Comedic Couture: A Look Into Fashion in Northwestern’s Comedy Scene
Graphic by Agnes Lee.
Clothes, obviously, don’t make the comedian. As much as I wish my thrifted oversized vest (she’s a beaut) was enough to land me a spot on Titanic, I’m not holding out hope that I’ll grace the stand-up stage anytime soon.
But for those who do have the wit and charm to perform (tell me your secrets!!!!), what they wear influences their delivery and how we, the audience, interact with their humor.
The all-black outfit is a comedy staple, one that the likes of George Carlin and Robin Williams often wore. Many comedians like John Mulaney and Bill Maher still rock the classic, two-piece suit — and they do it well, I might add. But increasingly, comics are branching out from non-distracting outfits into statement pieces and high fashion on stage.
I’ve noticed this more recently as comics have made their way onto Netflix and other streaming platforms. I’m thinking specifically of when Ziwe showed up to the A&O event in couture and Phoebe Robinson strutted in a Dapper Dan cape on an episode of “2 Dope Queens.” And I can’t emphasize enough, Ali Wong’s ($8!!) leopard print dress that accentuated her baby bump was brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular…
My mom would probably say that the dramatization of comedy style is because of our generation’s short attention span and need for constant entertainment. Admittedly, fashion is a performance in and of itself, but it also defines a comedian’s style and helps them stand out among the many other aspiring entertainers.
For Northwestern’s own stand-up celebrities and video stars, unique fashion is never far from mind. Rishi Mahesh, known for his quirky viral tweets and YouTube channel, RISHIPUFF, tries to keep his outfits “fun and interesting and colorful” to fulfill the demands of the visual medium.
Mahesh says that he considers the context of each video when choosing his outfits. For his character-based videos, like his parody of Genghis Khan explaining himself to SJWs, he had someone to help him with accurate historical styling. For his soft roast of vote-blue-no-matter-who democrats, he threw on a sweatshirt with a satirized version of the Cleveland Indians logo that reads, “Caucasians.”
Image courtesy of RISHIPUFF on YouTube.
Mahesh explains that comedy is a space where conveying originality as well as general appeal through fashion is really important. “When it comes to things like stand-up, something where like, you know, people are really trying to communicate who they are as individuals, I think a lot of effort goes into all the little choices,” he says.
Yet Mahesh still sticks to trendy basics in most of his YouTube feed. For stand-up videos, he likes to throw on a classic jacket or a blazer accompanied by the edgy touch of a gold chain. In many of his most recent videos, he is seen in only a basic black or blue tee.
A testament to his laid-back style, Mahesh's favorite outfit that he’s worn in a video is a thrifted collared shirt with blue and white stripes that he admits looks too big in person, but fits just right on video — ah, camera magic. As for bottoms, well, that's a fun mystery. Because most of his videos are waist-up, pants aren’t necessarily part of the outfit equation.
Image courtesy of RISHIPUFF on YouTube.
There must be a secret comedy dress code I’m unaware of (just another way I don’t fit in with the cool kids :/ ) because in her debut as host of the upcoming Blackout show, Christina Carty sported a sneakily similar striped collared button down. Brb, looking up where to get one right now.
Image courtesy of @theblackoutnu on Instagram.
If you don’t know The Blackout, well, you’re probably not a cool kid either. A once-a-quarter late night comedy act, The Blackout creates variety show-like segments often featuring guests ranging from Morty to random audience members. Every year, a new host is selected to moderate each quarter’s show. This year, that host is Christina Carty.
As a first-time comedian, Carty said she freaked out a little trying to decide what to wear for The Blackout’s promotional shoot. Though she appreciates the autonomy the show provides her in terms of fashion choices, Carty admits she’s nervous to dress for comedy. “It’s scary. I feel like if I had some kind of guide that would be helpful,” she jokes.
Of her everyday fashion sense, Carty says she walks a fine line between really ugly and really cool. She’s ditched the boring legging-sweater combo she wore in high school in favor of expressing herself more fully through unique clothing in college. To display her loud personality, she leans towards eye-catching and somewhat ridiculous pieces to push the envelope of what’s acceptable. In my humble opinion, she rocks it.
On stage, however, Carty has to consider things that Mahesh does not. “I think being a woman in comedy is kind of weird because sometimes you have to choose if you want to be sexy or funny. And so I feel like my clothing choices in this setting will kind of have a bearing on how I'm perceived in a way that it doesn't always in other settings,” she says.
Still, Carty says she wants to take fashion risks on stage. By trying out the sleekness of classic, comedian menswear in addition to wearing more traditionally feminine clothes like bodycon dresses, she hopes to avoid getting stuck in the expectation to present elegantly without losing her own style in the process. Ah, how the patriarchy complicates things.
For the upcoming show, I of course tried to get spoilers for Carty’s outfit –– sadly to no avail. Though she doesn’t yet know what she is going to wear, she gave me some insight into how she plans to decide. “It's gonna be a lot of, like, finding something that I do feel comfortable in, but also I want to hold on to my femininity and I want to look hot; I want to look sexy.”
Don’t we all, Christina, don’t we all.
Consciously choosing to present as sexy, basic, feminine, posh, casual, a combination of a few aesthetics –– it all establishes the overall feel of a performance. And as the separation between comedy and fashion grows smaller, so too does the distance between the comedy and the comedian. On our own campus, old-timers and newcomers to the comedy scene are testing the waters of how their performance can be enhanced or inhibited by what they choose to wear.
For so long, comedy escaped the pressures of definition through style. Now, as comedy integrates with the broader entertainment world, comedians are experimenting with everything from couture to simple accessories. For better or for worse, those who make us laugh are not only what they say, but what (and who) they wear.
Luckily, comedians have an edge in the fashion world. After all, no matter what you wear, you’re always best dressed with a smile.