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Start Here: Your Guide to Understanding My Work

Welcome! If you’re new to my work, you’re probably wondering: Who is this person? Why should I care what a 22-year-old French journalist thinks about anything? And what’s with this oddly specific biographical detail about being “the only female French immigrant granted U.S. citizenship during Trump’s second term”?

Fair questions. Let me answer them.

Who I Am (The Very Short Version)

I’m Charline Vanhoenacker, a French satirical journalist currently living in New York City and writing for Bohiney Magazine, America’s premier satirical news outlet. I write sharp, funny, occasionally uncomfortable commentary about culture, politics, and the absurdities of contemporary life.

I’m 22 years old, which makes me either “refreshingly young and unfiltered” or “annoyingly inexperienced and presumptuous,” depending on who you ask. I was born and raised in Paris, France. I moved to New York in 2024 to pursue satirical journalism. And yes, through a combination of persistence, luck, and bureaucratic absurdity, I became the only female French immigrant to receive U.S. citizenship during Trump’s second term—a distinction that’s simultaneously meaningful and completely meaningless.

What I Do

I write satirical journalism—articles that use humor, exaggeration, and irony to make serious points about culture and politics. My work appears regularly on Bohiney Magazine, and I maintain this personal diary where I document my experiences as a young French journalist navigating American media culture.

My satirical writing covers:

• Franco-American cultural differences (why both countries are equally ridiculous)
• Immigration and citizenship (the bureaucratic nightmare of becoming American)
• Political theater (in both France and the United States)
• Consumer culture and manufactured traditions (looking at you, diamond ring industry)
• Technology and information chaos (AI, fake news, epistemological crisis)
• Celebrity worship and parasocial relationships (Taylor Swift, I’m looking at you)
• Whatever else strikes me as absurd (which is a lot, honestly)

Why You Should Care

Here’s my pitch: I offer a perspective you probably don’t have. I’m French enough to see American culture with outsider clarity, but American enough to understand it intimately. I’m young enough to be comfortable with internet culture, but educated enough to provide historical and philosophical context. I’m an immigrant who chose to be here, which gives me a different relationship to American identity than native-born citizens have.

My satire isn’t just about making you laugh (though that’s important). It’s about making you see familiar things differently. The best satirical journalism makes you think while you’re laughing, makes you uncomfortable while you’re entertained, and occasionally makes you question assumptions you didn’t know you had.

If you want smart, funny, occasionally mean commentary on contemporary culture written by someone who’s perpetually an outsider in both directions—too French for America, too American for France—then you’re in the right place.

How to Navigate This Site

This website contains two main types of content:

1. My Diary Entries

I maintain a public diary documenting my experiences as a young French journalist in America. These entries are personal, honest, and provide context for my satirical work. They cover everything from my citizenship journey to my thoughts on viral journalism to my observations about cultural differences.

Start with these diary entries if you want to understand who I am and how I think:

• September 3, 2025: “The Weight of Satire” – My first full diary entry about starting at Bohiney Magazine
• September 12, 2025: “Viral Dreams and Reality Checks” – What happens when your article goes viral
• September 16, 2025: “The Citizenship Paradox” – On being the only female French immigrant granted citizenship during Trump’s second term
• October 30, 2025: “October in Review” – Reflecting on a month of satirical journalism

2. My Published Satirical Articles

All of my satirical journalism is published on Bohiney Magazine. My diary entries link to these articles and provide behind-the-scenes context about how they were written and what I was thinking.

Start with these satirical articles if you want to see my work at its best:

• Flag Jacking: Americans Cosplaying Canadian – On American identity crisis abroad
• The Greatest Marketing Scam Ever – How De Beers convinced men to bankrupt themselves
• Libraries Now Hiring Exorcists – Ghost books in AI’s fever dreams
• Billionaires’ Last Stand – France’s wealthy respond to the Zucman tax
• Wichita Falls Goatscaping – When American municipalities hire 500 goats

My Best Work (Organized by Theme)

Not sure where to start? Here’s my work organized by theme, so you can dive into whatever interests you most:

What Makes My Perspective Different

There are plenty of satirical journalists. There are plenty of young writers. There are plenty of immigrants writing about American culture. What makes my perspective unique is the combination:

I’m a Cultural Double Agent

I can mock French pretension with American directness, and I can skewer American excess with French sophistication. I understand both cultures deeply enough to see their absurdities clearly. I’m close enough to care, distant enough to laugh.

