S01E08 Isa Bonachera, Spanish speaker - From Almeria, Spain🇪🇸

Isa celebrates being "weird" in their comedy approach. They got into the comedy world by accident when they tried to impress a girl - well, Isa did not get the girl, but they did get comedy! The wicked Spanish comedian - 2018 finalist of BBC New Comedy Awards - enjoys sharing the wacky thoughts in their head rather than joking about and conforming to all the worst Spanish stereotypes, against their comedy course tutor's advice.

This episode also includes a heartfelt section of Isa explaining how Spanish women had to endure an unfair and sexiest society well into the 20th century and why they feel compelled to tell the stories of Spanish women who show strong emotions..

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Isa's Instagram

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Episode timeline

00:38 Intro

02:23 Isa making an effort - sometimes - to mitigate their Spanish accent

05:01 Simple phrases and greetings in Spanish

06:15 How Isa uses an opening joke to adjust audience's perception of their accent and why Isa does not want to be THE Spanish comedian who only talks about being Spanish

07:48 A comedy course tutor advised Isa to rely heavily on Spanish stereotypes

09:40 Isa does not wish to make Spanish people the butt of the joke; Manuel from Fawlty Tower

11:34 Isa started to touch upon topics from the Spanish culture more recently

13:23 Isa anglicised their long Spanish name; also, ISA means Individual Saving Accounts in the UK

15:14 How Isa's Spanish accents works in their favour & against them

17:10 UK's social classes in the eyes of foreign immigrants

20:12 Isa rarely performs comedy in Spanish

21:01 How Isa got into English stand up comedy

23:28 Is it rude or is it in anyone's right to point out a foreign comedian has a (strong) accent?

25:33 The portrayal of fiercely emotional Spanish women by Isa and other Spanish-speaking comics (Check out British comedian Jen Brister's set, who is half Spanish )

27:20 The lack of women's rights in Spain until 1981

29:22 Isa's comical portrayal of their mother that comes from a place of love

32:28 Spanish or Castellano?

33:20 The Telenovela version of a British Royal Family sketch

34:33 Isa's social media accounts/handles

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The character in Fawlty Tower mentioned by Isa is Manuel. If you have a look at the clip, it is quite surprising how far comedy and the society have evolved!

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Podcast intro music by @Taigenkawabe

https://www.instagram.com/taigenkawabe/