she was the only one who did, and later wrote in the New York Times: “A lot of the work in calling out rape, rapists, and rape culture unfortunately still falls on survivors … I want other people to speak up for us so that we don’t have to.”
Similar pleas have come from women and nonbinary comedians in the UK, after the latest round of #MeToo revelations this summer. Mae Martin, London Hughes, Eleanor Tiernan, Sofie Hagen and others asked for men to take over the conversation about sexism and sexual harassment. When the majority of stories involve a male perpetrator, surely men need to be the ones making changes?
On social media, some men have offered solidarity. When the Hollywood Reporter published rape allegations against UK comedian James Veitch, Nish Kumar tweeted: “Another day saluting brave women […] Fucking hell lads, we need to change and we need to do it now.” David O’Doherty added onj Twitter: “We all – industry, but in particular male comedians – need to act more decisively when you hear of any issue.” Veitch declined to comment, but a source close to him said he denied all allegations, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
For those who’ve experienced sexism and harassment at the hands of male colleagues, it’s not a given that men want to see change. Ed Night, whose 2018 Edinburgh Fringe show An Aesthetic tackled harassment in comedy, says men shouldn’t hesitate to speak out against abuse and sexism. “A man recently told me they were worried about talking about feminism in case anyone thought they had an ulterior motive,” he says. “But that’s like ‘cancel culture’: it’s a deliberate impediment to talking about the things we should be talking about.”
Wariness of “virtue-signalling” isn’t the only barrier. Night had to temper his material to avoid legal repercussions. Others fear career damage, prioritise their friendship with the accused, or simply don’t know what action to take. Many women in comedy I spoke to this year reported being harassed or belittled while other men present did nothing. For them, the inaction of colleagues was unforgettable. Read more via Guardian