As a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and hailed by Variety Magazine as a Top 10 Comedian To Watch, Dulcé Sloan is one of the sharpest, fastest rising voices in comedy. She has been named by Rolling Stone as one of the 10 Comedians You Need To Know and was hailed by Timeout LA as a 2017 Comedian to Watch. She has also been honored as the 2016 NBC Stand Up Showcase Winner, a Montreal Just For Laughs New Face and as a Comedian to Watch on The Steve Harvey Show.
Dulcé has “a voice that doesn’t pander or bully but comes at you straight. With a chaser of Joy,” according to Ozy.com. She offers a fresh and honest perspective that speaks truth to power and eviscerates the status quo. She was cast in the FOX pilot Type-A opposite Eva Longoria and the Amy Poehler project Dumb Prince for NBC. She has also appeared on MTV’s Acting Out, Comedy Central’s @Midnight, Tru’s Comedy Knockout, made her stand-up debut on TBS’ Conan, and has made multiple appearances as a correspondent on E! News Daily. Her signature point-of-view and confidence drives her hilarious views on everything from her personal relationships to the absurdities of society. She performs at Punch Line Philly January 25-26TH.
PHAWKER: Many people develop a sense of humor as a defense mechanism in response to bullies or hostile social/family situations or in response to some deep personal trauma and others just seem to be born that way. Where do you fit on that spectrum? And when/how did you realize you were funny — like, funny enough to make a living at it?
DULCE SLOAN: I knew in school that I could make people laugh by telling stories or little anecdotes or being a comedic character in a play. But I didn’t think I could be a stand-up comic until a comic, Big Kenney Johnson, told me I was a comic and got me to take his Stand Up class.
PHAWKER: Who were your comedy heroes when you were coming up (maybe mention three)? What made them so relatable to you, or at least what made them so funny in your estimation, and what have you learned/borrowed from them?
DULCE SLOAN: My comedy heroes growing up were Lucille Ball because her physical comedy skills and acting where amazing, Carol Burnett because she had a way of making you root for and love any character she played and Margret Cho because she was such a powerful force onstage and her comedy came from her life experiences.
PHAWKER: You are not afraid to tackle social/political issues with your stand up. Care to weigh in on the whole Gillette #MeToo ad right wing backlash?
DULCE SLOAN: The backlash seems to be men wanting things to stay the same and being exactly the men the ad was talking about. lol
PHAWKER: On a related note, what is up with white women — or for that matter ANY woman — supporting Trump? I don’t expect you to be an expert on this, but I am sure you have an opinion. And we’d like to hear it.
DULCE SLOAN: I don’t have an opinion on those women because they live a life I will never understand. They live in a bubble reality and that must be nice.
PHAWKER: While we’re getting heavy, we’d also like to hear your thoughts on the R. Kelly controversy.
DULCE SLOAN: He is a monster and he has been able to get away with what he is doing for so long because his victims are black women.
PHAWKER: Do you have a strategy for dealing with hecklers — such as just ignore them, or a bring-a-gun-to-a-knife-fight overwhelming force response? Surely you have a funny story or two about all this.
DULCE SLOAN: I have different tactics for dealing with hecklers. Sometimes I ignore them
PHAWKER: What was the last joke that somebody told you that made you LOL. (Dirty is fine, as is corny/cute.)
DULCE SLOAN: One of my friends posted a video on IG about how he bought the Atlantic Ocean and told everyone to get out it. I can’t stop laughing at it.