Presidents come and go. While there is and should be a place to make fun of those in power, after the boom of The Daily Show-style programming from a wide array of popular comics like Samantha Bee, Jim Jefferies and Hasan Minhaj, it’s almost low-hanging fruit at this point. Fiorentini believes comedy requires more than grains of truth; it’s necessary to dig in and name the issues more than the figureheads.

“As soon as you really talk about some of these underlying issues of power, of white supremacy, of capitalism, of patriarchy, suddenly things start to get a little uneasy,” explains Fiorentini. “The money starts to dry up. The people who want to support you don’t feel comfortable supporting you. You start talking about colonialism and the West Bank and people start to freak out.”

On The Bitchuation Room, Fiorentini has the freedom to speak her truth to power thanks to its listener-supported format. But working for herself also comes with the reality of no days off. She returned to work shortly after giving birth to her first child in 2022 with her husband, fellow comedian Matt Lieb.

“I didn’t have maternity [leave],” says Fiorentini. “You know, no rest for the vaginally torn.”

Despite her critiques of the Bay Area’s obscene wealth inequality, Fiorentini relishes the opportunity to return home. As a “lefty stand-up comic who likes kombucha and kale, I could not be from anywhere else,” she admits.

The Bitchuation Room platforms many Bay Area comedians and activists both currently residing here and repping from elsewhere. It’s the notion of the Bay Area’s comedic identity that coaxes some more boisterous pride out of the comic, who deals with the most cynical news of the day for listeners’ information and entertainment.

“Joke writing is a muscle, and monologue joke writing is the crossfit of comedy. So I’ve put meat on my bones and learned how to succinctly get across potentially tough concepts by using comedy,” says Fiorentini. “In fact, I think jokes might be the best way of explaining how our world and our country work… ’cause often it feels like we’re living inside of one big joke, and we’re the punchline.”

Francesca Fiorentini performs a stand-up set at SF Sketchfest on Jan. 27, and hosts a live edition of ‘The Bitchuation Room’ on Jan. 28.

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Even Liberals Aren’t Safe From Francesca Fiorentini’s Political Punchlines