#the one wherein they appear on david letterman

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #239: Late Night of the Super-Stars!

January, 1984

1984! Can’t wait to make a bunch of Orwell jokes that are poorly thought out and land poorly!

But I guess it’ll have to wait since we’re on Late Night with David Letterman in this issue.

This sure is an interesting turn of events. Although the team we see on the cover doesn’t seem to be the actually active roster. They’re over in the corner box turned away - either from shame or because they’re off doing their own thing.

Because its Assistant Editors’ Month!

A fun-sounding non-event. Although, looking it up, very few books that were considered part of the event actually did anything with it beyond a slightly goofy issue box on the cover.

So we’re going to see some Avengers go on a talk show today.

Superheroes as celebrities! What a novel idea.

Anyway, I learned an interesting detail about the cover that would have totally missed me. The checkerboard strip at the top was a hallmark of DC comics around this time. And the round MC logo in the top right is an obvious spoof of the DC logo from this time.

It’s not much more than a goof for this book but the Captain America book released for Assistant Editors’ Month also had the checkerboard and logo and was a style parody of DC comics.

Last times: Vision went into a robo-coma from walking into an invisible dome created by Annihilus and only recently recovered the ability to talk. New Avenger Starfox hooked Vision up to ISAAC the Titan computer and overclocked Vision’s robot brain so now he can project himself as a hologram and has an even faster computer brain. At the end of Avengers #238, the Avengers got a call from Tigra about some nonsense going on in San Francisco involving Spider-Woman.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye got a whole miniseries all to himself where he met Mockingbird, lost his job at Cross Technological, his girlfriend revealed that she was paid to date him and also hated him, he teamed up with Mockingbird to uncover an evil scheme by Crossfire to kill all superheroes, Hawkeye lost his hearing by putting an ultrasonic arrowhead in his mouth but foiled the scheme plot, and married Mockingbird. He’s had a very busy week or so!

This time: Hawkeye comes back to the Avengers Mansion to show off his cool new wife.

Hawkeye: “Hey, everybody -- your wanderin’ boy Hawkeye has come home... And you’ll never guess what I’ve gone and done!”

I can just imagine Mockingbird replying “Me” with the biggest shit-eating grin. She feels the sort to do that.

When Hawkeye and Mockingbird arrive there’s no one to greet them except the floating disembodied hologram head of the Wizard of Vizh.

Hawkeye has also made the decision, for some reason, to not wear the hearing aid that Mockingbird got him so he can’t hear what Vision is saying when he compliments his new costume.

Mockingbird introduces herself for Hawkeye and Vision tells the two to join him in the medical labs so they can catch up.

When they arrive, Vision raises his volume so Hawkeye can hear and recaps everything that’s happened to lead up to him becoming a robot in a tube who can hologram around.

Vision: “[Starfox] set up a direct link between ISAAC, the world-computer of Titan, to better diagnose my condition. But, instead, my brain became overloaded with ISAAC’s energy-information matrix --!”

Hawkeye: “And you became several with the universe, right?”

Vision: “‘Several with the’ --? Oh -- hah-ha! Very witty!”

Overclocking his brain seems to have done wonders for Vision’s sense of humor.

He even finds Hawkeye funny now.

Vision also explains where the dickens everyone else is (because Hawkeye asks him where the dickens they are. Its so weird for Hawkeye to say dickens).

Jarvis was given the day off to visit his mother, Captain America and Thor are both busy with nonsense in their own books, and the rest of the Avengers are off to San Francisco because of that call from Tigra.

Hawkeye offers to fly out and give them a hand, which Vision declines since they’ll call if they need help.

Instead he asks Hawkeye how he met Mockingbird and Hawkeye recaps the miniseries in only five panels.

He’s better at this than I am...

Hawkeye: “Anyway, Mockingbird and I had made a pretty good team -- so when it was all over, we ran off and got married!”

Mockingbird: “What can I say? The big lug needed somebody to keep him out of trouble!”

That’s the task of a lifetime, Bobbi. But good for you two! Cute couple is what I say.

