From the moment life begins, societal forces combine to teach us how to behave in accordance with convention. Ultimately, these forces aim to shape each individual into a good honest citizen. But herein lies a core contradiction, as social conventions tend to inhibit the expression of our most immediate, honest impulses. In her new standup show Poise Control, New Zealand-based South African expat Urzila Carlson voices her frustration at society’s self-censorship.
“We’ve become so politically correct that nobody actually says what they think or what they feel,” she says. “When you look at kids, they just say whatever. If it pops into their head, it comes out of their mouth. So this show’s about saying what’s on your mind and not taking things too seriously that other people say. If we just aren’t as politically correct, I think we’re all better off.”
Since unexpectedly entering the standup arena seven years ago, Carlson’s material has largely been inspired by events from her own life. So, while Poise Control takes aim at the futility of hyper-political correctness, she’s not looking for an avenue to launch harsh criticisms at the lives of others.
“I don’t pick on my audience,” she says. “They say public speaking is a thing that scares most people, but I think [the audience] are always petrified when you walk out, because they’re so scared to be picked on. So if I start off with me. It’s a safe topic, I know I won’t be offended by something that I say, and it’s not confronting for them at all. The audience look at me and go ‘OK, it happened to her. It’s not us, we’re safe.’”
For the construction of Poise Control, Carlson referred back on years of experiences and observations. However, the show was instigated by one event in particular, which underlines why political correctness can’t be combatted until we cease to be so gosh darn sensitive.
“A couple of years ago I had somebody in a hospital refuse to work with my partner and I because we were lesbians,” she says. “Then afterwards the hospital said that I should press charges against this woman. And I said no, because she was honest. When you look at it, I’d rather she be honest than force herself to work with us. Especially in a medical situation, you want somebody that wants to do their job because they’re passionate about it and not have to clench their teeth and force themselves through this horrible situation. Yeah I think she’s an arsehole for saying it, but I also think she’s brave for saying it.”
As mentioned, Carlson’s stand-up career started just seven years ago, but she’s risen to be one of New Zealand’s foremost comedy exports. For two years running, she’s walked away from the NZ Comedy Festival with the People’s Choice award, and she’s also a regular on NZ television. Yet, in spite of her rapidly growing profile, she’s not hell-bent on being the best of the best.
“I am competitive, but not with this kind of thing, because comedy is so difficult,” she says. “It’s too diverse. It’s down to people’s personal taste. It’s like saying, ‘which colour will win the best colour in the world?’ Who can judge that shit? My favourite colour’s brown. That’s never going to win.
“I want to put on the best show I can,” she adds. “But I think it’s too difficult to get into competitive mode. If we had like a golf day for all the comedians in the middle of it, yeah then I’d go ape shit and try to win that.”
BY AUGUSTUS WELBY
