| Director | Jon Olb, Madeleine Parry |
|---|---|
| Genre | LGBT-related film, LGBT-related television series, comedy film, stand-up comedy |
| Runtime | 69 min |
| Country | Australia |
Gadsby uses Nanette to deconstruct the nature of comedy and its conventions by having the audience undergo the same tension in which marginalised people suffer on a daily basis. Gadsby shares personal anecdotes related to Gadsby's experiences as a lesbian and gender-nonconforming person, explaining how their comedic style is influenced by their identity. Gadsby was raised in conservative Tasmania surrounded by people prejudiced towards LGBTQ people. To deal with the social inequality Gadsby faced, Gadsby had earlier in their career turned to self-deprecating humour. They later realised the self-deprecating humour common to standup comedy is doubly painful for marginalised people because it adds another voice to the chorus of people who already insult and belittle the comedian. This led Gadsby to decide to quit standup comedy and so they structured the Nanette piece around explaining that decision.
In addition to the stories shared about their lesbian and gender-nonconforming experiences, Gadsby relates personal stories about their comedy career, family, and university experiences among other things. Gadsby expresses the need to use stories in their comedy because they are frustrated with the form of standup comedy. They do not feel as if their story, because their identity and victimisation do not fit comfortably into society's narrative, is being listened to properly. The representation of their story through Nanette affords Gadsby hope their experiences will be "felt and understood by individuals with minds of their own," and that Gadsby's story will finally be heard.
Gadsby discusses the mental health of Vincent van Gogh. Later, they talk about Pablo Picasso's contributions to Cubism and how they regard him as a misogynist artist.