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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
90s comedy icon Jamie Kennedy says social media, podcasts have been ‘incredible' for ‘authentic' comedy
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. 'Last Call' Star Jamie Kennedy Talks Cancel Culture: 'There's No Forgiveness Anymore' 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. Read On The Fox News App "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. Hollywood Stars 'Afraid Of The Backlash' If They Side With Israel Over Palestinians, Jewish Critic Says "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." Comedian Nate Bargatze Says Disney Has Abandoned Its Audience As He Talks About Building Rival Media Empire 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. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture 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 article source: 90s comedy icon Jamie Kennedy says social media, podcasts have been 'incredible' for 'authentic' comedy
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jamie Kennedy defends anti-Israel actress from cancellation, says starring in pro-life film changed him
Legendary comedian Jamie Kennedy is getting candid about cancel culture that he says has turned him into the free speech advocate he is today. During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the veteran stand-up comic, TV show creator and film star lamented mainstream culture's efforts in recent years to silence him and other celebrities, like "Scream" series star Melissa Barerra, for sharing controversial opinions, starring in controversial movies, or making offensive jokes. "I think the whole idea, the term 'cancel' – 'cancellation' – think about that. Think how insane that term is. Like, 'Hey, you know what? We don't like what you said. Canceled.' Like, what? 'You're done. You don't matter. You're deleted.' What? I'm not worth anything? Like, you talk about inclusive. That's like the most uninclusive thing of all time," Kennedy said. 'Last Call' Star Jamie Kennedy Talks Cancel Culture: 'There's No Forgiveness Anymore' Kennedy has been a household name in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, having starred in major Hollywood franchises like "Scream," written and produced his own TV show in the early 2000s, "The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," and continued to do stand-up over the years. The comedian also now hosts his "HATE TO BREAK IT TO YA" podcast. Like other influential veteran comedians, Kennedy said he has noticed a cultural phenomenon in recent years that has sought to punish prominent people for sharing controversial opinions. In many cases, this has happened to prominent conservative figures, like Star Wars "The Mandalorian" actress Gina Carano, who was fired by Disney in 2021 for her social media posts comparing the experience of Jewish people during the Holocaust to the U.S. political divide. Read On The Fox News App Carano would go on to sue Disney, accusing it of firing her over "refusing to support movements and ideologies with which she did not agree," including Black Lives Matter, COVID lockdowns and sharing pronouns. As of July 2024, a U.S. District judge denied Disney's motion to dismiss the actress' suit, allowing it to move forward. Kennedy ripped the unfairness of Carano's firing during the interview, telling Fox News Digital, "I love Gina, she's amazing. And that should have never happened. She should have never gotten canceled. That really felt personal and like a targeted attack. They were waiting for her to make something that was considered a mistake. You know, there was no forgiveness or, you know, it was just done. And I mean, that was just crazy to me." Hollywood Stars 'Afraid Of The Backlash' If They Side With Israel Over Palestinians, Jewish Critic Says He continued, "Here she is, she's a woman. She's an independent woman, strong, classy, and can handle herself. And she's like a hero, a heroine in a Disney show, and they cancel her. Like she's the embodiment of what you want as a strong woman." However, the comedian mentioned that the actress' firing did have a silver lining – that it woke people up to the insanity of this crackdown on free speech. "So, I think those types of cancelations started turning the tide because people are like, 'Why? What did she ever do?' You know what I mean? OK, you didn't like what she said? Let her come on, explain, and have a conversation. There was no room for error or mistake or explanation," he said. Though high-profile people with conservative opinions seem to have made up the majority of cancel culture's victims, Kennedy argued that one of the biggest victims of cancel culture was punished for her liberal views. Spyglass Entertainment fired "Scream" star Melissa Barerra from future franchise installments in 2023 after she shared several anti-Israel social media posts in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack. One of Barrera's multiple posts read, "Gaza is currently being treated like a concentration camp. Cornering everyone together, with no where to go, no electricity no water … People have [learned] nothing from our histories. And just like our histories, people are still silently watching it all happen. THIS IS GENOCIDE & ETHNIC CLEANSING." In another, she suggested that social media and Western media only show the Israeli side of the war in an act of censorship. Rob Schneider's New Book Calls On All Americans To Defend Their Free Speech: 'Stand Up' Or 'We'll Lose It' Though Spyglass justified the decision because of its "zero tolerance for antisemitism," Kennedy, who starred in the original 1996 "Scream" film, argued this was an