Hannah Gadsby and Monica Lewinsky discuss shame, visibility and power

"It was a genuine attempt to extend an apology from an art form that profited off hurting you."

Hannah Gadsby and Monica Lewinsky

Source: Instagram

Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby has taken the world by storm in recent months, with her critically acclaimed show and Netflix special Nanette receiving rave reviews both here and in the United States.

One of the show's most memorable moments came when Gadsby confronted male comedians who spent decades turning Monica Lewinsky into “an easy punchline” rather than mocking “the man who abused his power.”

Now the Tasmania-born comedian and soon-to-be author has joined Lewinsky for an intimate onstage conversation, covering subjects of shame, power and visibility as part of the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit in Los Angeles.
"I was shamed by a world that didn’t see me... Your shame was public property,” Gadsby told Lewinsky .

Gadsby also reflected that her inclusion of Lewinsky in Nanette was "a genuine attempt to extend an apology from an art form that profited off hurting you.”

Lewinsky was open about how much Nanette had impacted her, even referring to having a “Hannah Hangover” afterwards.

“For at least a week after I saw your show, I would find myself zoning out, reliving this moment of transformation you created onstage,” she told Gadsby.

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2 min read
Published 10 October 2018 1:01pm
By Samuel Leighton-Dore


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