Tig Notaro's stand up special Happy to Be Here was a joy to watch. Along with some seriously skilled deadpan humour, Notaro has a way of bringing positivity into her show that I really appreciated. She is unapologetically herself and finds humour in the seemingly mundane aspects of normal life. I found out after watching the show that this probably has something to do with the fact that she's faced a lot of misfortune in her life all at one time: the loss of her mother, the ending of a long-term relationship and a diagnosis of breast cancer. It made me realize that Happy to Be Here has a much deeper meaning than one might initially realize. Happy to Be Here means happy to be alive.
Watching Notaro's special has made me a little bit more grateful for the mundane things in my life, and made me realize that there's a bright side and a bit of humour to these little mundane things. For a person who has been through so much struggle, Notaro takes a very humbled and grateful point of view on life from being grateful for the deep love she shares with her wife, to the simplest things like having a kitty conversation with Fluff for the first time. At first, I was a little disappointed to not see her be outspoken about social justice issues in her show since she's a lesbian, non-femme presenting, woman, but upon reflecting back on the show I have a different point of view. She's just happy to be there and she wants to share that with you. She just wants to make people laugh and there's a certain wholesomeness to that.
I really appreciated Notaro's bit on things she likes to do at parties, such as walking into a room full of people she doesn't know and announcing, "Hey, I'm going to bed in about 10 minutes," just to confuse the hell out of them, or pretending she's searching for an imaginary dog named Mitzi only to leave the party, dogless, just as everyone is deep into searching for this nonexistent dog. Notaro seems like the kind of person not to take anything too seriously, and after a track record of tragic, serious, life events this makes a lot of sense. In the grand scheme of things, what good does taking things too seriously do? In any case, Notaro teaches us to embrace our weirdness, to be grateful for the mundane, and to not take anything too seriously because we should all just be happy to be here.
PS: I was going to add a couple photos and some funny clips from Notaro, but for some reason the website isn't letting me upload anything. Sorry for the lack of visuals on this post!
I really like this post, in part because I can see how it grew out of you thinking about ideas discussed on the forum. That's the goal and for me, as your teacher, it's wonderful to see it happen.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about your forum post on this issue since I read it. It got me thinking about all kinds of things, from Gadsby's fan telling her there wasn't enough "lesbian content" to that movie _Love, Simon_. (Some of you are like, huh? How is she going to connect all of that?)
The Gadsby thing is more obvious, so I won't go into that much detail except to say what I said on the forum--just by talking about her life, mundane as it is, Notaro is giving "lesbian content."
The _Love, Simon_ is a bit different but related. I remember some folks saying that the very fact that this YA gay romance was so trope-heavy and un-sensational was kind of quietly a big deal. I get that point, too.
So much to talk/think/write about!
Also: you are so right about realizing what the title means (among other things).
ReplyDeleteI was also surprised as well as relieved that this special wasn't weighted down with political opinions and/or messages. With so much going on in the world it was a really nice change to laugh at something that was so simple and mundane. I laughed again when you mentioned Notaro's "going to bed in 10" that killed me, I was crying from laughing so hard. The best part of her humor was it not being over the top. With everyone having so much to say about politics, illness, and tragedy....mundane was nice to hear.
ReplyDeleteAfter the shocking twist from Gadsby's special I found myself waiting for everything to change drastically in the middle of the show. As you pointed out, Notaro's soft tone and pleasant demeanor was refreshing.
*I also was having trouble cutting and pasting photos. I finally had to put them in a document on Word then cut and paste from there.
Notaro's "going to bed in 10 minutes" bit was so funny! It was nice to have a laid-back and easy going show to watch after watching Nanette which was still kind of ringing in my ears when I watched Notaro's special. Happy to Be Here was just silly and fun. I'd definitely watch it again. Thanks for the tip about photos. I'll have to try putting them in word first next time.
DeleteI loved reading through your reaction and how it ultimately changed after further reflecting on it. I have not seen "Happy To Be Here" but it honestly sound like something right up my ally. I am more like Notaro in ways. I too try not to be "too serious" about some things and just try to embrace the good in them. I'm not always as vocal about my opinions and I like to radiate more positivity and thankfulness more than anything. I enjoyed your analysis on Notaro and her segment and can tell you put a lot of thought into it!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I did put a lot of thought into it. I definitely think you should watch this special. I think you will really enjoy it. It's good to not be too serious sometimes and a positive attitude is always good to maintain. Definitely don't be afraid to be vocal about your opinions though, because there's also a lot of value in that!
DeleteCara, unfortunately I have not had the opportunity of watching Notaro's "Happy To Be Here" yet, but you are certainly quite the salesman and I will be watching it as soon as I have time. You write, "It made me realize that Happy to Be Here has a much deeper meaning than one might initially realize. Happy to Be Here means happy to be alive." I think comedy is awesome when it is used to inspire joy and hope in the world. We all have our own struggles, and it sounds like Notaro has been dealt some rough cards, but it is inspiring to hear how she talks about them and uses comedy to spread happiness. I will definitely be giving this a watch thanks to your blog post.
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