Dave Chappelle’s “SNL” episode drew the sketch-comedy show’s best Nielsen numbers of the young season. This iteration of Chappelle’s biannual post-election “Saturday Night Live”-hosting duties drew a 0.90 rating among adults 18-49, the show’s best since Will Ferrell’s return in January. Chappelle attracted 4.8 million total viewers, the show’s largest audience since Jake Gyllenhaal hosted an April episode.
Previously, this season’s highest-rated (0.79 among adults 18-49) and most-watched (4.322 million viewers) “SNL” had come from Amy Schumer’s turn the previous week. Of the now-six episodes thus far, Megan Thee Stallion’s on October 15 was the lowest-rated (0.66) and least-watched (3.711 million).
So the Chappelle performance was strong. But it didn’t come without controversy. And it didn’t take Chappelle long to generate said controversy.
In a lengthy monologue, Chappelle steered clear of the gender and sexuality-related issues that often get him into trouble, but his jokes about America’s recent problems with antisemitism sure generated controversy of their own. Chappelle devoted a considerable portion of his 15-minute monologue making fun of Kanye West and Kyrie Irving for their recent antisemitic remarks. He began by mocking their PR blunders, pointing out that Kanye should have apologized to “buy himself some time” and joking that the rapper was so antisemitic that Irving got in trouble by association.
The comedian then proceeded to explain why he sees antisemitism, particularly the idea that Jewish people collectively run the world, as a flawed ideology. He used examples of anti-Black racism in various parts of America as evidence that having a large quantity of people of a certain ethnicity in a given area does not necessarily equate to power.
“I’ve been to Hollywood and this is just what I saw: It’s a lot of Jews, like a lot,” Chappelle said. “But that doesn’t mean anything. There’s a lot of Black people in Ferguson, Missouri, but that doesn’t mean we run the place.”
The monologue began to attract some criticism on social media on Sunday, with some Jewish leaders and commenters lambasting Chappelle for making light of a serious topic. Some felt that explaining a racist ideology, even in a comedic way meant to debunk it, worked to unnecessarily normalize a toxic way of thinking. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, took to Twitter to condemn Chappelle’s remarks. His organization had previously put out formal statements condemning West and Irving’s comments, and he used his own platform to express regret about Chappelle telling jokes about anti-semitism.
“We shouldn’t expect Dave Chappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see ‘SNL’ not just normalize but popularize antisemitism,” he wrote. “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”
We just discovered the news that the sketch show Cancel Court is returning!
If you are not familiar with the new sketch comedy show Cancel Court, it’s an improv comedy courtroom show where two comedians battle head to head as attorneys and conduct a trial to determine if a celebrity or a popular debate should be “canceled”. The comedians then present their cases before the judge and jury, who will give the final ruling based on the facts presented in a hilarious fashion.
In this upcoming season, the talent includes; Ryan Davis, Do Boy, CP, Money Bag Mafia, Kraig Smith Boo Kapone, Patrick Cloud, Ron T, Cynthia LuCiette, and Teddy Ray.
The new season of ‘Cancel Court’ will air exclusively on Caffeine, a new streaming platform. The first season aired on YouTube.
“We’re excited to expand our content partnership with the All Def community and bring season two of Cancel Court from Defiant Digital to Caffeine,” said Ben Keighran, founder and CEO of Caffeine. “All Def has a major impact on lifestyle and culture, and is a great fit for our culture, sports, and music live streaming community on Caffeine.”
“We’re excited for this Defiant Digital All Def partnership and presenting season two of Cancel Court exclusively on the All Def Caffeine channel,” said D’Mario Dudley, CEO of Defiant Digital. “All Def and Caffeine have built strong followings, and we look forward to introducing Cancel Court to their audience.”
“Defiant Digital has created a hit show in Cancel Court that opens healthy debate within the Culture! We’re excited to welcome them into the Culture Genesis Network and bring season two of Cancel Court by Defiant Digital to the All Def Caffeine channel,” said Cedric J. Rogers, CEO of Culture Genesis. “The All Def and Defiant Digital content partnership will create a great opportunity for Creators of the Culture on the Caffeine live streaming platform.”
Cancel Court is now available to stream on Caffeine.
Watch a preview below;
Jamie Foxx, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mel Brooks, Viola Davis, and Questlove have received nominations for the Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording at the 65th Grammy Awards, which were announced this morning.
If Davis were to win on February 5, the Oscar, Emmy, and Tony winner would complete the rare EGOT.
