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Every comedian on the path to stardom will inevitably have to do shows they arent proud of. Its sort of a rite of passage: the dreaded corporate gig orshudderthe mortifying improv class at a company off-site. Typically, though, those embarrassing shows tend not to be paid for and hosted by countries accused of staggering human rights violations, nor do the performers tend to already be superstars. Perhaps the fact that so many well-known and well-compensated comics signed on to Saudi Arabias Riyadh Comedy Festival can be read as both an indictment of the era of multimillion-dollar stand-up specials and its logical conclusion. Spread across two weeks, with the first shows taking place on September 25, the festival is a Comedy Coachella packed with performers who can sell out Madison Square Garden on their own. Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, and Bill Burr are among the highlights, along with Louis CK, Sebastian Maniscalco, Gabriel Iglesias, and many more. Its a regular whos who of ha-ha. Its also part of a broader effort, in the years since Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman allegedly approved the murder of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, to shore up soft power in the region through reputation-laundering cultural efforts like the LIV Golf League, the animation studio Myrkott, and the worlds first Dragon Ball theme park. Given that job one for comedians is ostensibly speaking truth to power, rather than taking powers money, this festival lineup has proven controversial. The fiery backlash it has provoked is no laughing matter. Drips, Killjoys and Dweebazoids A lot of comedy fans have posted online about their disappointment with personal faves like Burr and Hannibal Buress, or cracked jokes about the festivals very existence. However, nobody seems more disappointed in or upset with the comics who signed on than the comics who didnt. If youre a comedian I know whos doing the RIYADH comedy festival, its not too late to drop out. The money you make will poison you. You have fucked up & you can correct the big bad mistake youre making. Also the ppl I know who are doing it are SO WILDLY RICH already. Christ.— Rob Delaney (@robdelaney.bsky.social) 2025-09-25T23:01:08.693Z Stand-ups reigning elder statesman Marc Maron, who would probably object to that title for multiple reasons, weighed in with an Instagram Reel that pulled no punchlines. I mean, the same guy thats gonna pay them is the same guy that paid that guy to bone-saw Jamal Khashoggi and put him in a fu*king suitcase, Maron said. But dont let that stop the yuks; its gonna be a good time. Silicon Valley star Zach Woods went a step further, with a satirical Instagram post pretending to be an ad for the festival. Now theres a lot of drips, killjoys, and dweebazoids who say, They shouldnt do comedy over there because theyre whitewashing a regime that, just in June, killed a journalist, and killed Jamal Khashoggi, and played a big role in 9/11, Woods says after detailing a list of further violations. Shut up! Name one comedian who hasnt whored themselves out to a dictator. How much money are the comics making the trip to Rayidh taking home for their efforts? Tim Dillon claims he was set to make $375,000 for his performanceand that other performers were to be paid far higher sumsat least before the shows producers dropped him from the lineup, supposedly for making fun of the regions labor practices. Beyond the general principle that suggests American comedians shouldnt perform on behalf of leaders famously hostile to free speech, many observers are bewildered as to why some of these particular comedians would sign on. Dave Chappelle, Louis CK, and Whitney Cummings have all embraced a sort of sociopolitical contrarian role in the comedy world and have little to lose, reputation-wise. But even Shane Gillis, who occupies a similar sphere, reportedly turned down a festival slot as an act of integrity. What are wealthy, mainstream, ideological free agents like Hart, Iglesias, and Chris Tucker doing on this lineup? Perhaps they were counting on the festival not attracting significant attention, which would indicate that they have not been on the internet in the past five years. Even so, the question remains: Why take a massive, conscience-challenging paycheck when you dont need the money? The answer may have something to do with how comedians have been conditioned over the last decade to expect enormous windfall paydays. How cash crushed comedy Its hard to remember now, but comedy specials used to be, you know, special. Comedy titans like George Carlin, Chris Rock, and Ellen DeGeneres would regularly put out a new hour on HBO that had a deep cultural impact. Making a small library of specials endlessly quoted by college kids is what used to catapult comedians to the next levela sitcom built around them, or a movie career. Either path once meant unfettered access to the money-printing machine. Those days are long gone, though. After the bottom dropped out of theatrical movie comedies somewhere in the early 2010s, and as sitcom money dwindled in the shift to streaming, Netflix started investing in stand-up specials. Heavily. The streaming service signed Rock to a reported $40 million deal for two specials and gave Chappelle a reported $20 million-per-special deal, which has produced eight hours of material to date. Suddenly, seven-figure Netflix deals became the new normal. The companys willingness to dig deep for high-profile comedy content inspired an arms race with HBO, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, all of which started spending big to secure top talenta trend that continues today. Hulu shelled out a reported $15 million for Burrs latest special last year, in a bidding war with the other platforms. The result of incentivizing comedians so heavily to produce an hour of suitable material is that comedy specials now feel less like tentpole events than ever, while more comedians now aspire to, or expect, astronomic sums for them. The most special thing about stand-up today seems to be that, at a certain level, it might be possible to get a gigantic check for doing very little of it. A side effect of comedy entering its Big Business era is that, once the Netflix or podcast acquisition money kicks in, some comedians seem to lose the perspective that made them interesting to listen to in the first place. The struggles of finding a date, after all, tend to be much funnier and more relatable than the struggles of finding the right sedative for a private jet ride to Dubai. Having that kind of money in the mix is how a superstar comedian might end up without even one person in their entourage who realizes that working the Riyadh Comedy Festival is, at minimum, a devastatingly bad look. Integrity: The funniest thing of all? In all likelihood, the Riyadh backlash wont have a sustained impact on any comics careers. Many of them dont have the kind of sponsors who could drop them the way that some brands have parted ways with LIV Golf bandwagon-hoppers like Dustin Johnson. Its also hard to imagine Andrew Schulz’s or Pete Davidsons fans making this particular gig their line in the sand. Perhaps theres even a case to be made that if the comedians taking Riyadh Fest money end up mocking their benefactors right to their faces at an away game, it would send a powerful message. Of course, making a public show of turning down the offer would arguably make a more powerful message. At a moment when U.S. comedians are being pulled off the air, seemingly at the presidents whim, comedians with a strong moral compass are in high demand. Americans are looking to them not only to stand up for free speech but also to use it to cut the worlds most powerful and oppressive forces down to size. If youre a high-profile comedian in 2025, youre either making fun of Trump for receiving a $400 million jet from Qatar or youre riding along inside of it. As far as true fans of stand-up are concerned, thats the worst seat in the house.