example of cancel culture as egregious as the rest of them. "100%, it was cancel culture. She should have never been fired. She has her beliefs, OK? She's allowed to have her beliefs. Other people on set have other beliefs. This is, you know, it's the most difficult subject – one of the most difficult subjects to discuss right now in modern times. And she's brave enough to put her beliefs out there," he said. "If you don't like them, call her up. Talk to her." Kennedy mentioned how shocked he was that the career of a rising star like Barerra could just be derailed over her opinion. "I had never seen that in terms of like a star so hot, so on her rise – just everything ripped away for a tweet. A tweet! It was ridiculous, and it's just gonna fuel more people going, 'why did you do that?'" Kennedy's sensitivity to the issue comes from his own battles with the media and Hollywood, in particular the backlash he got for simply having a role in the 2021 movie, "Roe v. Wade," a film about the landmark ruling that legalized abortion in the United States. Around the time of its release, media critics trashed the film as pro-life religious propaganda. The film's director, Nick Loeb, told Fox News Digital that the film was merely presenting the facts of the case. Kennedy was cast as journalist and abortion-rights advocate Larry Leder in the film. He told Fox that he thought it was a good role at the time and didn't have strong political feelings about it, saying he "knew nothing" about the film's subject matter. He explained how he was blindsided by the media criticizing him simply for being on the project. Comedian Nate Bargatze Says Disney Has Abandoned Its Audience As He Talks About Building Rival Media Empire "That's all I did was take heat," he said. "I did the movie. I tell everybody, it was an independent movie. I was treated first class. We shot in New Orleans for like five weeks. I got a straight offer. It was a character that was, you know, a very big character in the history of Planned Parenthood. He studied under Margaret Sanger, one of the founders of Planned Parenthood. He was a hero to the left." Kennedy acknowledged that he knew the movie was a "controversial take" on the abortion provider, but noted it wasn't until Loeb "gave me books and said, 'Read this, read this, read this,'" that he became more knowledgeable about abortion and Planned Parenthood. "It was fascinating and it kind of changed me as a person," he said. However, Kennedy said the bigger impact on him came from the media reaction to him being in the film. "But then just being in that movie, the amount of vitriol that I received. I'm like, I'm an actor and these, like, you know, like The Daily Beast and you know, Decider, or whatever these different publications – The Atlantic – wrote these reviews, and they would just call me out. You know, 'Jamie Kennedy is a right-wing' – all this stuff. And it's like, what? I'm just an actor." Kennedy, who often blasts the media and isn't afraid to talk politics or get into conspiracy theories on his podcast, told Fox News Digital that the media effort to cancel "Roe V. Wade" had "totally birthed who you're talking to." The comedian also described how the cancel culture scourge affected his comedy career, forcing him to drop doing stand-up shows on college campuses altogether because audiences couldn't take certain jokes, even from liberal comedians. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Providing the reasons he abandoned college venues, he said, "A, I started getting booked less, B, they started booking comedians less, and C, they started getting mad at comedians, liberal comedians," he said. "Like hardcore San Francisco liberal comedies were getting in trouble for jokes. Like, it's crazy. So, no one wanted really to do them." When asked if some of his old comedy material or his movies, like 2003's "Malibu's Most Wanted," would be able to get made today, Kennedy admitted it would "definitely" be difficult. The 2003 film starred Kennedy as a wannabe White rapper. The comedian defended the film, arguing it has messages about White and Black culture that are relevant today. "We took stereotypes, we flipped them on their heads, and you know, people always say a good comedy gives you a message without you knowing it. You know what I mean? Malibu has a lot of messages in it. It's packaged as a nice, fun, light comedy, but it still holds up because people say the different things and they quote it and stuff," he said. He continued, "But it 100% was commenting on what was going on and what we think Black culture is or White culture and, you know, being true to yourself. Can you be this way, even though you weren't, you know, raised in this culture, and so forth? Those are the deeper meanings of the movie, but in a nutshell, it's really funny, you know?" Still, Kennedy expressed hope that the movie could be made again following President Donald Trump's 2024 election victory. "But I think with Trump coming in, I think it could be made again. It needs to be made," he article source: Jamie Kennedy defends anti-Israel actress from cancellation, says starring in pro-life film changed him
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Man arrested after allegedly threatening to bomb 'Saturday Night Live' studio in New York: report
