On Episode 74 of The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour, I shared PART ONE of my chat with the hilarious and multi-talented comedian, author, and beekeeper Emma Arnold.
In PART TWO of our chat, here are a few topics we covered:
- Being a recovering sex addict.
- My mom's love of prostitute movies
- Standup comedy
- Emma's first open mic experience
- Challenges of being a female comedian
- Bonnie McFarlane's documentary Women Aren't Funny
- Developing a voice and stage presence
I told you guys last week that beyond being a terrific comedian, Emma is an exceptionally gifted writer. On Episode 74, I did an audio reading of her blog article "Hearts and Bones." During our conversation, Emma talked frankly and honestly about being sexually assaulted at a comedy club. She also wrote about the experience in her article "Permissible Fingering." Here's an excerpt:
"The last few days have been intense. After I posted my blog about the sexism (and more) that I've faced as a female comedian, I received an enormous amount of love and support from the stand up community and beyond. Any reluctance I felt about sharing my story was completely eradicated by the encouragement and kindness offered to me from comics all over the world. People, not just comedians, and not just women, told me of their own sexual assault or abuse, and I was moved over and over again by their honesty and courage. In a profession that can sometimes be very lonely, I feel surrounded by friends. Thank you to everyone who contacted me on Facebook, Reddit, or Twitter, or commented directly on the blog. To channel Leslie Knope, you are all beautiful, talented, brilliant, powerful musk oxen, and I love you so much. Well. Most of you. Some of you SUCK."
You can (and should) read the rest of "Permissible Fingering" by clicking HERE. While you're there, you should read all the rest of Emma's articles. You can thank me later.