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Ziwe Fumudoh

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Ziwe
Birth nameZiwerekoru Fumudoh
Born (1992-02-27) February 27, 1992 (age 32)
EducationNorthwestern University (BA)
Years active2013–present
Genres
Subject(s)
WebsiteOfficial website

Ziwerekoru "Ziwe" Fumudoh[1] is an American comedian and writer known for her satirical commentary on politics, race relations, and young adulthood.[2][3]

In 2017, she created the YouTube comedy show Baited with Ziwe and its 2020 Instagram Live iteration.[4] She wrote for Desus & Mero from 2018 to 2020,[5] and she co-hosted Crooked Media's Hysteria podcast in 2018.[6]

Fumudoh starred in and executive produced the Showtime variety series Ziwe (2021–2022).[7][8] She published a collection of essays called Black Friend in October 2023.[9]

Early life and education

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Born February 27, 1992, Fumudoh grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the second of three children to parents who emigrated from Nigeria.[3][10][11][12]

In 2010, Fumudoh graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.[1][13] In 2014, she graduated from Northwestern University with a double major in radio, television, and film and African American studies, with a minor in creative writing, concentrating in poetry.[3][14][15] In her first year at Northwestern, Fumudoh lived in McCulloch Hall.[16] While an undergraduate, she wrote for many student publications including: Purp Magazine, Northwestern Sketch Television, and Project SOARD.[17][16]

Career

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2013–2017: Early years

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In 2013, Fumudoh worked as a summer intern at Comedy Central on shows including The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.[13][18][5] During her senior year of college, she interned as a writer for The Onion and took improv classes at the iO theater.[19] At The Onion she worked in video, research, and contributing features.[20] From 2015 to 2020, she wrote for publications including The Riveter Magazine; Reductress; The Daily Dot;[21] Into The Gloss, where she wrote a column called "Operation Goo Goo Gah Gah";[22] Vulture, where she wrote television recaps;[23] and The New Yorker.

After graduation, she worked at Lorne Michaels's Above Average Productions.[10] Her first television job was as a screenwriter on The Rundown with Robin Thede.[5][18][19]

2017–2020: Baited with Ziwe and Desus & Mero

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In 2017, Fumudoh created Baited with Ziwe, a show on YouTube that featured her "baiting" her white friends into making unwitting racial faux pas.[5] In an interview, Fumudoh later said "I love that Baited allows viewers to laugh about space while still acknowledging its complexity. Of all projects I worked on, it's definitely one of my favorites."[24] In the same interview, she said that she got the inspiration for the show from asking her Caucasian coworkers what questions they would be uncomfortable to answer on camera.[24]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Fumudoh moved the show from YouTube to Instagram Live with new celebrity guests each week.[25] Guests included Caroline Calloway, Alison Roman, Alyssa Milano, and Rose McGowan.[26] She stated that her show's goals were to facilitate discussions about race while entertaining people and critiquing the system.[6][27][28] Baited with Ziwe would serve as a successful template for her talk show Ziwe.

In 2018, Fumudoh appeared frequently in Pop Show, a live show she created at Brooklyn's Union Hall in which she performs original pop songs.[18][29][30] That same year, Fumudoh co-hosted Hysteria, a podcast from Crooked Media.[6]

From 2018 to 2020, Fumudoh was a writer on the TV show Desus and Mero.[31][32] A Forbes reviewer wrote that she had the "confidence of an old comedy pro".[18] During that time, Fumudoh joined the cast of Our Cartoon President as the voice of Kamala Harris. She also wrote the season 3 episode "Senate Control".[33]

2020–2021: Ziwe

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In October 2020, it was announced that Fumudoh would work with Showtime on a new variety show, Ziwe.[34] The first season had six episodes and featured sketches, musical numbers, and interviews with celebrity guests including: Fran Lebowitz, Bowen Yang, Phoebe Bridgers, Julio Torres, and Stacey Abrams.[35] Fumudoh hosted, wrote for, and produced the show.[36] Fumudoh collaborated with costume designer Pamela Shepard-Hill on her costumes.[7]

The second season was heavily teased prior to broadcast by mainstream publications including: Variety,[37] Forbes,[38] and Deadline.[39] Season 2 of Ziwe built upon the successful format of Season 1, expanding to 12 episodes.[35] Celebrity guests included: Ilana Glazer, Mia Khalifa, Emily Ratajkowski, Katya Zamolodchikova, Julia Fox, Bob the Drag Queen, Joel Kim Booster, Amber Riley, Michael Che, and Hannibal Burress, among others.[35] The hyper virality of clips from Season 2 of Ziwe on TikTok cemented Fumudoh in the cultural zeitgeist of Millennials and Gen Z, achieving Fumudoh's dream of becoming "The Ellen Degeneres of race relations."[3] In April 2023, Showtime chose not to renew the series for a third season.[40] In doing so, Showtime left the late-night talk show genre altogether.[41]