A man has been arrested following an alleged bomb threat in New York City, and multiple outlets have reported that he specifically threatened the Saturday Night Live studio. A spokesperson for the New York Police Department told Entertainment Weekly that an individual allegedly made "terroristic threats" in the Midtown North Precinct on Tuesday, April 1, at around 7 a.m. The suspect, 48-year-old Michael Branham, was charged with making a terrorist threat. Court records show that Branham was arrested on Wednesday, and his next court date is scheduled for April 8. NBC News reported that Branham allegedly threatened the Saturday Night Live studio at 30 Rockefeller Center when he allegedly communicated his threat to a college in Connecticut, which subsequently reported the threat to the authorities. The outlet also noted that the threat was not deemed credible. A representative for Branham declined Entertainment Weekly's request for comment. Representatives for Saturday Night Live did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment. NBC News also reported that Branham shares the same name and age as a man from whom Scarlett Johansson allegedly requested a restraining order in California. Johansson was denied the restraining order due to a technicality, per court documents reviewed by NBC News. Johansson is married to SNL's Colin Jost, and sporadically appears on the show as a host and in cameo appearances. She most recently appeared on the show's 50th anniversary special in February. Representatives for Johansson did not immediately respond to EW's request for has broadcast live from studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan since its first episode in October 1975. The studio space was also the former home of Last Call with Carson Daly and Later with Bob Costas, and special episodes of 30 Rock, Late Night with David Letterman, and The Apprentice all used 8H for filming. SNL is currently in the midst of its 50th season on NBC. Jack Black is set to host the show on April 5 with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Black first hosted the show in 2002. The following week, Jon Hamm will host the show for the fourth time on April 12, with Lizzo performing as musical guest. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost Heads to Auction
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector A rare 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost, one of just 300 built as part of Dodge's Last Call series, is set to cross the auction block at Mecum Glendale 2025 on March 22. With only 153 miles on the odometer, this modern muscle car pays tribute to the legendary 1970 Hemi Challenger R/T known as the 'Black Ghost,' an infamous street racer once owned by Detroit police officer Godfrey Qualls. Powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine, the Black Ghost Special Edition boasts an impressive 807 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful Challengers ever produced. The car features a TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission, factory Launch Control, an After-Run Chiller, and Brembo four-wheel disc brakes to enhance its high-performance capabilities. To own one of these exclusive models, buyers first had to select the SRT Hellcat Widebody 27Q package—a $14,605 option that includes widebody fender flares, an SRT Power Chiller, and competition suspension. The Black Ghost Special Edition package, a $5,895 add-on, provides historical styling cues such as a white trunk stripe, a patterned roof, Challenger script badging, and a Black Ghost instrument panel badge. The Pitch Black exterior is complemented by 20x10 Warp Speed Satin Carbon wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires, a twin-scoop hood with hood pins, and SRT-designed spoilers. Inside, the cabin features premium black seats, carbon-fiber trim, a Performance Shift Indicator, and a Uconnect 4C 8.4-inch touchscreen with navigation. A Harman Kardon 18-speaker audio system, a Driver Convenience Group with blind-spot detection, and HID headlamps further elevate the driving experience. The 2023 Black Ghost continues the legacy of its 1970 predecessor, blending heritage styling with modern muscle car performance. With limited production and collector appeal, this high-powered tribute is expected to draw significant attention when it crosses the block at Mecum Glendale 2025. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Los Angeles Times
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Love Game' is an interactive play that unfolds inside an L.A. bar — and you're Cupid
On a recent weekday evening, I found myself in a romantic position for which I have had zero training for: a dating coach. Yet there I was, at an East Hollywood bar, listening and analyzing a conversation among two prospective partners. The pair had already debated local hiking spots, yet when one said she leaned homebody and the other favored nights out, our trainees needed help. A sudden lull in the chat caused a panic, and a coach for the other team called for a pause. 'Time for a sidebar,' she said, as we all huddled around our dating cadets for a quick assessment and to provide tips to steer the course of the conversation. The clock was ticking. This was a speed-dating setup, and our apprentices only had a few minutes to get to some important conversations. Dating with intention and commitment was important to the singleton that I and another were tasked to manage, so we decided to get straight to big-picture goals. It worked — sort of. Asking questions about the future caused the other party to waver and stumble. A red flag? This is 'Love Game,' a new interactive play from the Last Call Theatre company staged at the Virgil, a bar and live-music space near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Virgil Avenue. We as audience members play matchmaker in this 21-and-older show. And in our role, we're working for a researcher who believes they have cracked the formula for love. The bulk of the actors play wannabe daters. The stakes gradually ramp up throughout the production. With only a handful of singles available, the desire to pair up my assigned actor increased as the show progressed. I didn't want to fail them by having the show end with them being dateless. Expect curveballs — some may pitch polyamory, causing a near-existential crisis in a single who longs for a fairy-tale romance with one individual. And get ready for debates as to what makes for the best long-term partnership — where do we compromise, and is it even healthy to yearn for romance above all else in life? Does love erupt thanks to some undefinable equation that just sort of happens, or can we approach dating like a science, mixing and matching personality traits until we've created a foolproof pairing? The primary theme of 'Love Game,' says director Michael DiNardo, is self-improvement. 