Words By Maj
What do you get when you take some good ole crude and even sexually abrasive West Indian humor and couple it with a conspicuous but charming feminist agenda? Pomme is French for Apple, the brainchild of Liza Paul and Bahia Watson, is a pum pum advocacy movement grounded in provocative, sometimes offensive, but always delightfully entertaining comedy sketches and monologues. And while female empowerment specifically within a sexual context is nothing new to West Indian culture and expression, this duo’s approach is less aggressive than humorous, and even exudes an air of sophistication while they ‘pat their drums,’ cat call men and address everything from masturbation to menstruation.
Having started on the stage, these Toronto natives have extended their antics onto the web via their Youtube channel PommeTV, giving audiences a sample of their live show. Here, the women conjured up memorable personalities like pineapple fruit spokeswoman Chiquita Pineapple; “Two Finger Taco Tango” flag bearer Dr Zelda Breedlove; rapper Lil Maxi and (a personal favorite), the playfully obnoxious Ms. Crystal Ballin. Pomme is French for Apple is a refreshing insight into what it’s like to be a woman, and, as they say, “Where better to start than pum?”
We spoke to the duo ahead of their performance this Saturday at Joe’s Pub in NYC.