Pour Boy laughs at Trump
By Victoria Christie
A burst of laughter came from the dimly lit bar at Pour Boy Pub on Somerset Street West.
The crowd, with frothy beers in hand, had just heard comedian Kennedy Ryan compare U.S. President Donald Trump to getting her period.
“Donald Trump is in charge, we’re going to be fine,” she said sarcastically during her set. “It’ll be bad for two days and then done, blood everywhere.”
Feminist comedians delivered several punch lines aimed at Trump during The Future is Female comedy show earlier this month, shortly before his Jan. 20 inauguration.
The five comedians — Nour Hadidi, Natalie Norman, Aggie Winsom, Megan Honey and Ryan — performed to the sold-out crowd of more than 40 people.
Norman and Hadidi put on a similar comedy show in Ottawa in September.
Since it was so popular, Norman said they wanted to come back to Pour Boy Pub and feature different comedians.
The Jan. 12 show was such a success that another night was added for Jan. 15, which sold out in two hours.
“People have been coming out to these events, which shows me that Ottawa is ready for feminist, queer comedy,” said Maria Bajwa, manager of Pour Boy.
Even though there are no plans set in stone, Bajwa said the pub is open to hosting more events like this one.
“If that keeps happening, we’re a business — we are always going to be happy to support this,” she said.
The Future is Female aimed to raise awareness of feminist and LGBTQ issues, and some of the comedians did not shy away from politically charged material about the new U.S. president.
Comedy can be its own form of political activism, according to Norman.
“This type of show is clearly anti-Republican,” said the 30-year-old comedian. “The fact that we are on stage, standing up and saying what we want to say, is…activism.”
Reza Raeesi, who studies law at the University of Ottawa, said comedy is a good way to talk about taboo subjects people might normally shy away from, like periods or catcalling.
“It’s all great,” Raeesi said. “And also, making fun of Donald Trump is the best thing.”
Raeesi said it was his first time attending a feminist comedy show.
Centretown was the site of a political protest after the president’s inauguration.
Local activists held a solidarity march on Parliament Hill on Jan. 21 in connection with the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. The gathering was intended to promote equality and to express solidarity with women worldwide.
“I’m not going to say his name because as far as I’m concerned, it’s like Voldemort to me,” Norman told the audience. “The only thing that would surprise me would be if a cat won the election. A talking cat.”
Aside from the Trump-related jokes, the five women addressed issues such as transphobia, racism and sexism during their stand-ups.
Norman said she and Hadidi created The Future is Female as a way to provide space for a diverse representation of women to perform comedy.
“Women aren’t the punch line of your joke anymore,” Norman said.
The Future is Female has been performed in Montreal and Toronto with other female comedians.
The Toronto show raised money for Planned Parenthood, a cause Norman said she wants to continue to support in the future.
Norman and Hadidi plan to take the show on the road across Canada, making stops in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Vancouver by the end of February.
“We’re here, we’re not going to shut up because we don’t know how, so get used to it,” Norman said with a laugh.