Vision: “Marvelous! I hope you two will be as happy together as Wanda and I have been!"

Vision and Scarlet Witch probably are the healthiest superhero marriage of this time.

Vision asks if Hawkeye and Mockingbird intend to stay in the mansion, which they do. But it’s cool because Mockingbird has security clearance from working with SHIELD so they won’t need to bother Mr. Sikorsky and agitate his hatred of living in the superhero genre.

After Hawkeye takes Mockingbird off on a tour of the mansion, Vision receives a call from his brain brother, Wonder Man.

Who, very reluctantly, is coming to the Avengers with hat in hand. So to speak.

Wonder Man: “Okay. Here’s the situation -- my acting career hasn’t been going anywhere lately! So my agent, without my approval -- used the fact that I’m a reserve Avenger to get me a booking on David Letterman’s show, and now, they want me to bring other Avengers along with me! My agent really put me in a tight spot on this one. I hate to impose, but -- !”

Vision: “It’s no imposition at all, Simon! I’ll personally call the network and confirm the Avengers’ appearance!”

Wonder Man: “You’re sure it’s no trouble?”

Vision: “None whatsoever! After all, we have many Avengers -- !”

You sure do! Not as many as you’ll have by the No Surrender days. But still.

Also, I love this can-do attitude from you, Vision!

This is a pretty low priority in terms of fighting crime and whatnot but Vision is like THIS IS EXTREMELY DOABLE, I AM THE INTERNET.

Although imagine how sad it is from Wonder Man’s perspective. His agent put him on the spot pulling sorta-rank to get Simon some media attention but the media is like ‘ok but do you have something better?’

This man is trying to improve his career and the David Letterman show looked at him and said ‘ok but what else have you got?’

Oof!

Anyway, Vision uses the superpower of being wired into the phone system to call up some extra Avengers who aren’t very busy right now.

He calls Black Panther, Beast, and Black Widow.

Their varied responses are pretty funny.

But Black Panther’s is probably the best. He interrupts a meeting with his advisers to take the call and then he’s like ‘yeah sure I can drop everything I’m doing to appear on David Letterman!’

T’Challa really would rather be doing anything but kinging.

Beast initially protests that he’s too busy with the Defenders to just jump on some Avengers business but...

Beast: “The Letterman show? Hey, why didn’t you say so?”

And Black Widow is unbusy sunbathing at the Waldorf Towers while between missions. She doesn’t really want to make a television appearance (it’s kinda counterproductive for a spy, I would guess) but Vision mentions something that has Natasha agree to be there.

Based on what happens later, I guess Vision mentions that Hawkeye will be there.

A couple hours later, ELSEWHERE, well if it isn’t our ol’ friend and punchline Fabian Stankowicz!

Remember this goofus? He attacked the Avengers right when everyone was feeling bad about Hank Pym? Iron Man easily beat him up while the rest of the Avengers breezed on by. Or when he attacked Wasp’s cool superheroine brunch? Which was a hilariously terrible idea because he got between She-Hulk and breakfast foods. Also, nobody took him very seriously there either.

I guess the Avengers didn’t bother to press charges either time because he’s not in jail. He’s at his home working on some machines while his dad criticizes how he spends his time.

Dads, amirite?

Granted, what he’s criticizing is Fabian’s tendency to pick fights with superheroes. And... granted. Not a great use of his time.

But apparently Fabian can afford all the robot suits he keeps attacking the Avengers with because he won the lottery.

So he has a pretty good position to shoot down his dad’s protests, really.

Dad Stankowicz: “Fabian, I’m glad your poor mother didn’t live to see what’s become of you... It would’ve broken her heart!”

Fabian Stankowicz: “Aw, gimme a break, old man!”

Dad Stankowicz: “‘Old man’? This is the way you talk to your father?”

Fabian Stankowicz: “What do you want, egg in your beer? Was it you who won the state lottery and got us out of the Bronx? No, it was me! I won the money, and I’ll say how it’s spent! And I’m gonna use it to make a name for myself! Me... Fabian Stankowicz!”

