How Gilda Radner and Joan Jett changed us all
Everyone loves an underdog story. I suppose it comes from a certain selfishness. We are all underdogs in our own minds. Everyone is party to their own struggles. These hardships are the essence of empathy, of putting others first, of seeing the world through someone else’s perspective.
When we see an underdog, it reminds us of ourselves and the incredible difficulty of living, which naturally causes us to identify with the subject.
We all hope to overcome and beat the odds, to become better than our circumstances and earn praise and adoration. We all want to win. Of course, there are many in the world that are constant underdogs, particularly in certain industries. In fact, half the population has been kept down for most of history. Even in 2018, women have to fight for equal pay, for equal treatment, for fairness.
But there have been those that have paved the way for others, helping close gaps and change hearts. This month, Chattanooga Film Festival Presents is bringing a pair of monumental documentaries about two American treasures, both of whom have had a dramatic effect on the world.
First, on September 23rd, CFF will show Love, Gilda, a new film that uses personal audio recordings and journal entries to unravel that person that Gilda Radner was and the profound effect she had on comedy.
Then, on September 26th, the CFF follows up with Bad Reputation, a documentary highlighting the life and career of Joan Jett. Both films are sure to hammer home just how important these women are in their respective fields and how they gave everyone someone to root for and aspire to.
Gilda Radner was an exceptional performer and her loss cannot be overstated. It’s been said that she had an influence on nearly every female sketch comic since, but I’m not sure that goes far enough. Her talent and shine easily cross gender boundaries. She was, quite simply, funny. Love, Gilda shows this, of course, as any film about Gilda Radner would.
But more than that, it features newly discovered audio recordings of her thoughts, interviews with comedians she influenced, and personal journal entries with commentary by those who were inspired by her. The film is heartfelt and pure, a portrait of a force in American entertainment, one lost too early and to great effect.
The film will be released wide on September 21st and without the CFF, it’s unlikely Chattanooga would have a screening. This is not a film to be missed.
And if that weren’t enough, the CFF is bringing another documentary about a pioneer in American entertainment. Women in popular music have always seemed to be relegated to the realms of folk, soul, or pop. Rock and Roll as a genre have been dominated by men since its inception.
The perception of rock is one of rebellion, of risk, of danger. In other words, rock and roll has been something a male dominated society has sought to protect women from. Enter Joan Jett.
Like Gilda Radner, Jett’s success was very simple. She wrote and recorded great songs. She had no interest in mimicking Joanie Mitchell or Aretha Franklin. She wanted to play good, stripped down, rock and roll music.
So she did.
In a world filled with male performers, most of whom felt she had no place in, she recorded and performed music that changed the perception of rock and roll.
That’s where these documentaries truly shine. They show that the only thing that matters in this world is hard work and talent. Gilda Radner and Joan Jett had no ambitions for changing the world—they did anyway. They did it by doing what they did naturally and not listening to anyone that might think they shouldn’t.
They might have been underdogs, but they never approached life that way. True underdogs never do. It’s the audience that sees the odds stacked against them. The underdog only sees the challenge that needs to be overcome.
Or maybe they don’t even see the challenge. Maybe they only see the next step. Maybe they’re only riding the tides of history. Who knows?
But we can all be thankful that they’re here, for whatever time they’re given. Both films can be seen at Improv Chattanooga at 8 p.m. for $12. Support local film.