​If you are an artist and last longer than 10 years in any industry, you'll see the trends change so much you'll start to gaslight yourself into wondering if anything you did meant anything. Too often I talk with comics who feel like they had that "breakthrough" moment only to find themselves at the back of the line again or jumping into a new back of a new line again. You finally get passed at a club but find out its another few years to feature and then even longer to headline. You get the comedy special, but then it takes years to find distribution. You open for the big headliner but they don't ask you to go on the road with them. You option the script but the financing falls out for actual production. Remember, this whole industry is built on the illusion of success and if you get caught up in the sprint, you'll miss the value of the marathon. 

I Was Once A Swinger of Birches
Robert Frost once wrote about youth and innocence and how life changes and nothing is permanent. 

So was I once myself a swinger of birches.
And so I dream of going back to be.
It’s when I’m weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig’s having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.

Back in 2017 I filmed both a Dry Bar Special and for Laughs on Fox. This Thursday I'll be performing in a bowling alley in Simi Valley. My point is that even when you see comics hit milestones, they are really just accolades that they can pull out in conversations but they say nothing about the financial status or booking frequency of a comedian. We tend to snapshot a person's current success into "this is how its always been," when in fact the opposite is true.

Many comics will get angry when others they started out with get the spots, shows, and opportunities they wanted, but don't think their career is set for life now. They still wake up the following day with the same bank account, living situation, and personal demons.

So when you see comics on Comics Unleashed or Netflix is a Joke, be happy for them, and understand that these stepping stones into bigger things don't happen all at once or immediately or sometimes at all.

We'd like to think all the big moments are life changing. But, alas, they are not.  

Somewhere there's a comic who was on VH1's Sunday Spotlight who thought they would get a call from MTV that never came. Somewhere there's a comic that did Conan that still lives with roommates in their 40's walking onto a cruise ship wondering when their TV series will get picked up. Somewhere there is a comic keeping Night at the Improv in their EPK thinking a booker will be impressed. Each of those shows were the top of the line in their time, but only in their time. All of these accomplishments don't equate long term success, they equate growth and hard work. We have to remind ourselves that while the early bird catches the worm, one worm doesn't feed a lifetime ahead. 

No One Is Rooting For You 
There is a long game to comedy that if you keep thinking it's about short term gains, you'll miss the bigger story. 

Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:1-4: 
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
    vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil
    at which he toils under the sun?
 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains forever. 

Success is a fluid word. Success might mean just being booked in paid gigs. Success might mean doing 10 mics a weeks unpaid but always performing. Success might mean never having to do stand up again because you created a show. Success means different things to different people. 

I'm reminded of the great cautionary tale "A Christmas Carol" where Scrooge believes his responsibility was to be financially secure and socially successful. When the ghost of Jacob Marley shows up with chains tied to his eternal body, a shocked Scrooge remarks, "But you were always a good man of business, Jacob." Marley shouts back "Mankind was my business!"

When your career feels flimsy and out of your control, your perception is that of "everyone else is making it" - but remember that you don't know the chains those people could be locking themselves into. 

The most successful people I know were not the greatest husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, or employees. But they were hyper focused on their goals. It's a bit of a Catch-22. 

Either you put aside your goals and resent those who you sacrificed for. Or you pursue your goals and the people in your life resent your success. Because, and I mean this, only your mom and grandma and maybe your dad will evert truly be happy for you. Everyone else gonna talk MAD SH*T when you stumble and be upset when you succeed. In the words of Michael Jack, "It's human nature." 

I once heard a great joke. How many comics does it take to screw a lightbulb in? 10. One to stand on the ladder and nine to say, "That should be up there." 

While you might think people are supportive, they're fine as long as you don't make it bigger than them. That's why it's important to center yourself and know that the sprint will blind you to the marathon. 

Sprint v. Marathon 
The sprint is grabbing every opportunity regardless of how it might effect your overall career and brand. The marathon is strategizing so you don't lose what you earned. 

