Lucie Carbone, the other favorite employee comedian
Lucie Carbone plays with her new life to parody the old one. In her stand-ups and videos, the comedian takes her audience on board via subversive subjects that she masters for having experienced them in her life as a computer consultant. Except that now, his comic resistance helps managers and managed to free themselves. Like Karim Duval, but less known (for the moment), the other comedian now essential to the French comedy scene, whom we met last year.
In her own way, Lucie Carbone’s sketches also rely on the excesses of hyper-processed management. For example, it makes fun of acute meetingitis, alias “comitology” in technocratic jargon. This activity punctuates the days of French employees with essential Comex (Executive Committee), but also the most unpredictable Conar (Committees for new arrivals), the very secret Coit (IT and Telecom Committee). As for the nutritious Cochon (hierarchical committee of national organizations), it leads to the definitive “Universal conformity committed” (Coucou in French), early in the morning to go up “from everywhere the KPIs”.… Hilarious and so true.
Internet users ask for more and compete in creativity. Thus, Julien wishes, in commentary, to add the very demographic “Copul (Free Unified Project Committee of Saturday at the end of the morning at 3:17 p.m.)”. Or Franck offers a more alarming and very topical “Covid, the Diurnal VIdéo Committee, committee taking place in video from sunrise to sunset and in which we include all the other committees”…
“I love it, I feel like I’m still at work,” adds Olivier. Oddly, I don’t feel lost at all in your semantic field”.
“We find acronyms and absurdity more often than agility in business”, also comments Mélanie.
“It’s so my daily life,” adds Nad.
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The company, a breeding ground for absurd excesses
Lucie Carbone, 33 – that’s not her real name but her grandmother’s – has been a comedian since 2017. Native of French Catalonia (Perpignan/Prats-de-Sournia), she obtained a master 2 in communication from the IEP of Toulouse and began his career in consulting firms in the Ile-de-France region or at Total.
At a good school, the thirty-something decided, little by little, to move towards comedy.
I branched off into full-time stand-up in 2019, she says. My parents didn’t really understand. It may come as a surprise but, in the end, they got down to it. They come to the show, encourage me and give me ideas. Anyway, I wanted to do theater. My job before did not animate me..
Lucie Carbone
How does Lucie Carbone’s comedy work?
I confront the very slick and formatted aspect of companies where everything has to roll, with what really happens there. Sometimes failing organizations, which call themselves “agile” while the burdens are numerous. But I don’t want to divide. I want to federate. Humor is used to break the ice on certain management topics.
The resignation seen by Lucie Carbone
Resignations ascending rupture 💔❤️ 🩹
As a result, before leaving, you also have to say to yourself “do we have to talk? #breakup #resignation #leetchi #Humor pic.twitter.com/trgjKzbVnp— Lucie_Carbone (@Lucie_Carbone) November 24, 2022
Why does the company hire a comedian?
Like other rising stars, Lucie Carbone does not yet live off the stage. She therefore alternates stand-up in theaters and corporate performances.
About 50% of my income comes from my employer-funded fees, she estimates. Today, I earn roughly the same amount as I earned when I started my career as an executive. But going from manager to troubadour, I had to start all over again at the bottom of the ladder. Today, I have a freedom of tone. Coming back to the office would be difficult for me.
Thank you @delaware_france for the opportunity to play at the Théâtre des Variétés, it was phew! pic.twitter.com/0B2q4UXJnv
— Lucie_Carbone (@Lucie_Carbone) November 17, 2022
How does Lucie Carbone reconcile this independence of thought with corporate financing, the failings of which she denounces?
Employers who contact me know the virtues of self-mockery. This is proof of humanity on the part of employers. It’s nice to laugh at yourself, at your failings. This is proof of openness. Admittedly, some companies have asked me to tone down my remarks… But I don’t approach them, they come to me. When I am called, it is because the employer assumes to be teased a little. Humor makes it possible to talk about subjects that can be angry, to question contradictions, to step aside, to take a step back for a show that is quite light on the form even if the content can be more scathing.
Microsoft and the pangs of remote work
This is how Microsoft France co-financed more real-life sketches narrating the pangs of remote work in hybrid mode, home office which allows this company to sell its software en masse.
We were looking to make films about remote work. This “Available” series did extremely well with over a million views. Our customers still tell us about it. For us, it was a question of showing that the tools are one thing but that the important thing is to learn how to use them well… We also felt that Lucie was benevolent. She is very funny. We chose the themes with her. Our customers have appreciated it very much. U.S. too !
Capucine Simon, head of external communication at Microsoft France.
Yet Lucie Carbone fires red hot bullets and parodies a Kafkaesque world, with overwhelmed managers who recommend their employees to work “from where you want. For example, I’m in the toilet with my phone… The important thing is the result. All KPIs are green ».
Sometimes acid words
Some of his jokes are sometimes more than acid. Thus, in one of his first videos (2020), we witness a recruitment interview conducted by a libidinous HRD played by Carbone. His titled sketch « The metoonious recruitment interview wants to denounce practices of sexual harassment which constitute a criminal offense punishable by law.
The “metonous” recruitment interview
A militant comedian who makes things happen
My gags can move the lines. A spectator told me that he had created a Conar to welcome newcomers to his box. It can be life-saving to bring humor to an environment where there is physical and mental suffering. Having said that, laughter in a company is more restrained than on a classic stage. The spectators know that the HRD or the manager is not far away. Can they laugh when the annual evaluation is not far away…?
