Queer Comedic and Sonic Gesture in Marga Gomez's "Pound"

This presentation listens critically to the voiced body, the performance of accents, miming, and gesture that are central to the work of Puerto Rican/Cuban American comedian, writer, and performer Marga Gomez, particularly her... [ view full abstract ]

This presentation listens critically to the voiced body, the performance of accents, miming, and gesture that are central to the work of Puerto Rican/Cuban American comedian, writer, and performer Marga Gomez, particularly her most recent work Pound, which uses “queer comedic gesture” to disrupt heteronormative and state-sanctioned sites of citizenship at the locus of the Latina body. The sonic elements in Gomez’s Pound work in concert with the voiced body and she uses comedy and humor to challenge the “proper way” to sound Lesbian. In her stand-up routines and performances she (re)sounds homophobia and uses comedy and laughter to negotiate homophobic sound.