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I& #39;m only peripherally in Irish comics and long gone out of Irish comedy at this stage but recently I& #39;ve been thinking about how to manage my own influence responsibly even if it is small. I don& #39;t usually tweet, but, a thread.
Earlier this year I almost screened my short film at a Galway venue at the request of an old comedy acquaintance, until another woman filled us in on the owner and we pulled out.
idk my acquaintance& #39;s motivations for screening there or remaining silent, but that clout-by-association was working FOR the predator + his venue, both financially and by putting filmmakers + performers in danger. And if we screened there, we& #39;d be doing that work too
And that& #39;s connections from comedy, which I was barely involved in about 7 years ago, spilling into film. Because Ireland is small, and connections are crucial + lots of the time you have no choice but to trust people
When considering my & #39;influence& #39; in Irish comics, I initially thought, what power could I possibly abuse? The Jam is just a website, a spotty newsletter and some people drawing in a pub. But if it hadn& #39;t been a safe place for me, I wouldn& #39;t be in comics today.
The @DublinComicJam is thankfully now just a tiny part of a growing scene, but it& #39;s still some people& #39;s first introduction to comics, just like a shop or a con could be, and we have to take that seriously - and be AT MINIMUM a SAFE introduction.
Anyway idk what this all means but I don& #39;t want to be providing cover for predators either by action or inaction + I want comedy and comics to be places for joy and creative expression. Consider the influence you have on your audience+friend networks and listen/speak accordingly
And I& #39;m so so grateful to the people that have shared their stories, both publicly and with me in the past.
