In the British sitcom, Miranda, Miranda Hart plays a fictionalised version of herself who frequently breaks the fourth wall, addressing the audience whenever she feels the need to share her thoughts or merely to punctuate a situation. Similarly to other female-centred British comedy series from the early 2010s, such as Chewing Gum and Drifters, the zaniness of Miranda’s character is the main driving force of the majority of the show’s comedic beats, as her zany, obscure behaviour contradicts those around her and turns ‘domestic work into performance art,’ as described by Sianne Nagi.
Miranda incorporates many of her personal experiences into the sitcom, as a lot of the topics explored in the series also cover particularly gendered issues, especially surrounding diet culture and female body standards. Regarding the gender politics surrounding zaniness, Nagi considers the art of being zany to uphold a politically ambiguous intersection that balances play with labour. This idea can be identified within the following clip which features Miranda navigating her first day working at a new job in an office. She compares her dissatisfying new work experiences to when she worked as a shopkeeper alongside her friend. She finds that, unlike her previous job, which allowed her to balance play with labour in an environment where she felt comfortable and free from others’ judgment, there is no room to incorporate her personality into her new workspace, and none of her new coworkers share the same ideals as her.
Through the playful, zany performance of her character, Miranda rebels against how women are expected to act. Similarly, Nagi considers the comic value of zany performers, who are constantly in motion and in flight from precarious situations in particular, derives from their ability to emulate the audience’s compulsive urge to be fun, even in serious or formal settings. By expressing her frustration in ‘angry glee,’ Miranda exhibits her refusal to conform to office etiquette, demonstrating how individuality is discouraged in white-collar workspaces, whilst fulfilling the audience’s presumed desire to rebel against social systems that are too ‘large and impersonal’ to remove oneself from.
Miranda is such a great example of a zany character and comedy, especially in highlighting the gendered aspect of zaniness that Nagi discusses. I also liked how you tied it into ideas of labour, as Miranda’s work in the joke shop is a point of discussion in the show between different characters (her mum, her friends etc) and epitomises her zany characterisation!
Miranda is such a good example of the ideas that Nagi discussed about female zaniness. Male characters always seem to be putting Miranda down, and so her escapades feel like a satisfying and amusing demonstration of the “angry glee” that Nagi mentioned.
The character of Miranda is a similar example to Dorris from Gavin and Stacy. Just like Dorris, Miranda doesn’t follow the social scripts and acts against what is expected of a grown up woman. It’s interesting that we find these characters so humorous, are we laughing with them or at them?