A who’s who of queer comics take the literal and figurative stage in the new Netflix documentary, Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution. The film examines the way queer performers not only changed stand-up comedy, but influenced the greater fight for social change. Following a premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, Outstanding will debut on Netflix on June 18.
Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Tig Notaro, Margaret Cho, Bob the Drag Queen, and Trixie Mattel are just some of the performers highlighted in Outstanding. The new trailer for the film features a mix of archival footage and original interviews with comics reflecting on their careers and the evolution of queer comedy. “All kinds of comedy is accepted now,” Rosie O’Donnell says in the trailer. “I never thought [it] would be possible in my lifetime.”
Through stand-up comedy, the film takes a look at the broader struggle for gay rights. “It wasn’t accepted, to say you were gay onstage,” Lily Tomlin says of her pioneering career. At a certain point, the trailer makes clear, queer comics decided to take a risk. Comics began to come out and use their jokes to aid in the fight for change. “Every word is a bullet, and you are a loaded weapon,” Marsha Warfield says. “And everything you say can find a target that doesn’t really want to hear that.”
Outstanding is directed by Page Hurwitz, whose previous work includes the 2022 Netflix special, Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration. The event, hosted by Billy Eichner, features many of the same performers highlighted in Outstanding. The special was taped in Los Angeles at the 2022 Netflix is a Joke Festival, also the name of Netflix’s comedy brand. Watch the trailer for Outstanding below.