Photo: instagram
She's openly gay.
By Samantha Maffucci — Written on Jan 16, 2019
Comedians of the World on Netflix premiered on January 1st, and since then, viewers have gotten a deeper look into the comedy styles of comedians from different regions of the globe. The series features 47 comics in eight languages, all with a 30-minute stand-up special. The comics come from all over the world, including Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, India, and the UK, just to name a few.
And for Shirley Souagnon, whose humor is described as having a “fresh, quirky tone and a keen eye on the world around us,” she’s one comic to take note of. She talks primarily about technology, immigration, and hiring discrimination, using her experiences to connect with her crowd. Whether or not you speak French, Netflix does offer subtitles, so there’s no excuse to not give her a chance!
But just who is Shirley Souagnon? Here are 6 things to know about the comedian.
1. She grew up in France.
Though she’s from Clichy-la-Garenne, she moved often growing up, traveling to Picardy, Savigny-le-Temple, and London. She spent her college years in Savigny-le-Temple, and attended high school in Melun. Souagnon also played basketball in Houston, TX when she was just 17 years old.
2. She’s been doing stand-up for 10 years.
Souagnon began her career in 2008 and later gained public notoriety by participating on the show On n'demande que en rire, an entertainment program that showcases French talent and comedy.
3. Since then, she’s had quite the career in comedy.
She performed her first one-woman solo show in 2008 at the Théâtre Le Bout in Paris, and in 2009, she appeared on the show Pliés en 4 and the Youhumour Festival. In 2010, she joined Jamel Comedy Club, and was featured as a columnist for the Comedy Club Live radio show, eventually becoming a columnist in 2011 on the weekly show Samedi Roumanoff.
In 2012, she performed her Sketch Up! show at La Cigale, and performed at the Comédie de Paris on Sundays for six months that year. In 2014, she was on the television series Engrenages, and Free! The One Woman Funky Show. She became a member of Les Grosses Têtes in 2016, presented the Afropunk festival, and was in the Just For Laughs of Montreal festival.
4. She’s gay.
Souagnon is openly lesbian and even added it to one of her performances, entitled “Gay, Gay, Gay,” which rallied for same-sex marriage.
5. But she has other passions outside of comedy.
She’s an ambassador for AMREF, which provides medical care for East Africa. She’s also campaigned against AIDS, which was organized by Gayvox-Inpes, and led a solidarity auction for AfriCAN.
6. She participated in “Black is not my job.”
In 2018, at the Cannes Festival, 16 actresses protested on the red carpet making a statement about sexism and racism in the French film industry. Other actresses included Aïssa Maïga, Rachel Khan, Sabine Pakora, and Maïmouna Gueye. The actresses penned an essay of the same title, detailing the racism they have experienced from directors and casting agents.
Actress Rachel Khan wrote an op-ed for Huffington Post France recounting, “Between the maids and prostitutes roles I’m offered, for which the ‘African accent’ is required, there seems to be a new genre in cinema: the ‘less than life, next to nothing.’ In short, movies that are under reality, where no black woman can be crazy in love with someone, be a doctor or a lawyer. Where are we, and what year is this?”
Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.