Mona Shaikh, stand-up comedian and host of 'Minority Reportz,' joins Cheddar News to discuss her recent guest column in The Hollywood Reporter titled "Blame Louis C.K.'s Grammy Comeback on Comedy's Gatekeepers."

Between Bells

Comedian Mona Shaikh on How Louis C.K.'s Grammy Win Impacts Entertainment Industry

Welcome back to Between bells Everyone After growing up in Pakistan under strict gender restrictions, overcoming abusive relationships and family members. Our next guest has come a long way after moving to the United States just in her teens, comedian Mona chic overcame hurdles and quickly became a voice for diversity and gender equality in the comedy world, joining us now to discuss as host and producer of minority Reports and stand up comedian Mona Shake Mona Welcome back to the show. Such a pleasure to have you, my friend. You've had quite the journey getting to where you are today. What does it mean for you to be where you are in your career after all the hurdles you've overcome? Well, first of all, thank you very much for having me always a pleasure to be back and chatting with you. Um what does it mean to me? You know, as a, as an immigrant who came to the US not knowing that I would even ever get to a place to even ever be become a stand up comedian and to actually become a voice for diversity and gender equality. I feel like it means the world to me, but I feel like there's so much work that needs to be done, which is why I'm having this conversation with you in the way that I am. There are so many parts of your story that I love. There's one that resonated with me that you didn't become a stand up comedian until your thirties for all those viewers that are watching at home, what kind of inspiration should they have or advice you can give them to follow their dreams no matter how old they are, you know, I feel like stand up stand up comedy is kind of like an animal on its own stand up comedy. Is that one art form where you're not restricted by age, you're not restricted by gender, although there are certain barriers that we're gonna talk about in this interview. But I feel like stand up comedy just kind of gives you this level of freedom where you don't have to be so concerned about your age, where there's a cut off, it's like if you're funny, you're funny at any age period. So I feel like so many people um you know, get scared or are like, oh my God, at this age, how am I going to pursue this? You know, passion of mine do it. I mean time is gonna pass by anyways. You might as well spend it doing something you love and you want, so I might as well just do that. I think that's great advice. Let's talk about those barriers. You did an amazing piece for the Hollywood reporter on louis Ck's Grammy win his comeback, me and my team, we're talking about it this morning. This was a very powerful piece. What is his grammy win his comeback signal for the stand up community mona, I can speak on as a female comedian, what is the message that it sends? And I talked about it in the piece? Is the fact that the message it sends is hey if you're a female comedian and if you've been sexually harassed, if you have been or experience something human worse don't even bother speaking up because it will fall on deaf ears. And I think what's even worse about louis C. K. Winning a Grammy is the fact that he mocks it. He mocks it on his comedy album. The fact that he was publicly masturbating and harassing these women and putting them in such difficult positions and yet then goes and makes a stand up comedy outcome and then ends up winning a Grammy for it. It's beyond disturbing. And I think even further is the gatekeepers. Like when you look at what the president of the Academy had to come out and say about Louis Ck winning a comedy album. You know, his response was well we don't we just based it on talent and how funny he is. Well even the constitution of America you can make amendments so why can you not make amendments in your rules and your guidance is as to who gets to be nominated and when the academy and uh and you know the Grammy and who doesn't so it's just the the gatekeepers are a big part of the problem. I want to read a quote from you in the piece you say quote and comedy, it's still a good time to be a sexual abuser? Why isn't louis C. K. Or others getting the same backlash in Hollywood in your opinion? Why why are they getting it where they why aren't they getting it in your opinion? Because they it goes back to the gatekeepers, it goes back to the people who are supporting them. Look there, you know, there's no denying that louis has a fan base, right? Nobody is denying that. But there's also this thing where he's been given a platform, where has he been going to hone his craft and to work on his comedy album to be able to go and even put one out to be nominated for a Grammy and then eventually winning one. It's comedy clubs, You go to comedy clubs that are giving you opportunities to go and hone your craft. So who why are we not questioning the comedy club owners? Why are we not questioning the bookers and asking them why are you booking a sexual predator? Why are you giving him opportunities where you actually have a fantastic opportunity to give the same access to female comedians? Who would love that? Who would love the opportunity to get stage time and hone their craft and even one day be considered to be nominated for cattle for a Grammy And then eventually even winning one. You wrote in your piece. I cannot imagine how louis ck's victims must be feeling at this moment, especially amid the Me Too era. Do you feel the entertainment industry specifically in comedy is going backwards here or just haven't moved forward enough? I don't feel like it's moved forward enough. I mean, look, you know, me too, and time's up. And I think when I talked about this, the last time I was on your show was that it hasn't really made much of an impact in the stand up comedy world. You know, we still have your predators and you still have your, you know, people like Louis C. K. Going on winning a grammy. I mean, that's the needle hasn't changed much and I feel like it goes back because nobody wants to go and confront the gatekeepers. Nobody wants to also. And another thing that I want to talk about is there's legislation, there's no legislation that really protects women in the way we deserve to be protected. And that is also a conversation that needs to be had Mona have 15 seconds. I don't want to rush you, but I'm sure there are other female comedians who are watching who may be a little nervous to pursue their dream. What advice would you give to them? Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous. There are people before me. There are incredible women who came before me and who paved the road for me to be able to do what I'm doing. So I'm just kind of paying it forward by also paving the road for other female comedians to come and have a much easier and accessible time to be able to pursue their careers versus what I have. Well, we really appreciate you coming on and sharing your stories. We hope you come back soon, host and producer of Minority Reports and stand up comedian. I wanna shake Mona. Thank you.