Malena Pichot: Estupidez compleja

The Banana as a Weapon

I’ve seen a lot of stand-up specials in my time, but I don’t think I’ve ever watched one where the comedian eats a banana while walking down the street and turns it into a metaphor for the entire female experience. That’s Malena Pichot: Estupidez compleja in a nutshell—or, more accurately, in a banana peel. The Argentine comedian’s 2018 Netflix special is a whirlwind of sharp observations, feminist rage, and absurdist humor, all delivered with the kind of physical comedy that makes you wonder if she’s secretly a trained mime.

(She’s not. Or if she is, she’s hiding it well.)

Pichot’s style is a mix of observational comedy and performance art, and it’s clear from the first minute that she’s not here to play nice. The special opens with her casually strolling through what looks like a park in Buenos Aires, peeling a banana with the kind of nonchalance that immediately sets the tone: this is going to be equal parts hilarious and infuriating, depending on how much you’ve ever had to justify your existence to a man who thinks he knows better.

The banana, of course, becomes the star of the show. She uses it to mock the way women are policed for the most mundane actions—eating in public, walking alone, existing without apology. At one point, she even pretends to masturbate with it, just to see how long it takes for someone to look away.