Montreal s #MeToo Comedy Crisis Is No Laughing Matter
Long considered the capital of Canadian humor, the Quebec city is currently facing simultaeous storms: the pandemic, #MeToo accusations and a deeper debate on the limits of comedy.
MONTREAL At the Just for Laughs festival ticket office, on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, the windows are dirty, the walls covered with graffiti and the doors are decidely closed. An old poster announces the shows from July, 10 to 28, 2019. Only a few red lanterns remain lit. The heart of humor in Quebec seems to have stopped beating.
For nearly a year, the coronavirus has frozen laughter. The curfew, in effect in the province since Jan 9, has once again forced local stars of the comedy scene like Katherine Levac, François Bellefeuille and Rachid Badouri to postpone their shows.