Who Says Women Aren’t Funny? May 26, 2007 zuzu My brother told me about this comedian/magician, Ursula Martinez, who takes the whole “nothing up my sleeve” thing to a new level: The entire act, which is definitely NSFW, here.
There was a great thread somewhere (maybe Alas) about how her nudity in her act isn’t perceived as sexy in part because she’s not coy and blushing about it.
Sweet! Being a mere woman, I thought it was sexier because she’s got, you know, one of those personality-thingies.
Oh, not sexy, huh? My friends don’t think so. I totally love Ursula Martinez. Susie Bright said “I wanna be her new best friend.” Me too. It helps that I think she resembles my daughter, a tough, funny, in-yer-face lady herself.
Boobs – the ultimate misdirection. Male illusionists have been using sexy assistants forever to get the same effect; good for her for cutting out the middleman. Seconded on sexy, too.
Well, I thought she was sexy…. When I was younger I did amateur magic, so I know (roughly) how she had to have been dissapearing the cloth, but I couldn’t spot her doing it. Of course, as has been mentioned the being naked part is one ell of a misdirection. I wonder if that’s her only act, or if she does more?
Where’s the “comedy” part? All I’m seeing is something that looks like a cross between simple stage magic and Amateur Nite at the local strip club. I’m also not seeing that the audience is reacting in any way other than to her being “risque,” the bar for which is pretty high in Montreal (home of the ads that said something like, “Si je ne peut pas porter Brand X, je resterai nue.”), granted, but still… That laughter is more “This is moderately shocking” than “This is funny.” The one guy that they showed in the close-up shot is pretty obviously thinking, “Oh, my god, she’s not really going to take that off, is she? I hope so…”
Where’s the “comedy” part? I was at one of her perfomances at the Just for Laughs festival, and that what we were asking, too. She got a polite, but lukewarm response. I was at another show where three elderly British men did a version of this act naked, wearing only socks and sandals. The crowd went crazy.
So…she’s her own sexy assistant? LOL. Love it. For some reason, it didn’t seem so empowering when she was in her underwear (probably because it’s so ho-hum and derivative at this point in Western culture) , but it became so when she got naked. I think it’s funny how people perceive female sexuality and that she should be coy and blushing- as opposed to brazen and ridiculous! The fact that she was still thrusting her pelvis even when naked was incredible. And that “Where’d it go?!” dance she’d do with her open palms!- Hilarious! The best part is that her demeanor didn’t change the less clothes she had on- you know, as if she’s still a person even when you can see her boobs and bush! What a concept!! The end is a great pay-off. Once I saw where it was going I was thinking “C’mon, go for it! Don’t wimp out now!” And she didn’t! Amazing. Thank you for posting this.
Interrobang- Why can you only gauge the level of humor based off of the audience’s reaction? I’m sitting here by myself giggly inanely. I’ve seen great comedians get booed off because the crowd wasn’t good that night. I’m not saying you have to like the act, but “the audience didn’t laugh” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. Hell, people were laughing when I saw Austin Powers 3 in theaters, and I still walked out.
Being myself, I saw an obvious connection to menstruation – hah, do you think if she takes the new no-period birth control pill she’ll change the act?