Jo Brand is one of those comedians who is side-splittingly funny in a seemingly effortless way. Her deadpan delivery belays the hard work behind it, meaning it’s almost like her on-point observations about life are just spur-of-the-moment gags.
If you’re familiar with her work, then you already know this. And if you’re not, then you’re about to get one hell of an introduction.
With a beautiful swish, she shut down a panel on UK TV show Have I Got News For You when her fellow panellist made light of sexual harassment.
She was the only woman on the panel, and they were discussing the recent reports of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment by British politicians. (A couple have resigned and a few others are under investigations; it’s a whole thing.)
“Some of this is not high-level crime, is it,” said fellow panellist Ian Hislop, about a Tory MP who takes his personal trainer to the cinema and private rooms.
“If I could just say, as the only representative of the female gender here today, I know it’s not ‘high-level’,” responded Jo. “But it doesn’t have to be high-level for women to feel under siege in somewhere like the House of Commons.”
“Actually, for women, if you’re constantly being harassed, even in a small way, that builds up and wears you down,” she continued, to a huge applause.
https://twitter.com/BobJWilliams/status/926587275105984513
Brand’s clean shut down is being praised across social media.
https://twitter.com/BobJWilliams/status/926606697304657921
#hignfy Well said Jo Brand. I don’t think men will ever understand the build up of their ‘low level’ crimes against women.
— Kirsten Parker (@Quirkyfish) November 3, 2017
Think #HIGNFY may regret having 4 blokes try to make light of the recent sex scandal, Jo Brand doing a good job of putting them straight
— Ollie Pope (@Ollieargyle9) November 3, 2017
Fair play to Jo Brand on #hignfy … shutting down Quentin by speaking up… Gotta lot of respect for her pic.twitter.com/YfmwHqdPrz
— Rebecca Glover (@rebeccasaz) November 3, 2017
“doesn’t have to be high-level for women to feel under siege…it builds up & wears you down” Thank God for @iamjobrand #hignfy #harassment pic.twitter.com/KLhR7zpr6E
— Caroline Quinn (@Luo_Qing) November 3, 2017
Watching tonight’s #hignfy and may I just say on behalf of all women…. pic.twitter.com/XNTjgYfvKH
— Louise Atkinson (@_LAtkinson_) November 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/caitlinmoran/status/926747383299485697
Thank you @iamjobrand. It’s not one hand on a knee, it’s millions of hands on millions of knees, repeatedly, from people with power over you https://t.co/AKT1RLZK2d
— Louise Ridley (@LouiseRidley) November 4, 2017
All three male panelists had the opportunity to call out Quentin Letts’s comments, but all three waited for Jo Brand to do it #HIGNFY
— Chloë Reeves (@Chl0eReeves) November 3, 2017
a visual representation of two men struggling with the concept of insidious & relentless sexual harassment just before i send them a google link for ‘death by a thousand cuts’ pic.twitter.com/peajHKUbVh
— Hannah Jane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) November 4, 2017
Honestly, get this woman onto Q&A stat. I might even start watching again.
