We Need to Talk About Tony

Back when I started doing stand up, one show that many of us up and coming open mic comics loved watching and participating on was Kill Tony. Hosted by Tony Hinchcliffe, Joe Rogan's opener and one time Comedy Store doorman, the show's premise was and is pretty simple. Tony, along with his tech producer Redman, would pull names out of a bucket and newbie comics would do one minute of stand up. Then the co-hosts, accompanied by two celebrity comics, would critique and interview the fresh meat sweating on stage. In very early January of 2017 I put my name in the bucket at The Comedy Store and got up. I did pretty well. Big Jay Oakerson told me I was really funny, and Tony said I had a good vibe. It couldn't have gone better. But where the show was back then, is nowhere close to where it's gone now. And with Tony becoming the new roast master, the king of the open micers, and his podcast selling out Madison Square Garden, with much power comes much responsibility, and sadly, this past week Tony took trolling to a new level at the Trump 2024 rally. Let's take a look at where and how things got so dark so fast.   

A Show Built On the Backs of Open Micers 
Tony loves to mock bringer clubs; especially Flappers. Now, for the past year I've clearly been open about my problems with the club I used to work for, and as a comic, show booker, and producer, I've worked hard to not do the things they ask of comics. But here's the irony. Tony mocks Flappers for having bad comics and having a bad business model, but his show is literally built on the backs of those same comics.

Like Flappers, Tony uses free labor to exploit comics for his own financial gain. In fact, he used many of the same comics Flappers, The Comedy Chateau, and Haha Comedy Club use, also paying them nothing. Tony would argue he doesn't require comics to bring anyone, but those clubs would argue they don't either. The bringer clubs would say they just reduce time on shows or future bookings if they don't "support" the show. Tony would argue he's made stars out of David Lucas and Hans Kim through the show. All are con artists and showmen. It's just sometimes people transcend the con if they meant to or not. Tony has created the ultimate con through - convincing the comedy world he isn't using them for his, and only his, benefit. 

Tony is Only Famous Because of Joe Rogan 
Back in 2016 he filmed a comedy special for a little upstart streaming channel, Netflix, called One Shot. It was him walking into The Ice House doing his stand up act in one shot, instead of multiple cameras getting different angles. If you try to find it today, you can't. The special was universally panned and has been taken off the platform. In fact, comedy buddies told me he lost a lot of gigs after bookers saw it. How did he get a special so quickly? Well it helps that he opened for Joe Rogan and Jeff Ross.        

Now, there are unspoken secrets in comedy about big time headliners picking very mediocre features and openers that they can use to warm up the crowd and sell their merch. I'm not saying Tony is one of those mid level features that would never threaten the headliner's status, but I am saying it happens and I thought it upon learning this information. 

A frequent guest on The Joe Rogan Experience and writer for Jeff Ross's Roast shows, Tony has been able to make a lot of money by being more successful comic's friends. How else do explain the popularity of a comic without a single bit anyone has ever heard or remembered, known more finding obscure talent on his podcast than actually crafting and refining his own skills. If you discuss Kill Tony with comics you're more likely to discuss the guests, the Dr. Phil episodes, and Mystery Dan. 

A Long Relationship With Controversy 
The Ohio based comic has dealt his fair share of issues. When you look back on the last decade or so, his Netflix special was the least of his crimes. Over the years he: 

• Was dropped by his agency for racist comments found on Twitter 
• Used homophobic slurs on ESPN
• Mocked his opener Peng Dang with an Asian accent
• Mocked blacks, Jews, and Puerto Ricans at a 2024 Trump Rally

Plus there are years of footage from his live podcast that could easily come up and hurt him at any point in the future.

His brand is controversy. That is clear. And for a guy who has sold out venues many would dream of just playing, it's fascinating that it seems like he's still not quite as famous as his podcast is. According to Tony, Netflix was not interested in him being on the Tom Brady Roast, even though he was the booker and head writer. Maybe Netflix knows what the comics of LA know. He's a social climber who has built a career writing jokes anyone could write and anyone could say. But because he has a brash fearlessness, he can get into hot water quickly, forcing all hands on deck. Like a child with a fancy toy, he's not afraid to break it if would be more fun to light it on fire. 

Without the protection of his big brothers in comedy, would he feel as free to be The Joker of comedy? I would guess not. Without Rogan and Ross, he'd essentially be an open micer hoping to get a bringer spot at clubs. 

What He Did At the Trump Rally Started Crossing Lines 
People like to complain that the "PC Woke Culture" is destroying comedy. Well, that's just not true. But abrasive comics with bad setups and no punchlines are doing fine on their own making crowds uncomfortable. I'm not a big fan of critiquing comics after a roast battle, as the nature of the game is to be offensive. But when Tony was asked to be a speaker at the Donald Trump rally last weekend, he went from roast master to roast disaster. 

It also appears the Trump campaign didn't even know his name, as he was listed as "Kill Tony" on the guest speaker bill. 

His "jokes" about Puerto Rico being a garbage island, black people eating watermelon, and other "jokes" about Mexicans needing to stay away were not "jokes." They were thinly vailed racist comments that a 40 year old white male with too much money and too many powerful friends thinks he can get away with. Wearing his suit and tie, he wanted to look like the second coming of Don Rickles at the Ronald Reagan inaugurals in the 1980's - instead he looked like a ventriloquist doll on Jeff Dunham's lap. A sad man-child with a 5th grade picture day haircut. A modern day Clifford, acting like a brat because he thinks the jocks will protect him because he does their homework for them.     

Punching Down v. Punching Up

I have no problem with Tony supporting Trump. Half the country does. But to go on stage and use that opportunity to trash people isn't being edgy, it's being obnoxious.
At the roasts Tony punches up at famous people. At the rally he punched way down. That's the difference. 

While Trump has clearly said worse, Trump is always representing Trump. In this case, Tony was representing "comedy." Because he's not big enough of a brand to represent himself. Had Bill Burr, Joe Rogan, or Jeff Ross gotten on stage to do a similar act, people would see them for being a representation of themselves. Yet, they wouldn't have done THOSE jokes. In fact, they would have made fun of the crowd there or make fun of the political opponents the crowd came to mock as well.  

Tony, in an attempt to make a name for himself, in the most self aggrandizing way possible, only made all of us look bad by going after those not there or running for office. 

In fact, based on social media responses, comics immediately separated themselves from the racist rant. And then the politicians and media pundits chimed in. Andy Warhol said we all get our 15 minutes of fame, and boy did Tony get his. You may say, he's a comic who took a risk, and I'd say yes, but that risk didn't pay off and many are saying he might have cost Trump 11,000 votes. 
On a side note, some commentators are trying to spin it that Kamala Harris's camp paid him to tank the show, but considering the ex president's handlers approved the jokes, it's a fair bet the campaign is just struggling to explain themselves. Also, Tony isn't methodical enough be this Machiavellian. 

​Final Thoughts
Comedy is meant to be fun. What Tony has done over the past decade is turn it into a weird bully pulpit. His podcast celebrates the worst in comedy and his jokes represents the worst in joke writing. Will he be canceled? No. And not because Joe Rogan will protect him (and he will), but because you have to be famous to be canceled. And he was never that well known. He'll be forgotten by the media within a week, and month he'll be laughing at open micers next to Redban in the safety of his hometown in Austin, Texas.