AVENUE STAGE REVIEW: ERICA WATSON'S "FAT BITCH"

Erica Watson is taking the comedy world by storm with her new one-woman show “FAT BITCH.” She performed at the Tank Theater in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan, New York.

“FAT BITCH” is a play that relives stories from Erica’s past occurrences, all attempting to challenge societal norms and judgment regarding her weight, race and gender. She defines what a “FAT BITCH” means to her within its derogatory context, one example being the reaction she gets from men in the street that she is unresponsive towards. Erica stated that they would retort by saying, “whatever, you ugly fat bitch!” Ouch.

Ms. Waton’s performance style switched frequently from monologue, acting and stand up format at any given time throughout. This may be tedious for the inexperienced, but Erica remained relatively composed and confident in relaying her messages.
My favorite part of the show was her tirade about “penis envy,” where she complains about preferential treatment that men receive, especially in the dating scene. Erica links theories of sexism to Segmund Freud’s definition of this “penis envy,” and the belief that every woman wants to have the supposed powerful organs of her father and brother. Apparently this reproductive body part leads to insurmountable powers that women will never possess. I agree and disagree.

The thing is…WOMEN ARE POWERFUL! We just have to understand that this power is obtained differently than it is by men. I know you’ve always heard the saying, “you gotta play like the boys to be down.” Why can’t we just outsmart them, especially since we function more efficiently half the time anyway? I think it’s more a matter of understanding our strengths as females and using that to identify us as daters. We are usually more organized, can multi-task (wink wink) and plan better than men—look it up, even science says so! Our fault most of the time is our methods of communication; we succumb to our emotions very early which can often have negative effects in dealing with men across the board. That may be the ONLY quality from the male gender I would suggest taking a note on. Otherwise, be a woman and don’t think that the male privilege that allows some of them to engage in douchebaggery will make your life better. You are what you’re meant to be! Perhaps acknowledging this will help more women get ahead.

I’m sure Erica knows these things, but her focus on male privilege was a justifiable rant depending on its context. I can get “Fat Bitchy” too if the wrong guy tests my potentially evil wrath. But I move forward, get over it and realize that there WILL BE a great person coming my way very soon (insert evil laugh). Women, we’re on our way and we’re doing it OUR way.

But I’m digressing…her play was highly entertaining, and I would recommend “FAT BITCH” to anyone. It’s a great date also, only five bucks per head! So recession daters, jot this down on your “Roadmap to Summer Lovin” list, it’s a great pick. Make sure the person has a good sense of humor and isn’t uncomfortable with profanity and sexual content. And avoid taking “FAT BITCHES” (male or female) who don’t know they’re “FAT BITCHES” yet—wait until grow into their skin. Obviously.

To get more information about Erica, log on to www.ericawatson.com.

Posted by: Lande