Previously known as the Best Spoken Word Album from 1998-2022, the category was retitled this year. It previously encompassed the best spoken word album as well as poetry, audio books and storytelling. The Recording Academy distinguished Poetry Album nominees this with the new Best Spoken Word Poetry Album category, with Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Amanda Gorman among the nominees.
Foxx is nominated in the Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for his parenting memoir, Act Like You Got Some Common Sense, Brooks for his memoir All About Me: My Remarkable Life In Show Business By Mel Brooks; Miranda for Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World, the sequel to the beloved Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe; Davis for her memoir Finding Me and Questlove for Music Is History, in which the musician examines pivotal songs from each of the last 50 years.
Best Spoken Word Poetry Album nominees are: Black Men Are Precious, Ethelbert Miller; Call Us What We Carry: Poems, Amanda Gorman; Hiding In Plain View, Malcolm-Jamal Warner; The Poet Who Sat By The Door, J. Ivy and You Will Be Someone’s Ancestor. Act Accordingly, Amir Sulaiman.
Beyoncé leads the field with nine nominations for the 65th annual Grammy Awards, which air live on CBS on Sunday, February 5 from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Source: Deadline
Kyle Chandler and Glenn Close are set to join Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx in the Netflix action-comedy Back In Action. The project drew headlines when it was announced in June on Foxx’s social media accounts as it marks Diaz’s return to acting after retiring from acting in 2018.
The storyline for the action-comedy is being kept under wraps, but Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses) is directing from a script he wrote with Brendan O’Brien’s (Neighbors). Beau Bauman (Central Intelligence) is producing for Good One Productions alongside Gordon for Exhibit A and Jenno Topping & Peter Chernin for Chernin Entertainment. Foxx, Datari Turner, O’Brien, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett, and Tim Lewis are exec producing.
Chandler will next be seen in Netflix’s Slumberland, the fantasy drama directed by Francis Lawrence alongside Jason Momoa, which drops on Netflix November 18th. He was most recently seen in the Showtime limited series Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Close was most recently seen in season two of the Apple TV+ series Tehran as well as the Apple Original Films pic Swan Song. She can be seen next in Legendary’s Brothers opposite Josh Brolin.
Chandler is repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Close is repped by CAA, MGMT Entertainment, and Loeb & Loeb.
Source: Deadline
NBC Holiday Special Kicks Off New Season of Peacock’s “Baking It,” Dropping Same-Day, Featuring 16 Talented New Bakers From All Over the Country
· Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler reunite to host and executive produce “Baking It” Season 2 on Peacock, which will kick off with a lively celebrity holiday special on Dec. 12 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
· Fred Armisen, Kristen Bell, Nicole Richie & JB Smoove are joining this friendly competition to “cele-bake” the holidays and raise some dough for their favorite charities. Maya and Amy will keep their friends on their toes with thrilling twists throughout the episode.
· The celebrities draw inspiration for their baking from beloved holiday traditions and family recipes. Their tasty treats include:
· Austrian Schaumrollen and Pickle Soup made by Kristen Bell, whose competitive nature led her to make two delectable dishes.
· Sticky Apple Cake made by holiday lover Nicole Richie, who starts her festive season as early as September.
· Vegan Banana Pudding Cake made by self-proclaimed “Cake Architect” JB Smoove, who made up his recipe on the spot.
· Venezuelan Hallacas made by Fred Armisen, a recipe he got from his mother, although he has never baked before. Though it’s his first time baking, Armisen is a seasoned vet at NBC. Viewers can also catch him on the “That’s My Jam” holiday special airing Dec 5.
· Dropping the same day as the NBC holiday special, “Baking It” Season 2 premieres Dec. 12 on Peacock, with a new batch of bakers competing in teams in a series of captivating challenges hilariously designed by Maya and Amy themselves. These challenges will test the competitors across a variety of bakes for the chance to win some serious money and the adoration of the beloved “Baking It” judges, a panel of opinionated grandmothers!
· “Baking It” Season 2 is bursting with exploding cakes, banging with smashed bakes and booming with laughs. Nothing is off the table as “Making It” creator Amy Poehler’s love of crafting and storytelling shines through in each delectable dish.