And when Fabian sees an ad saying that the Avengers will be on Late Night with David Letterman, he has an idea. A wonderful, awful idea.

Also, who the heck puts egg in beer?

I’ve looked it up and I get that it’s a saying but apparently the saying is based on people actually doing that! Why??

The next afternoon, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, where the show 30 Rock and this issue of Avengers both happen, this issue of Avengers is happening.

A CBS page shows Black Widow to the green room where the other Avengers are already waiting.

Also: I know that it’s all the Avengers who weren’t busy (even though T’Challa really should have been?) but this is a fun roster.

Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Beast, Black Widow and Panther?

Heck, I could imagine this being the Marvel equivalent of the Justice League International team, one more geared for some light-hearted comedy?

Except we’re in 1984 so this predates that.

But you have Beast and Wonder Man, your comedy duo best buds. You have Black Panther and Widow being varying levels of straight man to the nonsense. And you have Hawkeye who can be very serious or very ridiculous depending on how hot-headed he’s being at the time.

This team could be hilarious!

(Avengers International. Think about it, Marvel.)

Outside the green room, our ol’ buddy ol’ punching bag, Fabian Stankowicz is in disguise as a repairman with a mustache as cover for installing some devices in the studio. Then he puts on a beard to disguise himself as Perfectly Normal Bearded Audience Member.

I appreciate his intiative although I doubt any of the present Avengers are gonna recognize this guy on sight even if he wore a t-shirt that said “I’m Fabian Stankowicz.”

Fabian Stankowicz: Boy, this is gonna be so sweet, especially after the way the Avengers made me look like a chump those last two times! This time, it’s gonna be different! This time, I’m going to have a ringside seat for the defeat of the Avengers!

Or at least the Avengers that were available to show up on the Tonight Show with David Letterman.

Y’know, I like Fabian Stankowicz. He’s just smart enough to be dangerous and dumb enough to be entertaining. I think there’s a place for an ineffectual doofus with delusions of grandeur in the foe Rolodex of any superhero team.

Meanwhile, back with said Whoever Was Availables, Black Widow and Mockingbird are meeting for the first time.

And luckily, they’re both mature adults who don’t act like you’d usually see in media when the missus meets the ex.

So with a fight to the death NOT happening in the green room, Hawkeye gets to asking Mockingbird about the errand he sent her on which was why she wasn’t in the room when Black Widow first showed up.

Presumably using every bit of skill in espionage at her disposal, Mockingbird got a copy of the questions Letterman will be asking during the show.

Because Hawkeye will be fielding the questions and he has made the decision not to wear his hearing aid. And has also made the follow-up decision that not only will he not be hearing anything tonight, he’s also definitely going to be fielding all the questions.

Mockingbird: “Why won’t you wear a hearing aid?”

Hawkeye: “No can do, sweetheart! The fewer people who know I’m half-deaf, the safer it’ll be for all of us!”

(I don’t really get this reasoning but okay, man)

Mockingbird: “Then why not let someone else be spokesman? This is supposed to be Wonder Man’s big night!”

Hawkeye: “Sure... but I’m the only active Avenger here! Give me a kiss for luck!”

Not for nothing does Mockingbird think that he can be impossible sometimes. And she’s only known him a couple weeks! She’s already come to the correct read on him in that short a time.

David Letterman starts the show with an opening monologue.

David Letterman: “Tonight... What can I say? Tonight is something really special! In fact, it’s probably the most special show we’ve had since our 'camping with Barry White’ program! Yes... hard to believe, isn’t it? But with all due respect to Mr. White -- I think that this show may be our greatest ever. But, as they say, ‘that’s for history to decide!’”

Imagine being a talk show host and getting to introduce the Avengers. Pretty neat.

I like that bandleader Paul Shaffer is wearing a Captain America jersey. Although that makes me wonder once again what merchandising is like for Marvel superheroes. 

Clearly it exists but did Cap sign off on a jersey mimicking his costume? Does he see any money from that? Or at least did he get to say that all profit goes to such and such charity?

