82. Hannah Gadsby: How to Communicate Better

12 snips

Mar 29, 2022

Hannah Gadsby, the acclaimed comedian behind the groundbreaking shows Nanette and Douglas, discusses her later-in-life autism diagnosis, describing it as an “exfoliation of shame.” She shares how neurodiversity shapes her relationships, focusing on what intrigues her rather than societal norms. Hannah advocates for ditching self-deprecating humor about personal identities and emphasizes the complexities of communicating across neurodivergent and neurotypical perspectives. The conversation also touches on the narratives of healing and growth beyond trauma.

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INSIGHT

Stopping Self-Deprecation

Hannah Gadsby stopped self-deprecating humor to embrace her autistic identity and challenge societal expectations.
She questioned why, especially women, must demean themselves to speak publicly.

ANECDOTE

Mom's Regret

Hannah Gadsby's mom's biggest regret was raising her as straight, highlighting the impact of assumptions.
This realization, alongside art history's focus on freeze-framing narratives, shaped Gadsby's show "Nanette."

INSIGHT

Resolution in Stories

Storytelling often focuses on trauma, lacking narratives of resolution and resilience.
Public displays of resolution are important but missing, hindering healing and understanding.

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1. Why Hannah describes her later-in-life Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis as “an exfoliation of shame.”

2. How neurodiversity affects Hannah’s relationships–and how she connects to the world through what’s “interesting” instead of what’s “important.”

3. Hannah’s revolutionary commitment to stop using self-deprecating humor about her body, sexuality, and gender–and why we might all consider the same commitment.

4. Why it’s easier for Hannah to share her personal stories “in bulk” on stage instead of one-on-one.

5. What it takes for Hannah to prepare for conversations–like ours on We Can Do Hard Things.

About Hannah:

Tasmania’s own Hannah Gadsby stopped stand-up comedy in its tracks with her multi-award-winning show, Nanette. When it premiered on Netflix in 2018, it left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her singular ability to take them from rolling laughter to devastated silence. Its release and subsequent Emmy and Peabody wins took Nanette (and Hannah) to the world. Hannah’s difficult second album (which was also her eleventh solo show) was named Douglas after her dog. Hannah walked Douglas around the world, selling out the Royal Festival Hall in London, the Opera House in Sydney and the Kennedy Center in DC, a sit-down run in New York and shows across the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Douglas covered Hannah’s autism diagnosis, moving beyond the trauma at the centre of Nanette and instead letting the world see the view from Hannah’s brain – one that sees the world differently but with breathtaking clarity. The show was an Emmy-nominated smash hit and is available throughout the world on Netflix, recorded in Los Angeles.

Hannah Gadsby’s “overnight” success was more than ten years in the making, with her award-winning stand-up shows having been a fixture in festivals across Australia and the UK since 2009. She played a character called “Hannah” on the TV series Please Like Me and has hosted multiple art documentaries, inspired by her comedy art lectures. In 2022, Hannah’s first book Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation was published by Ballantine, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in the United States, Atlantic in the UK, and Allen & Unwin in Australia.

Hannah has done plenty of other things over the course of more than a decade in comedy, but that will do for now.

IG: hannah_gadsby

TW: HannahGadsby