· The competitors will get seriously creative with their savory and sweet designs. The new batch of bakers are:
· Roommates Allen Speigner and Matthew Bardoner | Cookeville, TN
· Brothers Keith Holland and Corey Holland | Fort Washington MD and Decatur, GA
· Siblings Reema Patel and Ravi Patel | Chicago, IL
· Couple Sharon “Sevn” Strickland and Shemara “Kandyy” Pittman | Charlotte, NC
· Mother/daughter Madison “Maddie” Howton and April Howton | Florence, AL
· Sisters Sydney Brasuell and Jenna Brasuell | McKinney, TX
· Friends Yuki Burton and Omonivie “Olma” Agboghidi | Oakland, CA
· Married couple Agnes Tamburello Molina and George Molina | Middle Village, NY
Los Angeles – OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network will premiere an OWN Spotlight “Oprah and Quinta Brunson Abbott Elementary” Saturday, November 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT featuring the Emmy award winner in a conversation from Oprah’s garden.
In this OWN Spotlight, Oprah speaks with writer, executive producer, actress, and comedian Quinta Brunson to discuss her megahit comedy series, “Abbott Elementary.” Brunson shares reflections about her childhood, her greatest mentors, and the pivotal moments of her career. She also discusses the inspiration behind Abbott Elementary and why the world was ready for this Emmy Award-winning show.
The interview will also be available starting Sunday, September 27 on both HBO Max and discovery+.
A docuseries about the life of the late, great Nipsey Hussle is in the works from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s Springhill and Hussle’s Marathon Films. The as-yet untitled docuseries tells Hussle’s life story, from his days as a young boy growing up in Crenshaw, to the musician and activist he became in the later years of his life. It features exclusive access to Nipsey’s inner circle, never-before-seen archival footage, and interviews with more than 50 collaborators including Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Diddy, and Nipsey’s longtime partner, Lauren London.
Springhill is financing and executive producing the series. You can watch a teaser below.
“It’s an incredible honor for SpringHill to have a part in sharing Nipsey’s story and legacy with the world,” said James. “He used his gift to give back to his community and lived what it means to inspire, empower, and uplift others along the way. His words, his ambition, and his actions stick with me to this day as he continues to inspire myself, our company, and people everywhere.”
Through a rap career that began with self-distributed mixtapes, Hussle became a fixture on the Southern California music scene, partnering with artists including Snoop Dogg and Problem. After initially signing with Epic Records, Hussle launched his own label, All Money In, which distributed his sprawling catalog of mixtapes, and his acclaimed studio album, “Victory Lap,” which was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Hussle is a 5x Grammy nominated artist, with 2 Grammy wins.
At the same time, Hussle continued to give back to the community he was raised in, opening Marathon Clothing in Crenshaw’s commercial district as a place for the community to come together in a celebration of culture. He also established Marathon Agency, a brand designed to better serve his community through personal representation aligned with a client’s interests in mind.
Hussle was shot to death in front of his clothing shop in South Los Angeles in 2019 at the age of 33. Eric Holder Jr. was convicted of first-degree murder in Hussle’s death in July.
“Nipsey was a man of the people,” said Samiel “Blacc Sam” Asghedom, Hussle’s older brother. “He often said his purpose in life was to inspire. Nipsey’s light shone across the world. His life is a testament that his purpose was fulfilled. The family has taken the proper time and care needed to ensure that Nipsey’s life story be detailed and presented correctly and accurately. We are honored to be able to cement Nipsey’s legacy with this epic docu-series of his life. Nipsey said, “’If they made a story about my life, it better be a classic.’”
The series will be directed and executive produced by Emmy-nominated director One9 (L.A. Burning: The Riots 25 Years Later; Nas: Time is Illmatic). Additional executive producers include Marathon Films’ Emani Asghedom and Kross Asghedom, and SpringHill’s LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, and Philip Bryon, with co-executive producers Skylar Andrews and Naomi Wright. Grammy Award winning producer, and Nipsey’s longtime collaborator, Larrance “Rance” Dopson is the music composer on the series.
“SpringHill was created to put artists and athletes at the forefront of their stories in an authentic, compelling, and creative way,” said Carter, CEO of The SpringHill Company. “It’s an incredible responsibility to tell Nipsey Hussle’s story alongside his family and Marathon Films in a way that captures every facet of life from his childhood to his impact on community and culture. His legacy is so much more than music – he defined activism and what it means to never forget where you come from. It’s an honor for SpringHill to help tell this important story.”
Nipsey Hussle also is the subject of a feature-length documentary for Netflix to be directed and produced by Oscar-nominated Ava DuVernay.