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The official U.S. Department of Homeland Security X account has been testing out a new social media strategy that no one asked foras a meme lord. On Monday, a video posted to the DHSs X account used the Pokémon catchphrase “Gotta Catch ‘Em All” to compare Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests to hunting the titular creatures. The video ends with mug shots of those arrested by ICE superimposed onto fake Pokémon trading cards, alongside their alleged crimes, including murder, pedophilia, burglary, and child endangerment. On Tuesday, Theo Von, the podcast host of This Past Weekend, which had Trump on as a guest during his presidential campaign, also found himself the star of a clip on the DHS X account. The post includes a sound bite from Von (“Heard you got deported, dude. Bye!”) that the agency uses to celebrate Trumps record on deportations. Neither Von nor the Pokémon Co. International was made aware of their featuring role before the content began circulating on social media. In a since-deleted post, Von took to X, saying, Yooo, DHS. I didn’t approve to be used in this. I know you know my address, so send a check. And please take this down and please keep me out of your banger deportation videos. When it comes to immigration, my thoughts and heart are a lot more nuanced than this video allows. Bye! (Fast Company has reached out to Von for comment.) Via email, the Pokémon Co. International told Fast Company: We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand. Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property. The DHS social strategy seems to seek forgiveness, not permission, which appears to involve seizing viral moments and meme opportunities, similar to the official White House social media accounts. In July, British singer Jess Glynne said she felt “sick” after the White House used the viral Jet2holiday commercial featuring her song as the audio to a video promoting deportations. The DHS has also repurposed images from artists, including Thomas Kinkade and Morgan Weistling, without their permission, as well as music from Tom Petty and Woody Guthrie in social media posts. In each case, the usage was unauthorized and the offended parties objected to the use. Fast Company has contacted the DHS for comment. While the post featuring Von has since been removed, the Pokémon clip and many others remain. Trolling those who responded to the post with outrage, the Customs and Border Protection X account replied with a GIF of Detective Pikachu captioned: Border Patrols newest recruit.
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Starbucks‘ chief technology officer Deb Hall Lefevre resigned without a permanent replacement, according to an internal memo sent to corporate staff on Monday, seen by Reuters. The memo, written by Chief Financial Officer Cathy Smith, named Ningyu Chen, previously senior vice president of global experience technology, as interim chief technology officer. Lefevre’s resignation comes as Starbucks announced its second round of deep cuts in corporate roles, effective Friday, as CEO Brian Niccol pushes a tech revamp in stores to make labor more efficient, part of a turnaround strategy to revive flagging sales after six consecutive quarters of decline. Using AI to revamp how cafes operate The revamp includes an AI-powered automated inventory counter that is in the process of being rolled out to all company-owned stores in North America by the end of September. Other initiatives include an AI assistant for baristas, a new point-of-sales system, and a queuing algorithm meant to help baristas sequence orders during rush hour. Lefevre, a former McDonalds executive, was hired in May 2022 as part of the chain’s focus on improving its drive-through, mobile ordering, and other systems. The memo said she planned to retire. “Our tech priorities aren’t changing,” the memo said. “We’re focused on the tech work needed to deliver our Back to Starbucks plan.” Lefevre didn’t respond to a request for comment Thursday night. On Thursday, the company said it would close underperforming stores in the United States. Its overall company-owned U.S. and Canada store count is expected to drop by 1%, with several hundred stores expected to close by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. It also said 900 non-retail roles would be eliminated, with affected employees being notified Friday. The technology initiatives are part of a corporate turnaround called “Back to Starbucks” being pursued by CEO Brian Niccol, who took the helm last year to revive the chain’s fortunes. He has aimed to revive the chain’s “coffeehouse” appeal following six consecutive quarters of sales declines. Starbucks February layoffs of 1,100 corporate employees hit the IT team particularly hard, a source familiar with the matter said Thursday. They said an outside contractor named Tata Consultancy Services, based in India, has been given an increasing role in Starbucks IT division. Starbucks in a statement Friday said the company will continue to have a very significant in-house technology team, but the focus is on the most important capabilities and the most important work. Shares have lost more than 12% of their value over the last 12 months, compared with a 16% increase in the broad-market Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. Waylon Cunningham, Reuters
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