DELRAY BEACH – Brett Goldstein seems to have accomplished the impossible.
As a burgeoning stand-up comedian the “Ted Lasso” star placed many of his early performances on the internet. He’s somehow managed to remove most – if not all – of them.
Goldstein says he’s proud of the work, but jokes that were appropriate 10 years ago could get him canceled today. That’s why he’s hiding them.
For comedians, the self-promotion landscape is potted with landmines. The more visible you are, the more likely you are to get booked. But getting too much of your comedy visible to the public – especially if your set isn’t ready for prime time – can stop your career before it you have a chance to find your voice. And now there’s always the possibility that a joke from a decade ago will wreck an established career overnight.
Goldstein seems to have invented an internet time machine. It’s unfortunate that comedy has come to this, but it’s the current comedy reality.
Today’s Stand-Up Spotlight includes stories about Nikki Glaser’s issues with oversharing; comedian Jamie Kilstein’s not-so-chance encounter with Robin Williams; and one of Chris Rock’s Will Smith jokes being removed from the recorded version of his Netflix special.
Let’s make it a funny week, folks
STAND-UP SPOTLIGHT – March 13, 2023
Brett Goldstein Can ‘Never Show’ Early Stand-Up Due to ‘Wrong’ Decisions Onstage
Brett Goldstein is keeping his early stand-up under wraps for good reason.
The “Ted Lasso” star teased that his comedy from years ago is kept under lock and key and essentially wiped from the Internet amid modern cancel culture.
“I made a series of decisions that, further down the road, turned out to be the wrong ones, which have haunted me,” Goldstein told GQ UK. “I did shows before anyone knew who I was and I didn’t think ahead in terms of…I was just making the thing that was right at the time.”
“I’m actually not freezing my eggs”: Nikki Glaser opens up about comedy, fertility and oversharing
Nikki Glaser knows what you think of her. “You get known as the girl who overshares,” says the comedian and podcaster, whose no-limits style has for years provided the most outrageous moments on the celebrity roast circuit. In her comedy specials like “Bangin'” and shows like “Not Safe with Nikki Glaser” and “Welcome Home Nikki Glaser?” she’s gone even further, mining her personal life and sexual exploits with a fearless candor.
Comedian recalls how Robin Williams helped him through career struggles, depression: ‘Total mentor role model’
As an up-and-coming comedian in San Francisco, Jamie Kilstein had gotten wind that Robin Williams lived in the city, and he was determined to get the star to come to one of his shows.
After some digging, Kilstein finally managed to get in touch with a friend who knew one of Williams’ friends, and he made a life-changing phone call.
Chris Rock’s joke about Will Smith removed from ‘Selective Outrage’
Days after the stand-up comedy special debuted on Netflix, the streaming platform has edited out one of the comedian’s jokes from the set.
The joke in question by Rock was directed at Will Smith, though it wasn’t edited out due to its content. Instead, it was removed because the comedian messed it up during the live set.
