Isabel Kanaan wants to share her voice

Coming into her feature role on Second Jen on OMNI TV, Isabel Kanaan is infiltrating your TVs with her unique brand of comedy. A TikTok personality with credits as a main cast member on Air Farce and The Second City, she sat down to speak with me candidly about her recent experience as a feature player on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

In addition to 22 Minutes, you’ve also been a cast member on Air Force, what’s been the main difference between the two shows?

I don't know how I got so fortunate as to be on the two most Canadiana shows, because I only immigrated here 13 years ago now. Back then, I was just trying to speak like a Canadian, and 13 years later, I'm on these shows. The difference is that Air Force does yearly specials that are more of a highlight of the year’s news, and 22 Minutes is weekly, more topical. Also, I was part of the main cast on Air Farce versus being a featured player here. No one really explains what that means. So, on 22, I was pitching stuff that was my point of view because that was what I was told to do and then those wouldn't make it in because it wasn’t their point of view. 

What were some difficulties at the beginning?

I pitched a lot of woman of colour perspective, immigrant, and young stuff, and none of my material was making it in. Then, during my last week there, they brought on another femme of colour and started rejigging those old sketches so that it's both of us instead of just me. It made me feel like one woman of colour having that perspective wasn’t enough for them. They needed two to make it work. That was great because the more women of colour the better! But it made me feel my voice on my own wasn’t strong enough for 22. It stems from me being Filipina; we're always known as the other. We're not Asian enough, we're not quite Canadian enough, and, because I am also an immigrant, I feel like a fish out of water most of the time. I'm so glad that person came because us doing those sketches was the best. I am disappointed that... I don't know. If they weren't there, would those sketches have gotten into the show? I don't know. But I’m glad we got to take advantage of having two featured women of colour for the first time on the show.

I’m sorry to hear that… It’s looked like the show had been trying to appear more diverse, especially during your last episode.

They are trying, but they are not trying actual diversity. Diversity isn’t just tokenism; it means telling our stories properly.

I will say this. It is difficult because the audience that they bring in is still not that young, and that’s where they gauge the material for the show. When I have a very young point of view, they just don’t get it, obviously, and it doesn't get in the show. That's sad, because I also am on TikTok, and when I posted that I was going to be on 22 Minutes, a lot of kids were tuning in. Then they're not seeing their voice reflected.

I mean, I don't know if the show wants to shift their perspective. Because they said they wanted a bit of a change, but it feels like they’re still holding on to their past. And it's not to say you can’t do both. But they have to understand that if you're going to do both, get both sides in. Not just like 90% still for the older audience and then 10% for the younger audience. That is not a change, that's just a drop in the ocean. At that point, who are you really doing that for? The audience or your moral compass? 

It also seemed like you were used as a featured player.

Don't get me wrong, there were fun sketches I was in. But the things that I wrote from my young woman of colour lens? Yeah. Those didn’t get into episodes until my last week. I was also writing a lot of those early episodes in quarantine and didn’t get to interact with the writers as much as I would’ve liked. They helped immensely towards the end, but I also wonder if I had more communication with them from the beginning, would we have been able to rejig some sketches I pitched to fit the 22 mould more? I know that blend of perspectives is possible, but all sides need to want it to happen. 

It was interesting too; there was this sketch where there had to be two Canadians versus two non-Canadians, and I played the other Canadian. I mean, don't get me wrong. I am an actor; I can do it. But I wonder if they saw me as just Canadian… Is that weird? I mean I am, but don’t overlook my proud immigrant Filipina roots. I just felt like they didn’t know what to do with me sometimes.

Well, you did a good job fooling them into thinking you’re a proper Canadian.

A bit too good!

Were there other things that you felt you couldn’t pitch?

Oh yeah, I felt that it was risky even when I pitched from a woman of colour’s point of view. I'm also queer and I have some queer sketches that I didn’t even pitch because I knew they were not going to make it in.

Have you talked with other people about you experiences?

Ever since, I've talked to a lot of the people of colour and women who’ve worked for 22 Minutes, and they've shared similar things. But you know, it's a job... I might be shooting myself in the foot by doing this. And you know, who am I? I'm not like the biggest person out there. But I'm not the smallest either. I want to call them out. They are pioneers and a lot of other shows and people look up to them, they could be doing actual change to Canadian television!

I mean, I feel so so grateful for being hired on this show. But many people of colour, especially immigrants, are scared to speak out, because it seems like we're being ungrateful. But we have stayed silent for years, and we are still getting trampled on when you hire us, and I don’t want that to be the case moving forward. So, I am very appreciative, but I'm going to call you out if you're doing something wrong, that’s just good parenting.

Also, when white people complain about a show, people take it to heart right away, and then maybe they change stuff up. But once people like me come in, and we give suggestions or just speak our truth... We might not get hired back for being too difficult. It's frustrating to see the double standard. 

What’s something you want to say to someone who wants to work for this show?

For any new people who will get on the show eventually, you’re going to think you have to conform to what they want. I want you to know that is not the case. Do not let them stifle your voice, especially if they say they wanted your point of view. Stand your ground; because if enough of us do, our stories might just make it in.

Follow Isabel Kanaan on Instagram