One of our neighbors here at the Mercury HQ is NW Documentary, which provides workshops in documentary filmmaking, and there’s one such affiliated documentary that you should absolutely see if you follow the Portland comedy scene at all. Evan Johnson’s Standing Up features local stand-ups Bri Pruett (who you know from these very pages!), Amy […]
Girls Only!
Posted inGirls Only!
Today in Unhelpful Ideas: Vice Starts a Vertical for Ladies
Vice “Look at me! I’m an edgy magazine! Do you guys see how edgy I’m being? EDGY!!!!!!” Oh, Vice. You edgy internet publication. You crazy diamond of “rapportage.” You nutty self-declared loose cannon of voice-driven prose. You unapologetic discusser of drugs. You’ve done a lot of crazy things in the past, but launching a vertical […]
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Talking to Mallory Ortberg About Alt Lit’s Gender Problem and Unhelpful Attitudes Towards Sexual Assault
Mallory Ortberg mostly makes jokes. She’s made a career out this. She co-edits The Toast, a site geared towards (mostly) women with a very particular sense of humor, and just came out with a new book, Texts from Jane Eyre, which you can read more about in our paper that comes out today. But when […]
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Win Tickets to See Some of Portland’s Funniest Ladies
Pat Moran Susan Rice: A most hilarious person, with the most adorable pair of Keens. Did you miss All Jane No Dick, and now find yourself wracked with regret? Did you go, and see Susan Rice, Amy Miller, and Joann Schinderle tell jokes that made laughter-tears stream down your cheeks? Well, we’re giving away two […]
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All Jane No Dick Closing Showcase: The Loopiest Sets They’ve Ever Done
Pat Moran IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU: Aparna Nancherla shares the saddest ever Okcupid message. By the end of a festival like All Jane No Dick, many of the stand-ups have already performed their laughter-proven material, making the final performance a weird playground for trying out new bits on a captive audience, or, as Phoebe […]
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Saturday at All Jane No Dick: Queer Zone and The Worst Books You’ll Ever Read
Pat Moran THE ACTUAL FUNNIEST DeAnne Smith. There’s only one day of All Jane No Dick left! How did that happen? For the past couple days, I’ve been ugly-laughing like a boss at jokes told by women and non-binary comedians. Yesterday’s Queer Zone showcase of LGBTQ performers at Alberta Street brought up my laughter quotient, […]
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All Jane No Dick, Day 2: All Beth Stelling’s Friends, Recaps From Brunch Enthusiasts
All Jane continued last night with Beth Stelling and Friends at Curious Comedy Theater, which brought together sets from Aparna Nancherla, Rye Silverman, Subhah Agarwal, Emily Maya Mills, Kelsie Huff, and Maggie May, with Mercury pal Bri Pruett MCing. Pat Moran captured these photos at the early show: Pat Moran Beth Stelling Pat Moran Maggie […]
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BRB, Laughing Forever: All Jane No Dick, Day 1
All Jane No Dick launched Wednesday, with a lineup of local all-stars at Helium and no evidence of MRA protesting. That show—which featured Kristine Levine and Kyle Mizono—was excellent, and the festival continued yesterday with more opportunities for your face to be pleasantly contorted by laughter. Yesterday night’s Phoebe Robinson, Kate Berlant, and Friends at […]
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In Other Words Update: They Need $20k by November to Stay Open
Last week, beloved feminist bookstore In Other Words board member Madeline Jaross told the Oregonian that the nonprofit was struggling financially and might be closing at the end of February if the situation doesn’t improve. This week, In Other Words sent out an email announcing an IndieGoGo campaign to make up the funds they’d need […]
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Ian Karmel Releases Video in Support of All Jane No Dick
The All Jane No Dick controversy continues! Ian Karmel just released this video in support of All Jane, following the news last week that the very popular, all-female comedy festival (which starts TONIGHT!) is getting protested. If you are an MRA, you are about to get stared at disapprovingly: Also, #yesalljane is a thing on […]
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Someone is Putting Up Posters Protesting This Year’s All Jane No Dick Comedy Festival
Everyone I know right now is counting down the days to All Jane No Dick, our wondrous celebration of women in comedy, so at least three people have emailed me today about this poster: Stacey Hallal/All Jane No Dick It’s a doctored version of All Jane’s promotional poster, the original text replaced with what looks […]
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Here’s What Would Have to Happen to Keep In Other Words Open
In Other Words Closing? On Sunday, Madeline Jaross, an In Other Words Board member, told the Oregonian that the nonprofit, volunteer-operated feminist bookstore and community center might close at the end of of February. She cited a lack of financial resources, low board retention, and a shortage of volunteers as contributing factors. She told the […]