'I think when a lot of people who are going out to date or looking for a lifelong partner, they're looking for a lot of affirmation and validation from outside sources,' DiNardo, 29, says. 'But all of these characters, the ones who are dating in the show and are outside of the dating experiment of the show, have aspects about themselves that need self-reflection.' 'Love Game' is Last Call's eighth show in about three years, a relatively brisk production pace that has helped establish the young troupe as serious players on the L.A. immersive theater scene. At any Last Call performance, storylines are heavily improvised, there are multiple endings and audience members can expect to interact with actors in exaggerated settings. The team has in the past created shows influenced by an Ikea-like setting, 2023's 'The Showroom,' and on a pirate ship, last year's 'Pirates Wanted,' which was staged at San Pedro's Los Angeles Maritime Institute. 'We put the power in the hands of the audience,' says Ashley Busenlener, Last Call's executive director. 'They have the agency to affect and change the story,' Busenlener continues. 'If there was no audience, there would be no show. The actions they take and how they interact with the characters change it every night. You can change one character's mind about something. You can change the entire plot of the show. There's a structure and there's different endings, but the audience is the protagonist of the story.' Created by a team raised on video and tabletop games, Last Call's shows unfold like games, so much so that the troupe has a tendency to refer to its actors as 'NPCs,' or non-player characters, a term from the gaming world that identifies those personas not controlled by the player. Busenlener, 27, is an avid 'Dungeons & Dragons' player, and the fantasy role-playing game has influenced Last Call productions, specifically in the creation of elaborate character sheets that outline for the actor someone's interests, background and motivation. 'Individual backstories and world-building is something that happens in the rehearsal process with the actors,' Busenlener says. 'That's something I've gotten a lot of practice with [in] 'D&D.' We write journals in character and different exercises like letters and things. When you're in these shows, an audience member can really ask you anything, and you have to have an answer for it. Like, 'How is your relationship with your mother?' And you're like, 'I know the answer because in our second rehearsal I wrote a letter to my mother.'' Yet what truly sets Last Call apart is its desire to experiment with show themes and topics in the immersive space. The seeds of the company go back to when Busenlener and DiNardo were students at USC. Both fell in love with the immersive format for its interactivity — Busenlener after seeing a production of 'The Great Gatsby: The Immersive Show' while studying abroad in London, and DiNardo after experiencing a handful of local, intimate shows that allowed for actors to converse with the guests. In Los Angeles in particular, the immersive scene tends to be most active in September and October near Halloween season. Shows are often constructed around a mystery or the exploration of a haunted environment. A production like 'Love Game,' a romantic comedy timed for Valentine's Day and equally influenced by reality television and dating-simulator video games, is relatively rare. 'What we get to do is touch on all the different genres and realms of worlds where you can play, whether that's been sci-fi or postapocalyptic, or fantasy with pirates, or more modern realistic with 'Love Game,'' DiNardo says. 'There's a way for us to delve and see how this format works in any genre. That way we can open up opportunities for audience members who might be big sci-fi fans but have friends who are more into reality TV shows.' Adds Busenlener: 'I love Halloween season in L.A. because there's so many cool things going on, but I also love being able to go to fun immersive stuff outside of that season.' And now, with 'Love Game,' L.A. has a show for Valentine's Day season. Let's just say I wasn't the most successful of matchmakers, but 'Love Game' offers numerous quests — we can attempt to increase the flirtation among actors by setting up karaoke sessions or can opt instead to chat with an in-show bartender, receiving a less scientific love analysis. At one point, I found myself attempting to steal research documents in a bid to get more information on the singles in the show. All of that equals another Last Call trait, that is, to expect a sense of humor. 'With this type of structure, when you bring in such a large unknown of the audience, and who knows what ideas they'll bring in and how they'll want to play in the space, you have to inherently accept a little bit of campiness,' DiNardo says. 'I am all on board and in favor of it.' And what, after all, would be a series of first dates without a little exaggeration?
