The influence of Montreal’s comedy scene has long been ubiquitous for industry figures worldwide—less for its robust, year-round opportunities, more for the genesis and legacy of Just For Laughs. Built upon a Quebecois foundation (English shows were introduced in the festival’s third year), the annual comedic congress enlivened a similarly Franco-oriented stand-up industry. And while Anglo-Americans Jimmy Fallon, Ali Wong, and Kevin Hart (to name a few) credit Just For Laughs as a launchpad for their success, English is a minority in the Montreal comedy world.
Water found in ocean
This is likely to no surprise for Montrealers with any concept of Quebec’s language politics, the ramifications of which have seeped into every facet of life. Even though the performing arts—as ineffable and unavoidably political as they might be—often transcend constructs like language, the tension between French and English remains a considerable barrier for those performing in the latter in Montreal’s comedy industry.
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