“No, it’s not difficult to book women in comedy: we can book 60! » With their show 60 girls on the paceorganized as part of Minifest, comedians Emna Achour and Coralie LaPerrière, creators of the Instagram account @pasdefillesurlepacing, intend to shut up those who persist in believing that women in humor are few in number and are not very talented.
For a year and a half, the two women have been relaying posters of comedy evenings which only include men on their Instagram page. “We stick to the facts,” explains Emna Achour. We’re just sharing pacing which are already public. » Under their nearly 250 publications, no one is identified and no comments are added. “We’re not Femen, we’re not making a splash,” adds Coralie LaPerrière with a laugh.
Despite everything, their initiative is disturbing. To the point where last summer, the organizer of an evening at the bar Le Troquet, in Gatineau, invented a fake comedian, whom he named Sonia Bélanger, deliberately to taunt them. The highly publicized incident highlighted the demands of Emna Achour and Coralie LaPerrière.
Here they are again with 60 girls on the pace. At the invitation of producer Mel Juste, the two comedians agreed to pilot a show featuring 60 girls in 60 minutes, including Tranna Wintour, Garihanna Jean-Louis, Stéphanie Vandelac and Andy St-Louis. “There are going to be musical numbers, stand-up regular, fly-by-night stuff,” says Coralie LaPerrière, specifying that she and her partner are not among the 60.
Some 90 women have expressed interest in participating in this show, a sign that a second edition could one day take place. “It is always our mission to share our platform with women and people of gender diversity, to show that we deserve our place as much as men,” says Emna Achour bluntly.
Fierce, frustrated and dirty leftists
The two artists are delighted to present 60 girls on the pace at Minifest, an event that has given a great place to up-and-coming comedians since 2016. “We feel represented there, and the organizers, who are themselves comedians, give us great freedom,” says Emna Achour. The festival also stands out by donating 65% of its income to artists.
No wonder in this context that we find the names of the instigators of @pasdefillesurlepacing in other evenings of the festival, including the Political comedy cabaret for dirty leftists And The summer of the frustrated. The duo will also host an episode of their podcast in front of an audience Wild. Representations with unequivocal titles: “We are fierce, frustrated, dirty leftists, all at the same time! » says Coralie LaPerrière with pride, under the approving gaze of her colleague.
While many artists seek to escape labels at all costs, these two comedians embrace them fully. “It’s one of our strengths to have decided to go into this niche,” says Coralie LaPerrière, who is also a collaborator at Fred Savard’s podcast and who will present the show with him The old man and the bitter at Minifest. We are speaking to an audience that no one had addressed before, an audience that must be exploited… ethically! »
And it works: the two artists earn their living without making compromises. You will never hear them do a number stand-up on their “espresso machine” or even their “badly mown lawn”, they swear. “People seem worried about us because we are not at the Cheaterbut there is an audience that is ready to pay for what we do,” underlines Emna Achour.
Another “boys’ club”
Since the Le Troquet bar controversy, Emna Achour and Coralie LaPerrière have observed improvements in certain comedy evenings. “We are told that there are guys who are tired of being on @pasdefillesurlepacing,” explains Coralie LaPerrière. But parity is far from being achieved.
However, in 2017, in the wake of denunciations targeting former comedy mogul Gilbert Rozon, several comedians gathered at the bar Le Bordel to ensure that women feel safe and well represented in the industry. . When this realization is mentioned, the two sisters cannot help but let out a mocking laugh. ” THE boys’ club has evolved, but it is still a boys’ club », summarizes Emna Achour.
“They took out the garbage, but they did not establish a zero waste policy,” illustrates Coralie LaPerrière. Nothing has been implemented to ensure that this doesn’t happen again. Feminists, we are not asking to “cancel” these people, we are asking to take measures. » She cites as an example institutions such as the National Assembly and SODEC, where guidelines have been established to ensure parity. “But in the most popular and lucrative cultural sector, we don’t do it. It’s ridiculous. »
This is why the two comedians continue to campaign for their female colleagues by maintaining the page @pasdefillesurlepacing. “Our goal is that it no longer needs to exist, but as long as it is a need, we are there,” declares Emna Achour. We are dedicated! »