Review: Pump Your Pelvis Against the Patriarchy by Toni Nagy

By Justin D Williams

At Joe's Pub, Toni Nagy's Pump Your Pelvis Against the Patriarchy was not just your standard comedy set, but it's a full-bodied act of defiance that is part satire and social exorcism. From the moment Nagy steps onto that stage, it's clear she has no interest in making her audience comfortable. Instead, she invited us into a 75-minute rollercoaster that uses humor, music, dance, and raw provocation to dismantle shame and laugh at the absurdities of power.

Nagy wields her body like a punchline and a manifesto. The show is equal opportunity humor, and she delivers on it. Not just to shock, just for shock value, but to reclaim a territory usually shrouded in silence or stigma. By highlighting shame, sex, and desire in the spotlight. Nagy reframes them as tools of resistance against the patriarchy's quiet policing of bodies. The comedy is sharp, but what lingers is the way she makes the laughter function like a mirror. One moment you're laughing, the next you're realizing what she is saying is happening right now in today's system.

Pump Your Pelvis Against the Patriarchy is not a traditional stand-up. Nagy pivots from rant to interpretive dance, to audience interaction, to monologue, to a song. The presence of singer Bridget Barkan added a musical element to the show, giving it a refreshing tone shift that keeps the show from going on a predictable route. At its best, the show has many styles and tones, is a force of controlled chaos, and deliberately keeps you on your toes. One of the best parts is that she invites participation. She demands responses and makes the crowd part of the show, giving it a more intimate feel. Some people engage, and some people are hesitant, which is by design.

Pump Your Pelvis Against the Patriarchy is not your typical show. It's loud, provocative, and full of humor. Nagy isn't offering an easy hour of jokes. She is staging a catharsis. The show is as much about shaking bodies and voices free as it is about punchlines. If you want safe comedy, this isn't for you. If you want raw, real, and unapologetic from an artist true to herself, then check out this show.