A male comedian’s comedy set: “How many women does it take to change a lightbulb?”
And here’s a darker comedy set by a female comedian: “How many women does it take to expose a male comedian of years of sexual assault and predatory behavior at risk of losing their career, meanwhile battling character assassination by patriarchy?”
Even though the #MeToo movement propelled the expose of centuries of filth in Hollywood, it didn’t take long for the patriarchal society to spin the narrative against the victims. One woman coming forward with allegations is not enough. Unless there are at least half a dozen accounts with substantial evidence, a man is innocent.
More so, the comedy fraternity is steadfast about fellow comedians (male). Several comedians have been exposed to microaggressions and sexually implicit behavior. But they were often dismissed as “Take a Joke like a Joke.”
Female comedians have been at the helm of misogyny, attached with a tagline of “wOmEn aRen’t FuNny!” They not only have to prove their talent but also navigate through a shielded labyrinth of comedy bros while breaking the glass ceiling.
Katherine Ryan is one such comedienne who has established a name for herself in the comedy universe. She sells out tickets to her shows and is considered “good in female comics.” Ryan has also entered the pearly gates of Hollywood, bagging several gigs on TV as a host/presenter.
But one of her most prominent breakthroughs was being the master at the Comedy Central’s Roast Battle. The show garnered high viewership and raised money for a cause. However, the show was a hit not only due to the content but also because viewers would tune in for the awkward interactions between Ryan and one of her co-hosts.
And now, the comedy iceberg is slowly unraveling as more light is shed on the allegations against one of the most famous male comics.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Disc, Ryan discloses that she confronted a male comic over allegations of predatory behavior. However, she also received immense pushback from the fraternity for making such severe claims about him. Ryan also suggests that she is legally obligated not to reveal the name of the male comedian.
But people soon put two and two together to narrow it down to one problematic comic.
Katherine Ryan’s interview with Desert Island Disc’s Louis Theroux implies that the male comic she mentioned could be Russell Brand. Recently, Brand has been accused by four different women of sexual assault and r*pe. However, these are just deductions based on speculations, and Brand’s name hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Who Is Katherine Ryan Talking About?
Talking to Louis Theroux about her experience with the male comic, Ryan states that she received “a lot of pushback” for not disclosing the name of the male comedian then.
Here’s where Ryan explains how power imbalance shielded the comic from his inappropriate behavior–
“It’s because that everyone knows who it is. What they’re asking me for is the women’s names. And that’s what I won’t give… there are a few women’s names that I think investigators are looking for, and that’s what they’re asking me for.
“No-one’s asking me for his name. So it’s funny how people go straight to accusing you, like, ‘You are the problem; you won’t give his name.’ And it’s like, we’re not the problem.”
Ryan further elaborates on the professional and ethical dilemma of how she can keep working with an alleged predator–
“I had a choice. I could go to work with someone whom I believe to be a perpetrator of sexual assault, or I could turn down the job. Those were my options. So I wrestled with that, I thought, what am I meant to do in this instance?”
“Am I meant to go and be near someone that I think these things about? But the choice is, do I go to work with someone who I think is very problematic, and do I stand near them and laugh and smile and look like I am allowing this kind of person to still be on television, or do I stay home?”
With the inner turmoil, Ryan decides to face the problematic comic, but with a compromise–
“And that was really difficult for me. That’s what I wrestled with the most because I believe that this person was or is dangerous, but also, what am I going to change if I stay home?
“And so I decided my compromise was alright I’m gonna go, but I’m going to let him know under no uncertain terms what I think of him. I’m not going just to smile and look like I’m allowing this behavior.”
Ryan is still unsure of whether her decision is constructive for women in comedy, but at the same time, she refuses to give up her career because of a man’s mistakes–
“I’m not gonna let him think that I don’t know and that everybody he works with is just going to let him get away with it. So that is the attitude that I took into the show. And did I do the right thing or the wrong thing? I still don’t know.”
“But I just felt like, why should I stay home? He should stay home. But if he’s going to be there, I’m going to be there, and I’m going to tell him what I think.”
Several guestimations flooded the internet on who the alleged predator could be. But the most prominent name peaking every time was Russell Brand.
A Complete Breakdown Of Who Katherine Ryan Exposed On the BBC Interview
Katherine Ryan and Russell Brand were co-hosts on the Comedy Central Show. The “Roast Battle” format allows comedians to hurl quips, insults, roasts, dark humor, and much more with no holds barred.
Ryan took a daring approach against Russell Brand by roasting him on his inappropriate behavior, which apparently the entire industry is aware of. While roasting Brand, Ryan inserted remarks about his predatory behavior in the past.
This did not sit well with Brand, and he decided to leave the show after Ryan refused to alter her set. Hence, the speculations were that Brand was the male comic.
Ryan couldn’t name the comic because of a “litigious minefield.” Recently, four women came forward with allegations of sexual assault and r*pe against Russell Brand. Brand is under investigation, though he vehemently denied all allegations against him.
Meanwhile, several incidents have resurfaced where Brand has displayed problematic behavior of crass and vulgar remarks against women. One of which includes claiming that he had s*xual relations with the late Andrew Sachs’s granddaughter.
On the contrary, Russell Brand is endorsed by Elon Musk, Andrew Tate, and Alex Jones, standing for his defense.
Brand’s ex-wife, Katy Perry, also implied that she was aware of his inappropriate conduct. It seems like people just let it slide under the pretext of comedy. But that was just the tip of the iceberg, considering the severity of the criminal allegations.
Disclaimer: We are not alluding to any confirmations that Russell Brand was the alleged comic Katherine Ryan was talking about. These are speculations based on the deductions and theories.
What is your take on this case? Do you believe that Ryan was right to continue with teh show even after she knew about Brand?
Do you think the allegations against Brand are true? Let us know in the comments section below.
