Harrison and Tyler

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Pat Harrison (born 1935) [1] and Robin Tyler (born April 8, 1942) [2] were a feminist comedy duo, noted as the first lesbian, feminist comedy act. They came together during the 1970s, performing in small venues like colleges and using comedy as a tool to make fun of a system that oppresses lesbians, women, and members of the LGBT community. [3] [4] In 1970–1971 the comedy duo performed at Boston College where they met Maxine Feldman. Feldman joined Harrison and Tyler on their national tour, performing at colleges across the country and at a women's penitentiary, the California Institute for Women. Harrison and Tyler continued to tour college campuses throughout the U.S. for several years, bringing their particular brand of pointed, insightful, and decidedly gay, humor to students, while actively pushing for equal rights for women and LGBTQ people. In October of 1975 the comedy team was met with protestors when they performed at one of California State University, Long Beach's first Gay Pride celebrations. Tyler, in her persona as "Reverend Ripoff," delivered a scathing critique of rape culture, which was met by picketers carrying signs like, "Don't be a freak--be a normal Christian." [5] This was the first national college tour of a lesbian comedy team.

They soon moved to even bigger opportunities with the American Broadcasting Company signing Harrison and Tyler to create a variety show. Unfortunately, they did not get picked up. [2] [6] The duo then began to make appearances on the Krofft Comedy Hour and at many feminist and gay rights demonstrations. During one demonstration, they asked for more athletic scholarships for women after running onto the field at a Raiders versus Rams football game. [1] In 1972, Harrison and Tyler produced Maxine Feldman’s “Angry Atthis” and began to produce their own comedy albums, Try It, You'll Like It (1972) and Wonder Women (1973). [1] [7] In a 2022 article about the early days of women in comedy, Tyler explained the humor she and Harrison deployed. “Humour is the most aggressive medium there is,” she said, “The only way women were allowed to be aggressive is when they turned it on themselves. So you have Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers with, ‘I’m not pretty enough’” [...] “because that’s what they had to do to make a living.” [8] Harrison and Tyler very effectively used this tactic to their advantage, as they were able to flip it around on their audience, revealing the misogyny which was embedded in much of the comedy scene at that time.

When in 1977 Tyler and Harrison took on anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant as part of their television act, Tyler humorously remarked, “I don’t mind them being born again, but do they have to come back as themselves?” ABC promptly canceled their television deal. [9]

Tyler and Harrison broke up as a comedy act, though not as a couple, in 1978. Robin Tyler went on to become the first out lesbian comic and a prominent leader in the movement for marriage equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. [10] [11] [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Love, Barbara J.; Cott, Nancy F., eds. (2015). Feminists Who Changed America, 1963-1975. University of Illinois Press. pp. 202–203, 469. ISBN   978-0-252-09747-8.
  2. 1 2 Gianoulis, Tina (2008). "Tyler, Robin (b. 1942)" (PDF). glbtq: An Encyclopedia of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Culture.
  3. ↑ "Harrison and Tyler Serious About Funny Business". Beaver County Times. June 14, 1972.
  4. ↑ "Rush Limbaugh Jabs Lesbians Getting Divorced They Jab Back". www.advocate.com. 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  5. ↑ Casares, Rebecca (October 21, 1975). "Pickets interrupt Harrison and Tyler at Student Union" (PDF). California State University, Long Beach, Student News. p. 1. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  6. ↑ "'I don't have penis envy. I have 12 in a drawer at home' – the fearless female standups of the 60s". the Guardian. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
  7. ↑ Krefting, Rebecca (2014). All Joking Aside: American Humor and Its Discontents. JHU Press. p. 48. ISBN   978-1-4214-1429-4.
  8. ↑ Saner, Emine (2022-03-07). "'I don't have penis envy. I have 12 in a drawer at home' – the fearless female standups of the 60s". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  9. ↑ Rooney, David (2024-06-15). "'Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution' Review: Trailblazing Queer Comics Get Their Due in Entertaining Netflix Doc". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  10. ↑ "Pioneer: Robin Tyler". The Pride LA. 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  11. ↑ "Just a Bunch of Friends Who Changed LGBT History". www.advocate.com. 2017-05-05. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
  12. ↑ "'Every day is Stonewall': Lesbian activist reflects on riots and fight for equality 50 years later". The Independent. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2022-07-05.
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