Back in 1990 Andrew Dice Clay sold out Madison Square Garden. He was bigger than Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, and many of his peers. Whose career would you rather have had after 1990? 
He set himself up to become the biggest star in the world, and after a few movies flopped, he was a falling star. You might ask, was it wrong to try to sell out MSG? No. But was he ready for it? Apparently not. 

So when comics gets breaks early on, they might not be ready to sustain the opportunities ahead. Dat Phan won Last Comic Standing over Ralphie May, but May is considered a genius and Phan is considered "not a genius." We'll play nice, okay?       

There's an ebb and flow within this industry. Actors go decades without success after blowing up early and then win an Oscar after years of being the butt of jokes. Singers become one hit wonders and then vanish away. Not every success is the start of a beautiful friendship with Hollywood.  

I remember in 2013 I had a wrestler qualify for the state championship. I was talking to a coach from another team who had his first state qualifier in his 14 year coaching career. He said to me, "Now that I have the formula to get a state qualifier, we'll have every year now." He never had one again, and the team hasn't had once since. Somewhere there was a coach jealous of that coach's success and that was a waste of energy.

Final Thoughts 
We should celebrate our friend's wins but we shouldn't think they "made it" now. Because the people who think like that don't appreciate their own milestones and will become depressed if they get the same thing only to find nothing changed in the end. 

Treat your career life a long distance run. As long as you are getting responses from bookers, getting paid, and able to tell the types of jokes you want - you're winning. 

Sure, having a million followers or getting to play big theaters sounds great, but you don't know what's happening behind the scenes. Imagine you make all the money but no one wants to spend time with you? Imagine you become famous but no one wants to date you? Imagine you get the house of your dreams but the money dries up and now your dream house is a nightmare. These are all truths we know famous and successful people deal with. 

The Devil Wear Prada is one of my favorite films because it deals with the dream job only to find nothing but anxiety, stress, and insecurity beneath the surface. And it's when Stanley Tucci's character said, "Let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke. Means it's time for a promotion" that I realized 20 years ago, don't always hope you get what you wished for.   
In the film Without Limits about the long distance runner Steve Prefontaine, at his funeral, his coach Bill Bowerman said it best: "But [Pre] finally got it through my head that the real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart."

​Apply that runner mentality to stand up and you'll never lose again.

​Well, the circle of life is about to become the circle of lawsuits unless a judge does the right thing and throws out one of the most frivolous lawsuits in years. Comedian Learnmore Jonasi was recently on the One54 Africa podcast discussing the award-winning song “Circle of Life” from 1994’s “The Lion King.” He made a joke about the African words used to open the song, and is now being sued for $27 million for libel by the song’s writer. As a professional comedian, this lawsuit terrifies me way more than Will Smith walking up to Chris Rock, as the ramifications of such a lawsuit could shape the actual future of stand-up and comedy in general. What we have here is a young comic trying to make people laugh and an old man too stubborn and obtuse to get the joke. And if this old man wins, don’t be surprised if companies and government officials go after your favorite comic next.   

What Actually Went Down
People Magazine reported, “Grammy Award-winning composer Lebohang Morake, known professionally as Lebo M, filed a lawsuit on March 16 in California against comedian Learnmore Jonasi (nee Learnmore Mwanyenyeka). Jonasi went viral in a clip from the One54 Africa podcast for allegedly making ‘false statements of fact about the meaning of the ‘Nants’ingonyama’ composition.’”
The article went on to state, “Jonasi is being sued for misleading representation in violation of the Lantham Act, defamation per se, trade libel and tortious interference with prospective economic advantage. In the One54 Africa podcast clip, Jonasi claims that the chant, ‘Nants’ingonyama bagithi Baba’ translates to ‘Look, there’s a lion. Oh my god.’ The complaint alleges that Jonasi ‘presented this as authoritative fact, not comedy,’ and that in doing so he ‘mocked the chant’s cultural significance with exaggerated imitations.’”

The complaint also adds, “The true meaning of Nants’ ingonyama bagithi Baba is ‘All hail the king, we all bow in the presence of the king.’”

