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Promotional art for Serious Black Jumper
Cover image credit: via TMDB

Serious Black Jumper

Jayde Adams

Prime Video · 2020 · 62 min

A lecture on modern feminism delivered in a Steve Jobs turtleneck.

Released , on Prime Video.

Ditching the cabaret gowns and operatic singing that made her name on the circuit, Jayde Adams puts on a tight black roll-neck to audition as a Serious Independent Woman Person. The premise treats cultural authority as a cheap wardrobe trick. Armed with a projector clicker, she walks through four waves of feminism, noting along the way that working-class women got left behind somewhere after the Spice Girls broke up.

Filmed at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre, the hour was adapted from her Edinburgh Fringe set, originally titled The Ballad of Kylie Jenner’s Old Face. Released by Amazon Prime in January 2020, it arrived as Adams was moving into British television, hosting food competitions and joining comedy-drama casts.

Specific bits take aim at Elizabeth Holmes, cosmetic surgery culture, and stadium pop stars who treat political slogans like stage props. The show later earned an Emmy longlist nod after clips circulated widely on TikTok.

Notable bits & set list

5 bits

  1. Wearing the Serious Black Jumper

    Pokes fun at the modern trope where celebrities and comedians wear black turtlenecks to signal seriousness, authority, and feminist credibility.

  2. Beyoncé as a feminist icon

    Examines contradictions in pop-culture feminism, asking why an icon like Beyoncé would allow her cheating husband to grab her ass on stage or appear behind him in photos.

  3. Perrie Edwards from Little Mix and Instagram confessionals

    Deconstructs the trend of pairing an earnest confessional about anxiety with a sexualized, glamorous selfie, which Adams called out online to substantial fan backlash.

  4. Kardashian culture and Kylie Jenner's face

    Provides a primer on the Kardashian-Jenner family before offering a comedic takedown of the world's youngest billionaire and the changing appearance of her face.

  5. Jameela Jamil and body positivity

    Remarks that if a conventionally attractive, slender actress can establish herself as an authority on body positivity, then confidence is all that is required to take on any issue.

How it plays

Tone
Satirical, self-aware, passionate, and blending personal narrative with societal critique.
On stage
A working-class woman of the people from Bristol reinventing herself as a 'Successful Independent Woman Person' clad in a serious black turtleneck.
Pace
Delightfully entertaining with strong comedic remark delivery, culminating in a dramatic, introspective monologue towards the end.
About
Feminism, Social media, Body positivity, Celebrity culture, Working-class perspective, Career ambition in comedy

What the critics said

Generally praised as a potent and funny special that unites the personal with the political from a genuine working-class female lens, though some critics questioned whether stepping away from her musical cabaret roots into well-trodden feminist comedy territory diluted her distinctiveness.

In the room: Energetic and receptive, drawing laughs and standing ovations from audiences.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: amazon.co.uk, comedy.co.uk, letterboxd.com, thecomicscomic.com, theweereview.com, chortle.co.uk, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, jaydeadams.com.

Backstory

An examination of modern-day feminism, social media posturing, and the contemporary trend of public figures and comedians wearing serious attire (such as black turtlenecks) to project gravitas and 'inflict change' upon audiences.

Details

Released
Taped
Bloomsbury Theatre
Runtime
62 min
Where
Prime Video
Director
Peter Orton
Honors
Long-listed for the 2020 Emmy Awards for Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Topics

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