Letterman introduces the Avengers for the audience.

(Fun how you can get a sense of their personality just by how they’re sitting. It’s the little touches that make a comic fun.)

Hm, I wonder how well the marvel public follows superhero roster changes.

I know that sometimes new Avengers rosters have gotten attention with press conferences and everything. And sometimes they just swap in and out members as personal business comes up.

Some of the people in the audience may not even recognize Black Widow as an Avenger. Becaaaaause, wait I don’t think she ever was one. She’s assisted on some missions and they were ready to vote her in when she vanished to go do a SHIELD mission.

Okay, better example, does anyone remember that Wonder Man- oh wait, he very publicly burst out of a crate in front of Avengers Mansion during press furor over a roster change. Also, he’s a pre-successful actor.

Black Pan- no, no. He was framed for killing the Avengers his very first day on the team. There was a manhunt.

And of course, everyone knows Beast was on the Avengers. He got around. Romantically.

David Letterman mentions that this group isn’t even all the Avengers because some couldn’t make it (read: were busy with more important things).

Which leads to a funny cut to audience where Beard Fabian is annoyed that this group is who got caught in his revenge scheme.

Fabian Stankowicz: Blast it, where’s Captain America? Where’s that &#%$ She-Hulk?

You better wash your brain out with soap before She-Hulk finds out you thought  that about her. She’s dunked people into the garbage for lesser offenses.

Beast decides that this Late Night interview is the best time to reveal that he’s quitting as a reservist Avenger to focus on his version of the Defenders.

Letterman: “Wow, that was some bombshell the Beast just dropped, Hawkeye! You’re group spokesman... What do you think of that?”

Hawkeye: First question -- ! “Well, David, the Avengers is a non-profit organization, fully sanctioned as a peace-keeping force by just about ever international organization you could think of!”

Letterman: “Eh-heh-heh! You don’t say!”

Oh god, Beast’s bombshell messed up the order of questions and Hawkeye is firmly sticking to script because he can’t hear.

My god, Hawkeye.

Letterman: “You know, I was just about to ask you something along those lines. You wouldn’t be psychic by any chance -- ?”

Hawkeye: “No, of the founding members, only the Wasp and Thor remain as active Avengers.”

Letterman: “You little dickens! You’ve been peeking at my question sheet, haven’t you? All right, I might as well as my next question which is... ‘I hear you were recently married! Is that true?’”

Hawkeye: “Yes, Dave... just a few weeks ago!”

Letterman: “How about that!”

Did Hawkeye just think they were going to blaze through the questions? Even if Beast hadn’t preempted the first question, did Hawkeye think that there would be no follow-up questions? No discussion?

I’ve been on the fence on whether the jokes about Hawkeye not hearing the questions are poking fun at deaf people or at Hawkeye and yeah, Hawkeye is definitely the butt of this joke.

Fabian Stankowicz loses patience for this very dry question and answer session and decides to start his attack nnnnow.

One of the studio cameras is secretly A GIANT LASER. Because. And it blasts the stage.

Mockingbird is watching this on a tiny screen in the Green Room and goes out to help only to run afoul of some kind of mechanized steamrolling dumpster.

Back in the studio, Wonder Man has found his new nemesis.

Move over, Grim Reaper. You’re one-dimensional and everyone especially me hates you. Hello, laser blasting camera.

Wonder Man: “Let me at that thing, Beast! It’s ruining my guest-shot!”

Beast: “You’ll have to wait your turn, Wondy! It just shredded my favorite shirt!”

Priorities!

You know, this was supposed to be about Wonder Man and he only got to say two words during the interview portion.

Dangit, Hawkeye.

Apppppparently, the audience is just assuming that this is all part of the show. A cliche, sure. But it makes sense.

Would you really have the Avengers on a talk show and just have them talk? That’s a waste of perfectly good superheroes.

Also.... apparently? David Letterman used to run things over with a steamroller a lot? So a steamroller looking contraption crashing through the wall to attack the Avengers does seem like something that might happen?

Also, Paul Shaffer decides to just roll with it so as not to panic the audience.