Additional projects

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In 2021, Fumudoh wrote for the television series Dickinson and appeared in two episodes as Sojourner Truth.[42] That same year, she played Sophie Iwobi, a comedic commentator on a late-night show resembling Ziwe, in one episode of the third season of Succession. The character was tailored to more closely resemble Fumudoh after she was cast.[43]

2022–present

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In September 2023, Fumudoh was part of the "My Wings, My Way" campaign for Victoria's Secret.[44]

In August 2020, it was announced that Fumudoh was writing a collection of humorous essays, The Book of Ziwe, for Abrams Books.[45] The book was later retitled Black Friend and was released on October 24, 2023.[9] To promote the book, Fumudoh went on a cross country tour between October 23 and November 8, 2023, visiting 8 cities, including: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C.[46]

On December 18, 2023, Fumudoh interviewed the scandal-plagued former U.S. House representative George Santos on her YouTube channel.[47] The interview was widely covered in political news outlets and entertainment columns.[48][49][50][51]

Influences

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Fumudoh has cited Jonathan Swift and Stephen Colbert as influences, having been introduced to them by a teacher during her freshman year of high school.[52] Naming the latter as a foundational reference, she has said of his appearance at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Dinner, "It was so unbelievable that he’d speak to authority or even around authority like that... I was really compelled by his satire."[53] She has also taken inspiration from Oprah, the works of Zach Galifianakis, and Nathan Fielder,[53] as well as from shows like Arrested Development, The Office, and 30 Rock.[54]

Personal life

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Fumudoh lives in New York City.[9]

Filmography

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Ziwe Fumudoh film and television credits
Year Title Role Notes
2017–2018 The Rundown with Robin Thede None Writer (7 episodes)
2018–2020 Desus & Mero None Writer (66 episodes)
2019–2020 Our Cartoon President Kamala Harris, various characters (voice) 11 episodes; also writer
2020–2021 Stephen Colbert Presents Tooning Out The News Various voices 12 episodes
2021–2022 Ziwe Herself (host) Also producer, creator, and writer
2021 Succession Sophie Iwobi Episode: "The Disruption"
Dickinson Sojourner Truth 2 episodes, also writer
2021–2023 The Great North Amelia (voice) 9 episodes
2022 That Damn Michael Che Herself Episode: "Black Mediocrity"
Central Park (voice) Episode: "The Puffs Go Poof"
2023 Teenage Euthanasia Various voices 2 episodes
2024 Shell Audrey

