Comedy, feminism and languages: the many loves of Codie Bell

 

Codie Bell has many passions. One is languages: she’ll be leaving the ANU with two more under her belt – Chinese and French. This is on top of German, which she learned in high school. 

 

In addition, Codie describes herself as a passionate feminist and advocate for victims of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

 

This work is very close to her heart. It arose from her involvement with the ANU Women’s Department – as well as her own experiences as a victim of sexual assault.

 

“After that happened to me, I became dedicated to helping and mentoring other women, advocating on their behalf,” Codie says.

 

Those experiences, unexpectedly, inform a third passion of Codie’s: stand-up comedy.

 

“I talk a lot about relationships between men and women and preconceived ideas on what's acceptable and what's not, what it's like to date – all that kind of stuff,” she says.

 

Codie got into stand-up in early 2016, when the organiser of the O-Week comedy gala put out a call for student comedians. Codie says they didn’t have enough women volunteering.

 

“I realised no one was going to ask me to do it, so I may as well put my hand up for it,” she says.

 

She caught the comedy bug that night, and went on to MC and organise the Women’s Department’s comedy night during Bush Week.

 

“We got lots of really great talent up; lots of girls who were so nervous and so scared,” Codie says.

 

They kept pulling out and re-joining, but Codie managed to get them all onstage.

 

“Everyone afterwards thanked me for pushing them to get up and have a go at it,” she says.

 

Asked why she was so keen that they performed, Codie spoke about stand-up comedy requiring a lot of self-confidence because it involves a single comedian up on stage talking to people and expecting them to listen.

 

“It's almost very self-indulgent,” Codie answers. 

 

“Women are kind of conditioned to think they don't have as much to say or they're kind of conditioned to think, 'Oh, no, I could never do that. That's not for me.'”

 

Codie and a group she’s assembled has a slot in the Canberra Comedy Festival in 2017, along with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

 

Before that happens, Codie will begin a graduate program position with the Department of Social Services, where she currently works as part of their media and communications team.

 

“I'm really passionate about policy, and about bringing my lived experience to policy areas – things the government does that actually impacts people's lives,” Codie says.

 

Her goal is to make Australia a more inclusive society; one that values and understands the contributions of minority groups.

 

On the sexual assault front, Codie looks to her 11 year old sister as a model of her aspirations for the future.

 

“There will always be men who will want to take something beautiful from women,” Codie begins. 

 

“But my hope is that she will understand that these things aren't the fault of young girls.”

 

In terms of applying and advancing her ANU degree, Codie says she may pursue a PhD in Chinese literature.

 

“My eventual plan is that a jade laptop will descend from the heavens and I'll be able to write my magnum opus, a translation of this amazing, beautiful Chinese story, although I don't know which one yet,” Codie says, laughing.

 

“That's my dream. But I have lots of different interests and I want to pursue each at different points in my life. 

 

“And my ANU languages degree definitely comes into that.”