90s comedy icon Jamie Kennedy says social media, podcasts have been ‘incredible' for ‘authentic' comedy

Fox News

4 days ago

Veteran stand-up comedian and actor Jamie Kennedy believes social media and podcasting has been "incredible" for the comedy industry.
The "Malibu's Most Wanted" star and "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment" creator spoke to Fox News Digital this month about how the comedy landscape has changed since he rose to fame in the 90s. According to the entertainer, the rise of social media and podcasting has made it so much more possible for people to hear "authentic" voices.
"You know, comedy and podcasting seem to go very hand in hand… people are very good at it and they, they tell their authentic stories and their authentic point of view," he said.
Kennedy, 55, has made his mark in many entertainment media spaces over the years. He has starred in major Hollywood franchises like "Scream," written and produced TV shows, has toured the world doing stand-up comedy, and, more recently, embraced podcasting.
The comedian now hosts his "HATE TO BREAK IT TO YA with Jamie Kennedy" podcast, which can be found on Spotify and other major audio platforms. "I mean, I talk about everything," he said, adding that he's not afraid to discuss taboo subjects and explore unpopular political opinions.
"I think I probably go down a rabbit hole on some topics of things that – I don't like to use the word 'conspiracy.' I think it's like a curse word. You know the saying, 'I need new conspiracies cause all the other ones came true?' I talk about stuff like that and it's just – more and more I'm talking about stuff."
The comedian explained how he has seen the podcast medium take off just in the way it has brought more fringe conversations about politics and other topics to the mainstream.
"I really find it's [reaching] critical mass, or we've permeated something, because people are talking about stuff that were relegated to the dark corners of the web much more openly now," he said. "You go to Chili's and the waitress will say something, and you're like, 'Whoa!'"
Kennedy said this more open and authentic discourse is what makes the current era of social media and podcast dominance worth it, despite any negative aspects.
"I believe all of the social media is very good," he said. "I mean, there's obviously problems with it and, you know, people living fake lives and depression. It's true, but and in terms of communication peer-to-peer, I trust social media a lot more than I do mainstream stuff."
By mainstream stuff, the comic clarified he was talking about traditional and legacy media outlets. He told Fox News Digital he believes the prevalence of podcasts and new tech is why people left traditional media in droves last year.
"You know, in the 2024 election, we saw a lot of people kind of going off of CNN or New York Times, like not going to them as much. And instead, we saw podcasts become like this huge outlet for like people to get information because they weren't trusting what they saw in the mainstream media."
In Kennedy's opinion, this media migration was enough to get President Donald Trump elected to a second term.
"Podcasters to me, 100%, got the president elected. Like literally, I can name ten podcasts he was on, and it's like, a 100%."
"And what a way to do it," he continued. "You know, get yourself out there in the most – we already have an unfiltered man in the White House, but you know, he's going to be even more unfiltered."
Prominent podcast hosts, like Joe Rogan and comedian Theo Von, have been widely credited with helping Trump win the 2024 presidential race after having him on their shows in the lead up to the election.
Kennedy went on to mention how this new media landscape can also really boost comedians' careers, noting how it can allow anyone to go viral and connect with audiences who are always craving new and more authentic voices.
"It's incredible," he said. "People find an audience for what they like. So, there are people that go to a – I'll go to a club and I'll sell pretty good on the weekend, which is the prime spot. And then Monday and Tuesday, there'll be somebody that I've never heard of, that didn't really break through the mainstream, and they'll sell out a couple shows on a Monday or a Tuesday, which is incredibly hard."
"So yeah, I mean, if you have a voice and you have people that are like-minded and they find you, it's perfect. It has cluttered the market a lot, because we're all fighting for the eyeballs. But I mean, it's very democratized," he added.