Adding insult to injury, Jonasi was served lawsuit papers while on stage at The Laugh Factory, in front of hundreds of fans enjoying the show. None of this was handled well by Lebo M. Why couldn’t he and his team just reach out to the comic to discuss the translation on a podcast or behind closed doors, hug it out and move on? Clearly, Jonasi doesn’t have $27 million, so if their goal is to financially ruin him — after “The Lion King” made millions from the film, stage play and albums — then this feels petty. 

How Can This Effect Stand Up?
Most likely this will die on the vine, but if it doesn’t, it will open a Pandora’s box of lawsuits. Imagine Hot Pockets suing Jim Gaffigan for his jokes about the microwaveable pastry. And if Lebo M wins, Hot Pockets could go back 20 years claiming Gaffigan hurt sales by showing timelines of when the jokes started and any bad quarter or year they’ve had since. 

Imagine politicians suing late night talk show hosts for political satire. Oh wait.

In fact, this lawsuit could be what the Donald Trump legal team needs to finally take down all of their comedy antagonists. What Lebo M is doing essentially makes him the snowflake MAGA of the contemporary Broadway showtunes scene. This is what happens to people after they lose the limelight and are so rich they’re bored. They just have to jump back in — no matter who they hurt. 

Maybe there is a cultural misunderstanding, as in America there are First Amendment laws protecting free speech. This situation reminds me of when Jerry Falwell sued Larry Flynt for claiming the pious pastor had sex with his mother in an outhouse. Luckily, the Supreme Court saw the lawsuit as foolish, but not before Flynt went to jail multiple times. 

Final Thoughts
One of the reasons America works is because of our ability to use humor to create commerce. This doesn’t happen in other countries the way it does here. It’s why so many comedians from foreign countries come here to build a career. I have stand-up comic friends who go around the world and tell me the comedy scenes are nonexistent compared to the various open mics and TV opportunities we have in this country. 
​
The amount of fiery legal hula hoops Lebo M had to jump through to reach this conclusion is offensive to anyone who enjoys good-natured comedy. If this lawsuit goes through and gets a win on any level, then it means Scar beat Simba in the end and the circle of comedy could come to a crashing end.  

​Maybe the most controversial yet influential comedian of his generation Louis CK, has officially been "uncanceled." While many will argue he never was canceled, the way we define the ambiguous term can create it's own controversary when discussing comics behaving badly. On May 5th Louis CK will have all the backing of Netflix once again, as he headlines The Hollywood Bowl and then produces another special for the streamer. While his long time fans are excited, his detractors are disgusted that a massive corporation is funding his comedy, while not promoting more women comics or even those who need the exposure and push. This really shouldn't be a debatable topic, as the man really has lost the right to be sponsored by a huge company or network, considering the perverted acts he's done, but this also becomes a "mirror on society" moment, as Netflix wouldn't do this unless their algorithm allowed them. 

My Clear Stance on Louis CK
Louis CK was a favorite comic of mine when starting out. The man is funny and insightful. That is undeniable. But when he decided to abuse his power and sexually harass/assault/provoke women by whacking off in front of them, he lost my financial contributions. I saw him live once at The Comedy Store in 2015 when I was first starting out, and it was a huge moment for me at the time. But today, I wouldn't even think about buying a ticket to see him. 

I try to live by The Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have do unto you..."), and while I didn't know the women he hurt, they are still a human being. They are someone's sister, daughter, friend, etc. If he had done that to me, and I found out a massive company just didn't care because I wasn't important enough to care about, I'd be devastated.

But I also understand that people are complicated. So I understand why others wouldn't stop supporting Louis CK, as they "know" him (he made them laugh) and "didn't know" the victims (who weren't famous). We call that low emotional intelligence. It's the inability to show empathy for another or a stranger, and it's why so many can mentally separate the act of masturbating in front of female co-workers (unwanted and non-consensual) and the way Louis CK can tell a story or joke. I choose not to support him anymore. That's my official stance.

