For most of August, the 23e edition of ComediHa! Fest-Québec will bring together in the Old Capital, indoors and outdoors, no less than 200 artists, including a large number of queer comedians experienced in the perilous exercise of making people laugh while offering new perspectives, particularly on gender. , identity and sexuality.
The event’s general manager, Josée Charland, wanted to embrace the wave of queer humor that is currently sweeping us, the United States and England: “The discovery of new faces and new styles has always part of our objectives, but this year we wanted to bear witness to the current openness to diversity and to report on the increasingly marked presence of this universe in our industry. To reach different audiences, the widest range possible, we ensure that various types of humor are brought together in the programming of ComediHa! Feast. We are aiming for decompartmentalization. »
Proposals from queer artists would have been more numerous this year than in the past. “Several responded to the festival’s call for projects,” explains the director. Queer humor has its codes and references, while being very accessible. The level of engagement is generally very high on the various platforms, and people relay this type of humor a lot on social networks. In a new audience development strategy, it becomes very interesting. »
But what exactly are these codes and references that distinguish queer humor? Considering the word “queer” as “an umbrella term that people whose sexual orientation or identity does not correspond to the dominant models can use”, Acadian Coco Belliveau acknowledges that her humor is queer: “There are intersections, she says. I don’t think every one of my jokes would fit neatly into that category, but when I talk about mental health, it’s filtered through my experience as a queer person, whether we realize it or not. »
Considering queer as “an identity, a counter-culture that advocates the acceptance of all individuals regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation”, drag queen Mona de Grenoble (alias Alexandre Aussant) does not hesitate to describe his humor as queer. “Although I do in the salty, the trash and the satire, my humor and the subjects that I approach differ from what is done at the moment. I like to highlight the gap between my reality and the very heteronormative ones that are implanted in our society. The contrast between the two is often material to make particularly crisp jokes. It’s anecdote that draws towards the comedy of insults. I love improvising with the public in the role of aunt who smells of crème de menthe full time. »
To be queer is to be rebellious and anti-system. I recognize myself in this term and I like it very much. There is an opening in the word “queer” which allows freedom from rigidity. It includes multiple gender expressions and multiple identities.
Tranna Wintour somehow interprets the word “queer” as “a synonym for the word ‘punk'”. “To be queer, she explains, is to be rebellious and anti-system. I recognize myself in this term and I like it very much. There is an opening in the word “queer” which allows freedom from rigidity. It includes multiple gender expressions and multiple identities. I don’t consider my humor to be consciously queer, but since I am a queer person, by default my humor is too. My humor is personal and introspective. Everything I say is based on my experiences, my point of view and my experience. It comes from me and it is unique to me. I use an insolent, sarcastic and very relaxed tone. »
Place for the next generation
To explain the fact that queer comedians occupy an increasingly large place, particularly in Quebec, Coco Belliveau has an enlightening politico-social theory that corresponds well to her type of humor: “The more people talk about it, the more they realize that they do not fit perfectly into the mould, that certain social structures interfere with their expression of gender identity. We find ourselves with a growing audience of people who question themselves or who want to find people who look like them. »
For Mona de Grenoble, who is preparing her first solo show, the current situation responds to a crying need for representation: “Representation is very important in cultural circles and traditional media. Not only to normalize community with the general public, but more importantly so that queer youth can identify with role models they haven’t had access to for years. For the drag community, Mado started the work years ago, and Rita Baga hit the final nail, but for the queer community in general, there’s still a lot of work to do. Each letter of the acronym LGBTQIA2+ corresponds to a sexual or gender diversity. It would be extraordinary if each of the people who identify with these letters could be well represented in the cultural and media sphere. »
Revealed to the general public by her appearance on the show Big Brother Celebrities, Tranna Wintour believes that the current rise of queer humor is the result of the efforts of an entire community: “Art, in any form, reflects the reality of society. Queer is taking up more and more space everywhere, so we also notice it in humor. But I think we need even more visibility. I feel like the people in charge are like, ‘We’ve got one queer person in the show, that’s enough.’ But in reality, this is not enough. For example, I would very much like to see queer humor in the regions, since it is currently located in major centres. »
Mona de Grenoble’s hopes also go in the direction of greater visibility: “We need more shows, more stands, more queer people in the programming of ‘standard’ evenings. For Coco Belliveau, the next challenge would be to achieve greater diversity within queer humor itself: “We need different points of view in the stories we tell, different tones, different relationships to gender identity and expression. »
In Quebec
While we tend to portray Quebec as a conservative city, there are more queer comedians at ComediHa this summer! Fest only at the Just for Laughs festival. This comes as no surprise to Mona de Grenoble: “I had the chance to make several appearances in the last year in Quebec, and each time it was a real charm. I’ve never had difficulty performing in major centers and more remote areas. As far as I am concerned, the differences in reactions are more evident in the crowns of the major centers. »
Coco Belliveau was not surprised by the invitation she received: “I often performed at ComediHa! and I felt that those who organized them were very open to the themes that I proposed. The reactions are different, because every audience is different, but I think we always end up finding our world, no matter where. Tranna Wintour explains that she has received many messages from Quebec: “A lot of people say they would like to see me. This is why the invitation from ComediHa! Fest made me very happy. I have good reason to believe that the reception will be positive. »