Shorts of the Week highlights the compelling narrative of Rachel Wallace, a feminist political comedian whose moral integrity is tested against the bleak financial realities of the entertainment world, as captured in the short film "Feminist Comedian Faces the Ultimate Choice: Money or Morals? Lean In Short Film". The film dissects the agonizing choice Rachel must make between adhering to her deeply political and social comedy and embracing the ruthlessness required for corporate success.
Rachel’s initial ambition is to create a satire show focusing on "global female-identifying political and social issues," a concept immediately dismissed by a potential agent. The agent is skeptical that an audience, when seeking "their night of laughs," would want to "strap in for an info session on Australia's problem with domestic violence," labeling such topics a "downer". The agent strongly advises Rachel to incorporate "sex jokes" into her political comedy, which Rachel finds "a bit reductive". The agent insists Rachel’s preferred show will "never going to exist in this country," citing defamation laws and the tiny prospective audience—"like, two"—as reasons. When Rachel refuses to commercialize her material, the agent ends the relationship, callously advising Rachel to "just go on antidepressants" so she "won't care as much".
Related article - Uphorial Radio
This defeat is immediately followed by a revelation: a man named Ben, who had sunk $10,000 into Rachel's show, informs her that a "Netflix" scout had just missed commissioning the show, meaning the agent missed out on a 10% commission. Despite being "10k in debt" and distraught, Rachel's friend Ben praises her for "sticking to your guns," noting, "nobody fucking does that," and predicts her "break coming".
The narrative then plunges Rachel into a corporate Christmas party where she confronts cynical male executives, including Gareth and Connor, who engage in vulgar humor about "nude chat" and "up the pooper prostate checks". When Rachel, whom one executive sarcastically refers to as "Germaine Greer", critiques their behavior, she is tested for her "ruthlessness". Rachel reveals her desire for money, stating, "I don't want a soul. I want money," and that her ambition for "connecting to people" has "totally turned into an ambition for fucking benzo prescriptions". An executive, impressed by her sharp wit, offers her a job with a starting salary that initially lands at "$120k excluding bonuses," before being revised down to $80,000. The condition is clear: she must be "ruthless," a "cunt".
The climax sees Rachel weaponize the executives' personal tragedies and insecurities in brutal verbal attacks. She asks Connor if he would "still visit your mother if necrophilia were legal" and reveals that Gareth's "one-degree from suicide is your mum". When the executive ups the ante, offering a "$20,000" watch as a tangible reward if she demonstrates she has "what it takes", Rachel faces the ultimate moral sacrifice. She is challenged to slap her own brother, who had recently been on "48-hour suicide watch". Under pressure, Rachel delivers the slap, which "had some weight behind it", thus trading her integrity for a chance to get "off the fucking poverty line".