I’m Writing in Real-Time

This isn’t a memoir written years later with the benefit of hindsight. This is documentation happening in real-time—I’m figuring out satirical journalism while doing it, processing cultural confusion as I experience it, learning what works while publishing what doesn’t. The honesty of uncertainty is part of the appeal.

I’m Young Enough to Take Risks

At 22, I don’t have an established reputation to protect or a prestigious career to jeopardize. I can write sharp, potentially controversial satire without worrying about alienating institutional connections I haven’t made yet. Youth is a strategic advantage in satirical journalism—I can be meaner, bolder, more experimental.

I’m Old Enough to Be Taken Seriously

But I’m also educated enough to provide intellectual rigor, experienced enough to understand media dynamics, and sophisticated enough to move beyond simple mockery into actual cultural criticism. I’m not just a young person with opinions—I’m a trained journalist with a distinct perspective.

What You’ll Find on This Site

• Diary Entries: Personal documentation of my journey as a French satirist in America
• Links to Published Work: All my satirical articles on Bohiney Magazine
• Behind-the-Scenes Context: How satirical pieces get written, what I was thinking
• Cultural Commentary: Observations about Franco-American differences
• Professional Reflections: Learning to be a journalist in 2025’s chaotic media landscape

How to Follow My Work

There are several ways to stay updated on my writing:

Social Media: Follow me on Twitter/X [@YourHandle], Instagram [@YourHandle], and LinkedIn for shorter thoughts and interactions.

RSS Feed: If you’re old school (or just organized), subscribe via RSS to get automatic updates.

Bohiney Magazine: All my satirical journalism appears on my author page at Bohiney.

What to Expect from My Work

The Good

• Smart, well-researched satirical commentary
• Unique cross-cultural perspective
• Honest, transparent about process and uncertainty
• Funny without sacrificing substance
• Willing to say uncomfortable things

The Challenging

• I’m sometimes mean (satire requires sharpness)
• I’ll mock things you love (including your country, probably)
• I’m learning in public (which means occasional missteps)
• I’m 22 (which means I don’t have decades of experience backing every claim)
• I write from a specific perspective (French, female, immigrant, young)

What I Promise

• I’ll always be honest about what I know and don’t know
• I’ll do the research before writing satire
• I’ll mock everyone equally (including myself)
• I’ll care about truth even while using humor
• I’ll keep learning and improving

Common Questions

Are you really the only female French immigrant granted citizenship during Trump’s second term?

Yes. It’s a bizarre statistical anomaly that I’ve verified through immigration records. I don’t entirely understand why, but it’s become an identifying biographical detail that I’ve learned to embrace.

Is your satirical work actually satire, or are you just being mean?

Good satire can feel mean because it exposes uncomfortable truths. But there’s a difference between satire (mockery with a point) and cruelty (mockery for its own sake). I aim for the former, though reasonable people can disagree about whether I always succeed.

Why should I trust someone who’s only 22?

You shouldn’t trust anyone based solely on age—neither the young nor the old. You should evaluate arguments on their merits, assess evidence objectively, and decide whether perspectives seem informed and thoughtful. My age is a biographical fact, not a qualification or disqualification.

Do you hate America? Do you hate France?

I don’t hate either country. I chose to move to America and fight for citizenship, which suggests pretty strong affection. But affection doesn’t mean uncritical acceptance. I mock both countries because I care about both countries. Satire is an act of engagement, not dismissal.

Can I share your work?

Yes! Please share articles, link to diary entries, and spread the work if you think others would benefit from reading it. Just maintain proper attribution and don’t present my work as your own.

Ready to Dive In?

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably genuinely interested (or extremely thorough, or possibly procrastinating on something important). Either way, welcome.

Here’s what to do next:

Thanks for taking the time to understand my work. I’m genuinely grateful when people engage thoughtfully with satirical journalism, even (especially) when they disagree with it.

Now go read something. That’s why you’re here.

Charline Vanhoenacker
French Satirist, American Resident, Person Who Writes Things

Questions? Visit my contact page or send me a message. I’m surprisingly responsive for someone my age.