Discography

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  • 2020: Generation Ziwe (EP)[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Supporting Engaged Scholarship". Andover, The Magazine of Phillips Academy. Winter 2010.
  2. ^ Jennings, Jackie (December 14, 2018). "Watch: How Ariana Grande's 'Thank U, Next' is like the MCU". SCI FI Wire.
  3. ^ a b c d Yap, Audrey Cleo (July 14, 2020). "Ziwe Wants to Be 'the Ellen DeGeneres of Race Relations'". Variety.
  4. ^ "Ziwe wants to shake up late night. Even if it makes you uncomfortable". Los Angeles Times. May 6, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Hawgood, Alex (March 15, 2019). "Ziwe Fumudoh Uses Humor to Push Racial Buttons". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b c ""Pass Those Pearls Down"". Crooked Media. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Testa, Jessica (May 13, 2021). "That 'Ziwe' Look". The New York Times.
  8. ^ Wheeler, André (May 3, 2021). "Ziwe Puts the Met in the Hot Seat". The New Yorker.
  9. ^ a b c Fumudoh, Ziwe (October 24, 2023). Book of Ziwe Iconic Commentary and (Mostly) True Stories. Abrams, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-4197-5634-4.
  10. ^ a b Blake, Meredith (May 6, 2021). "Ziwe is here to revolutionize late night. Even better if it makes you uncomfortable". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ Kilbane, Brennan (September 1, 2020). "How Ziwe Fumudoh Gets Ready for Each Episode of 'Baited'". Allure.
  12. ^ Sullivan, James (May 12, 2021). "Ziwe brings a satirical edge — and queries about race — to her new Showtime series". The Boston Globe.
  13. ^ a b Fumudoh, Ziwe (October 30, 2019). "Ziwe And The Skincare You Buy After The Derm Reads You 'For Filth'". Into The Gloss.
  14. ^ Misulonas, Joseph; Lenhoff, Caryn (January 22, 2013). "Meet The Daily's winter columnists". The Daily Northwestern.
  15. ^ "Ziwe Fumudoh '14". Recent Alumni Newsletter Archive, Northwestern Alumni. 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Episode 63: Navigating Career as a Creative Professional with Ziwe Fumudoh '14". www.alumni.northwestern.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  17. ^ "Your Reunion Committee". www.alumni.northwestern.edu. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d Escandon, Rosa (October 31, 2018). "26-Year-Old Ziwe Fumudoh Has The Confidence Of An Old Comedy Pro". Forbes.
  19. ^ a b c Milliken, Clare (September 29, 2020). "An Artist First: Ziwe Fumudoh starts uncomfortable conversations with comedy". Northwestern Magazine.
  20. ^ "About". ZIWE. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  21. ^ "Articles by Ziwe Fumudoh". The Daily Dot. November 20, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  22. ^ "Ziwe Fumudoh, Columnist at Into The Gloss". Into The Gloss. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  23. ^ "Ziwe Fumudoh Author Archive". Vulture. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  24. ^ a b "A Brief Interview with Ziwe Fumudoh". Ryan Sartor. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  25. ^ Jung, E. Alex (July 16, 2020). "Who's Afraid of Ziwe Fumudoh?". Vulture.
  26. ^ Berkowitz, Joe (July 2, 2020). "The best show on TV is Ziwe Fumudoh's hilariously uncomfortable Instagram Live show". Fast Company.
  27. ^ Murphy, Chris (August 28, 2020). "Ziwe's Instagram Live Show: 'An Incredible Leader'". Vulture.
  28. ^ Garcia, Sandra E. (July 9, 2020). "Ziwe Fumudoh Asks: 'How Many Black People Do You Know?'". The New York Times.
  29. ^ Pilat, Kasia (August 9, 2018). "5 Comedy Shows to Catch in N.Y.C. This Weekend". The New York Times.
  30. ^ Zinoman, Jason (January 31, 2019). "Instead of Killer Punchlines, Killer Choruses". The New York Times.
  31. ^ McKenzie, Joi-Marie (March 14, 2019). "'Desus & Mero's' Secret Weapons Are Two Black Women Writers". Essence.
  32. ^ Smith, Mariah (February 5, 2020). "Desus and Mero Writer Ziwe Fumudoh Plays the Race Card for Laughs". W Magazine.
  33. ^ White, Peter (October 21, 2020). "Showtime Orders Variety Series Featuring 'Desus & Mero' Writer Ziwe". Deadline Hollywood.
  34. ^ O'Connell, Mikey (October 21, 2020). "Ziwe Fumudoh Getting Her Own Variety Show at Showtime". The Hollywood Reporter.
  35. ^ a b c "Ziwe Season 2 (2022)". Paramount+ with Showtime. May 9, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  36. ^ Greene, Steve (February 23, 2021). "'Ziwe': Showtime Sets Premiere Date for New Variety Series". IndieWire.
  37. ^ Shafer, Ellise (April 14, 2022). "'Ziwe' Reveals Season 2 Trailer and Guest Lineup Including Chet Hanks, Deux Moi and Charlamagne Tha God". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  38. ^ Escandon, Rosa. "Showtime's 'Ziwe' Announces Season 2 Guests". Forbes. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  39. ^ White, Peter (September 21, 2022). "'Ziwe': Drew Barrymore & Julia Fox Among Guests For Latest Tranche Of Second Season". Deadline. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  40. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 5, 2023). "'Heist 88' Moves To Showtime As Network Picks Up 'Seasoned' To Series, Passes On 'The Wood' & Cancels 'Ziwe' After 2 Seasons". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  41. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 5, 2023). "'Heist 88' Moves To Showtime As Network Picks Up 'Seasoned' To Series, Passes On 'The Wood' & Cancels 'Ziwe' After 2 Seasons". Deadline. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  42. ^ "'Dickinson': Ziwe's Sojourner Truth Proves She's History's Baddest B*tch". Decider. November 5, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  43. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (November 1, 2021). "Ziwe's Surprise 'Succession' Cameo Was Reshaped Specifically for Her". IndieWire. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  44. ^ Pusateri, Catie (September 12, 2023). "Victoria's Secret Brings Back the Wings in New Campaign". Fashionista.
  45. ^ Wright, Megh (August 12, 2020). "Ziwe Fumudoh to Bait You With a Book of Essays". Vulture.
  46. ^ Mukherjee, Soumyajyoti (August 17, 2023). "Ziwe The Black Friend Tour 2023: How to buy tickets, dates, venues, & more". Sports Keeda. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  47. ^ George Santos Answers Hard-Hitting Questions | Ziwe Interview, December 18, 2023, retrieved December 19, 2023
  48. ^ Ashbury, Grace (December 18, 2023). "George Santos's Latest Stop on His Notoriety Tour: A Ziwe Interview". New York Times. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  49. ^ Scribner, Herb; Branigin, Anne (December 18, 2023). "George Santos talked to Ziwe. He had a lot to say". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  50. ^ Shanfeld, Jordan Moreau,Ethan; Moreau, Jordan; Shanfeld, Ethan (December 18, 2023). "George Santos Claims 'Gen Z Loves Trump' and Calls HBO's Biopic About Him 'F—ing Fiction' During Ziwe Interview". Variety. Retrieved February 17, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  51. ^ Bramwell, Michaela (December 18, 2023). "Here Are The 11 Most Shocking Moments Of Ziwe's Interview With George Santos". BuzzFeed. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  52. ^ Fragoso, Sam (November 12, 2023). "The Ziwe Interview". Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  53. ^ a b Conteh, Mankaprr (October 16, 2023). "How Ziwe Got Tender on Her Own Terms in Her First Book". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  54. ^ Blake, Meredith (May 6, 2021). "Ziwe is here to revolutionize late night. Even better if it makes you uncomfortable". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
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