Toronto Fringe Review: #NotAllFedoras

Eric Weiss and Miroki Tong

First created in response to the 2014 Gamergate harassment campaign, #NotAllFedoras is a sketch comedy show that seeks to dismantle the toxic masculinity that plagues geek culture.

Based on the real-life experiences of performers video game reporter Eric Weiss and Miroki Tong, along with conversations with other women in the community, the subject matter leaned heavily on the worst men of the internet — packed with awkward edge-lords who definitely have anime girl Twitter profile pictures — to create satirical scenes that shed light on just how dangerous these online spaces can be. 

This show is at its best when it’s not taking itself too seriously. Whether that’s playfully jibbing the absurdity of NFT crypto bros, storming the stage in a bird-themed superhero costume or reading smutty Harry Potter x Transformers crossover fan fiction, the sketches that stood out were the ones depicting the weird, wonderful world of nerd culture and made for some great satirical moments.

Unfortunately, these moments weren’t very prevalent, and some of the other sketches in the show were very on-the-nose with its premises and messaging. 

The show was mostly dominated by depicting the ugliest parts of the online geek community, leaning heavily on satirizing the worst men by depicting just how horrible things can get in this community with little nuance.

Listing this show as a sketch comedy may be somewhat of a misnomer. While it was a play set in the style of a sketch show (a collection of short scenes) there were a lot of moments when they pivoted into melodrama purposefully to illustrate its points rather than comedy.

While #NotAllFedoras was clear on its messaging, between some of the more jarring portions of the show and ham-fisted premises, it lacked a clear identity of what it wanted to be as a show.

#NotAllFedoras is on now until July 17 as part of the 2022 Toronto Fringe Festival.
Find show times and tickets here.