Source: Deadline
In this episode of The Box Seats Sports Comedy Talk Show, we discuss the Washington Commanders upsetting the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, plus Deshaun Watson returning to the Cleveland Browns! Plus we discuss all of the other hot topics in sports!
In this episode of the Box Seats Sports Comedy Talk Show, we discuss the game of the year between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills, plus the Green Bay Packers win VS the Dallas Cowboys, the Colts win against the Raiders and more of the NFL games over the weekend! We also talk about all of the hottest topics in sports!
After the success of an extensive world tour in 2022, comedian Trevor Noah is heading back on the road with his 2023 Off The Record Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the world tour kicks off with its U.S. leg on January 20, 2023 at Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA making stops across the U.S. in Austin, New Orleans, New York, and more. International dates to be announced soon.
In addition, Trevor Noah returns to Netflix with another original comedy special, I Wish You Would, premiering globally on November 22, 2022. True to form, Trevor hilariously shares revelations about learning to speak German, modern communication, and his love for curry.
TICKETS: Tickets go on sale starting November 18th at 11 AM local time on LiveNation.com.
TREVOR NOAH: OFF THE RECORD 2023 TOUR DATES:
* Rescheduled Show | ^ Not a Live Nation Date
January 20, 2023 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
February 10, 2023 – Louisville, KY – The Louisville Palace
March 3, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – Stifel Theatre
March 9, 2023 – Baltimore, MD – Hippodrome Theatre
March 24, 2023 – Durham, NC – DPAC
March 31, 2023 – Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre
April 5, 2023 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur^
April 6, 2023 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur^
April 7, 2023 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur^
April 8, 2023 – Medford, MA – Chevalier Theatre^
April 10, 2023 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur^
April 11, 2023 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur^
April 12, 2023 – Boston, MA – The Wilbur^
April 13, 2023 – Medford, MA – Chevalier Theatre^
April 20, 2023 – Austin, TX – Bass Concert Hall
April 27, 2023 – Spokane, WA – First Interstate Center for the Arts
April 28, 2023 – Bozeman, MT – Brick Breeden Fieldhouse*
April 29, 2023 – Missoula, MT – Adams Center*
May 4, 2023 – Memphis, TN – Orpheum Theatre
May 5, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
May 10, 2023 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
May 12, 2023 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
May 19, 2023 – Schenectady, NY – Proctors Theatre
May 26, 2023 – Mashantucket, CT – Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino
June 2, 2023 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
October 6, 2023 – Richmond, VA – Altria Theater
October 9, 2023 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
October 10, 2023 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
October 11, 2023 – New York, NY – Beacon Theatre
October 20, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
October 26, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
November 1, 2023 – Madison, WI – The Orpheum Theater
November 3, 2023 – Milwaukee, WI – The Riverside Theater
November 9, 2023 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
November 13, 2023 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
November 14, 2023 – Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre
November 30, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
December 1, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
December 2, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
December 3, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
Trevor Noah is the most successful comedian in Africa and is the host of the Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. Under Trevor, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” has broken free from the restraints of a 30-minute linear show, producing engaging social content, award-winning digital series, podcasts and more for its global audience. This year, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” landed a record number of seven Emmy Award nominations.
Trevor’s success has spanned to sold out stand-up comedy shows over 5 continents. Trevor also served as the Grammy Awards host in 2021 and 2022.
Trevor has written, produced, and starred in 12 comedy specials, including his upcoming, “I Wish You Would,” for Netflix. His previous special, “Trevor Noah: Son Of Patricia” received a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Variety Show, as well as a Grammy Award nomination.
Trevor is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” and its young readers adaptation, released in 2019, “It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood,” which also debuted as a New York Times bestseller. The Audible edition of “Born a Crime,” performed by Trevor, was produced by Audible and remains one of the top-selling, highest-rated, and most-commented-on Audible performances of all time. To date, “Born a Crime” has sold over 3 million copies across all formats.
Trevor’s production company, Day Zero Productions, a joint venture between Paramount Global and Trevor Noah, develops and produces diverse, high-quality creative content for a global audience. With projects set up both within the Paramount Global family, as well as at other studios, streamers, and live platforms, Day Zero focuses on entertaining and impactful content, with an eye toward authentic stories from diverse points of view.
In 2018, Noah launched the Trevor Noah Foundation to improve equitable access to quality education for underserved youth in South Africa. Noah’s vision is a world where education enables youth to dream, see and build the impossible.