The other night I went to Cape Town
comedy club. We saw this venue a few weeks ago when we were exploring the
Waterfront and I knew I wanted to check it out. The rest of the group went to
see Titanic at the outdoor cinema, so just Taylor and I went.
I have never seen live comedy so I
didn’t know what to expect. It was a small venue but I enjoyed it because we
were able to get food and watch the comedians walk in! There was a headliner, a
supporting act, and then an open mic comedian. I was excited that the comedians
were all female. However my excitement turned to disgust when one of the white
female comedians utilized racist stereotypes in her skit. Not only was I super
uncomfortable, but the audience seemed to be as well. The venue was pretty
silent. In class we have talked about how some people use comedy to discuss the
racism that they endure, but I had never heard of someone using it so much to
make fun of other people. Although I am sure it happens, maybe now because of
my education and experiences in Cape Town, I am a little more tuned into it.
One thing that surprised me about
this comedian was her statement about apartheid. She was only about 11 when
apartheid ended, so she did not really understand the extent of what happened.
She realized that there was a switch in government because the flag switched.
She said she was happy that apartheid ended, not because of the violation of
human rights, but because the flag was a lot easier to draw. I wish this
comedian had known her audience kind of like Eminem knows his audience and
shies away from using certain words. There are so many other things that this
comedian could have included in her skit, and its saddening that she turned to
racial stereotyping to try and make people laugh.
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