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“I only learn from shame.”
So says comedian Abi Clarke, who feels that being known as a content creator rather than as a comedian is shameful, to be sure. Nevertheless, Clarke will share with us the video that first went viral for her and put her on the proper telly, for dancing with her parents after she moved in with them during pandemic lockdowns.
Can a silly TikTok girl actually be a role model? Should she be one? Clarke certainly finds joy when real models are taken down a peg, and if you were an avid viewer of America’s Next Top Model, then you’ll be even more on board with her next bit.
Clarke might not think of herself as an influencer, a role model, or even a model, but she does find herself judging her pretty privilege everywhere she goes. And in this hour, her solid Edinburgh debut, she already arrived worried that she’s appealing to the worst people or to the worst in people. And so she’ll put her hand on a stool to signal to us when even she knows her thoughts have crossed the line, and for a second opinion, she’ll have an audience member tracking her moral standing.
Clarke claims that the “Hawk Tuah” woman has done more good with her viral fame. Clarke is doing A-OK, though. She needn’t be judging herself based on other viral stars. Because they’re ultimately all flashes in the pan. Clarke wants to stick around a while. From the basement of Pleasance Beneath, she has nowhere to go but up.
Abi Clarke “(Role) Model” plays Pleasance Courtyard through the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe
