In a conversation for Vanity Fair‘s New Establishment Summit on Tuesday, anti-bullying activist Monica Lewinsky told comedian Hannah Gadsby she has “never gone to a standup comedy show and bawled my eyes out” before seeing her standup special Nanette. “And knowing my history, that was surprising.”
In their talk onstage, Lewinsky added that “for at least a week after I saw your show, I would find myself zoning out, reliving this moment of transformation you created onstage.”
lucky enough to see @Hannahgadsby “Nanette” in the theater last night.
— Monica Lewinsky (she/her) (@MonicaLewinsky) June 29, 2018
A. she is brilliant + brave
B. one of the most profound + thought provoking experiences of my life.
C. thank you, hannah. thank you. 🙏🏻
see it live… or it’s on @netflix
Nanette debuted on Netflix in June and has since received critical praise for its honesty and the sharp, heartwrenching way it tackles straight white male privilege and abuse. Gadsby mentions Lewinsky in Nanette, and how she often became a punchline by late-night hosts and comedians in the late ’90s. “I was shamed by a world that didn’t see me,” Gadsby said at the summit, referencing the abuse she has suffered as a lesbian and a woman. “Your shame was public property.”
During their conversation, Gadsby also said that mentioning Lewinsky in her special “was a genuine attempt to extend an apology from an art form that profited off hurting you.”
Asked by Lewinsky if she would ever host SNL, Gadsby said, “It’s not a real question, because I won’t be asked,” but she did call out men who don’t “get” her jokes during the Emmys last month, and many people thought that included SNL‘s Michael Che, who has reportedly not seen her special but still felt qualified to critique it.
H/T Vanity Fair