Netflix Is Just a Money Hungry Corporation 
Don't fool yourself. Ted Sarandos and his team are after two things: Money and Awards. So when they decide to financially back and market Louis CK, they've done extensive research into what types of content they can make to retain viewers and bring in new ones. 

What Netflix realized is that people will cancel their subscriptions for a season but return once a new show or film debuts. They might get pushback on X and Facebook from comics and actors, but those same artists would sign a contract with them if offered a show or comedy special. They know that people will complain and write think pieces, but in the end want to have the entire Netflix catalog to enjoy. 

As much as I'm disappointed in Netflix, I still look forward to other projects they're making with artists I do support. If I had to cancel every streamer with a problematic producer, comic, or actor, then I'd be only watching The Weather Channel. And so would you. Netflix isn't approving his behavior - as they would fire an administrative employee who did the same acts of sexual perversion, but they will work with an artist for a time to maximize their quarterly earnings. This collaboration has less to do with the moral compass of Netflix and more with shareholder spreadsheets. 

Once you accept Hollywood is a moral wasteland, you can digest these types of frustrating deals more and more. The trick is to call it out, move on, and try to be the change you want to see. The best thing that can happen is the Hollywood Bowl show is half full (There's still plenty of tickets according to Ticketmaster) and then don't watch the streaming special. 

Cancel Culture is Over 
With this hiring, Netflix has essentially ended the cancel culture. While many argue Louis CK was never canceled because he still performed worldwide, went on podcasts, and sold his own merch, the truth was he did that independent of the corporate machine. 

I actually didn't have a problem with Louis CK performing at Madison Square Garden, because he was responsible for his own ticket sales. If he could find people who were willing to overlook his moral shortcomings, then the capitalistic market once again showed how supply and demand works. 

Where the problem in this situation lies is that Louis CK is getting the full blessing of the most powerful content creation machine on earth. They have a vested interest in his success, and that is why its creepy and ugly. 

If the independent media scene (social media, YouTube, podcasts, etc.)  has taught us anything, it is you don't have to use Big Media anymore to build a brand. But its also revealed how many people just don't care about the moral behavior of their favorite stars. 

We are seeing underage girl DM king Chris D'Eila still get spots at clubs and sell out shows. We see woman abusers like Jonathan Majors get movie deals with the conservative media outlet The Daily Wire. We see people like Kevin Spacey still get invites to international events.

We are learning more about the ethos of the citizens of the world with every "canceled" artist, and its revealing that many people don't care how artists behave as long as they entertain us.

Final Thoughts 
If you still enjoy Louis CK and want to support his comedy, you have a free market right. That's literally how this whole capitalistic marketplace works. But if you ever get hurt by a famous comic or producer, and your friends choose to still support their projects, you don't get to say anything to them. It's that simple. 

There's a difference between tone and behavior. Howard Stern had a crude tone but wasn't a sexual assault abuser. Joe Rogan is a politically controversial figure, and you have every right to not listen, but he's not a been accused of mistreating women. Those men have a tone that many can despise and many do. Louis CK admitted he did the acts he was accused of. He's written jokes about it. To then say, you get to represent our company is a slap in the face to his victims. 

Bill Burr once asked, "If these people are canceled, are they not allowed to be plumbers? Where does it end." (Paraphrasing) That's a funny joke, but not a fair assessment. They can go do whatever they want, but if their bad behavior prohibits them from being hired, then that's on them. They can start their own plumbing business (in theory), but should they get a job over better behaved and equally talented plumbers? The same applies to comics. The big clubs shouldn't help those who hurt so many. If independent theaters want to rent out the building to them - sure - but all Netflix is doing is making us feel like we have to pick sides, and there are no winners in the end.  

​If Netflix really wanted to be cutting edge, they'd put their money behind rising talent and use their marketing schemes to create more value in a young comic with no baggage. Now there's an idea: Use your resources to build something up instead of taking something that's already been built and refresh it because it is just easier and in the end lazier.