*At the time of the recording, Angela and Matt used she/her pronouns for Hannah Gadsby based on the research materials for the episode (mainly: Hannah’s memoir, stand-up specials, and a few interviews). We have since learned that Hannah’s pronouns are they/them. TACP fully supports gender diversity and respecting people’s pronouns. We apologize for the serious error we made and offer our sincerest apologies to Hannah and our listeners for our mistake and any harm it has caused. In this instance, we failed to live up to our mission of radical inclusivity. Please respect your own boundaries and triggers and listen with care.
In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast:
Hosts, Dr. Angela Lauria and Matt Lowry, LPP, discuss the memoirs of two Autistic comedians: Hannah Gadsby from Tasmania and Fern Brady from Scotland.
Angela highlights the many parallels between Hannah and Fern's lives—their struggles getting appropriately diagnosed, dealing with gender-based violence, sexual abuse, homophobia and ableism. Both found their way to comedy as a survival mechanism and ended up having great success, especially at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A: So about 20 years before she was diagnosed…she read a description and she was like, ‘oh, that's totally me.’ She knew it. But no matter what she did, she got diagnosed with everything else: bipolar, depression, schizophrenia—like you name it, she was diagnosed with literally everything else.
M: Did she make eye contact and arrive in a car that she drove herself?
A: Yeah. Also, she's pretty.
M: Oh, there you go.
The hosts discuss Hannah and Fern's issues with employment, homelessness, and disordered eating. They also touch on differences in meltdowns vs shutdowns and masking through comedy.
“And so she goes back to living above the fruit and veg store, but stays in the relationship too long because she doesn’t want to be homeless again or unhoused again. So that is—I think—a cycle that we see a lot.” —Angela
They discuss a quote from Hannah Gadsby, in which they share about diffusing tension through comedy as a survival tactic from childhood mistreatment. The hosts praise both books as reclaiming the narrative and gaining self-understanding. They highly recommend reading the memoirs together and watching Hannah Gadsby's comedy specials.
Do you relate to these Autistic comedians? Do their stories remind you of your own?
Hannah Notes:
Book: 10 Steps to Nanette
Wikipedia: Hannah Gadsby
Netflix Specials: Nanette, Douglas, Something Special
Article: Hannah Gadsby's song of the self
Article: Hannah Gadsby Gets the Last Laugh in 10 Steps to Nanette
NPR’s Fresh Air: Autism Spectrum Diagnosis Helped Comic Hannah Gadsby 'Be Kinder' To Herself
Article: Hannah Gadsby told she was ‘too fat’ and ‘too female’ to be autistic
Article: Hannah Gadsby Threatened to Quit Comedy in Nanette. Her New Memoir Proves She’s Not Going Anywhere
Article: Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby audiobook review – startling candour
Fern Notes:
Book: Strong Female Character
Wikipedia: Fern Brady
YouTube playlist: Taskmaster Series 14
Article: Taskmaster’s Fern Brady: How a late diagnosis of autism explained my meltdowns
Article: Strong Female Character: An unflinching self-portrait
Article: ‘Everything ends up about death and shagging’: Fern Brady on comedy, autism and intrusive thoughts
Video: Fern Brady On Being A Stripper, Autism Diagnosis & School In 'A Men's Prison'
More Autistic Culture:
Episode 03: Poetry is Autistic (Emily Dickinson episode)
Episode 15: Greta is Autistic (Greta Thunberg episode)
Check us out on Instagram
Find us on Apple podcasts and Spotify
Learn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPP
Matt’s social media: Autistic Connections Facebook Group
Learn more about Angela at AngelaLauria.com and Difference Press
Angela’s social media: Twitter and TikTok
TACP’s Autism-affirming TeePublic merch shop
Comedy is Autistic (Episode 54)