The show must go on, after all.

The steamroller also starts firing missiles at Beast, as ya do.

Beast: “Hunter missiles? I don’t believe this is happening on network tv!”

Wonder Man tries punching the steamroller to no avail but which does give Black Panther a chance to pull out the tried and true “Wonder Man’s fists carry as much bludgeoning power as Thor’s hammer!”

Y’know, originally, that was a flex that set Wonder Man as a threat to the team but after he joined, that never really seemed to actually be the case.

Imagine if Wonder Man always hit as hard as Thor’s hammer? Like, he’s minding his own business and then the Gorr the God Butcher arc happens and Wonder Man is like ‘huh, why do I suddenly feel like my punches could destroy planets light years away? That’s a very specific feeling!’

Fabian Stankowicz takes advantage of the spectacle chaos to walk out of the audience, plunk himself down into one of the interview chairs, remove his entirely convincing beard, and introduce himself to David Letterman as the guy who is definitely to blame for all the action setpieces going on.

Letterman, like Paul Shaffer, just decides to roll with it. Humor the guy. Ask him why he’s doing this.

Fabian Stankowicz: “Why? To prove it could be done! To show what one incredibly gifted individual can accomplish...”

Letterman: “... To get your name in the papers?”

Fabian Stankowicz: “That too! After all, the Avengers have battled Zodiac... the Masters of Evil... Doctor Doom! I want to make as big a name for myself as those guys!”

Letterman: “Seems to me that ‘Stankowicz’ is already a pretty big name!”

Badum pish?

He asks Fabian to explain all of his devices and Fabian is happy too.

I mean, he’s being a supervillain for the notoriety and supervillains already love to hear themselves talk so he’s double dipping into the ‘I will exposit everything at the drop of a hat’ well.

And imagine, Fabian built all this stuff in his garage with lottery winnings.

The steamroller thing isn’t just a steamroller, it’s also got a gravity generator. Which, I guess, makes sense if you’re expecting to go against a She-Hulk or a Thor. A regular steamroller isn’t going to do more than annoy.

Wonder Man fighting so hard against the roller makes it increase gravity so much that Simon and steamroller just fall through the floor.

Hm. I wonder what’s filmed in the studios the floor down. They’re about to have an exciting guest star in that steamroller.

Black Widow (still tangling with the laser camera) points Hawkeye towards Fabian. Although she has to shout and Hawkeye still doesn’t really get it but is happy to shoot an arrow at someone that Black Widow is vigorously gesturing at.

Alas, Fabian is one of those prepared villains we’ve been hearing so much about.

He built a force field too, and the arrow just bounces right off.

(Hey, uh, Hawkeye? What kind of arrow was that? Because it looks technological and you just shot it at this guy’s head)

Truly, can nothing stop this insidious yet not very menacing criminal genius?

Oh, I guess David Letterman can.

Knocks him out with a big knob.

It’s just plain big.

Prop comedy, amirite?

The audience seems to love it anyway. I looked up a clip of the big doorknob and it didn’t meet with this much applause. Maybe its because it was used to do violence this time?

Was the giant door knob a beloved part of Late Show lore?

David Letterman: “I guess that’ll teach you not to mess with David Letterman!”

That’s a line with weird energy to it.

Anyway, it would be a sad day for this random assemblage of backup Avengers if they were upstaged completely by David Letterman and his big knob.

Black Widow and Hawkeye finally manage to blow up the laser camera.

I’m not sure why it took them this long. Sure, the camera could apparently move, based on motion lines in previous panels. But the world’s best marksman couldn’t nail it sooner?

But the important thing is that eventually, they did do it.

The floor starts rumbling as well as Wonder Man flies back up with his belt-jets with the trashed roller and a shit-eating grin.

Wonder Man: “Sorry this took so long -- But I guess I’m a little rusty at tackling big hunks of tin like this!”

Fabian Stankowicz: Rusty? It took me a month to design that, and he totaled it in less than five minutes!

But since everyone’s focus is on Wonder Man (for once), Fabian tries to sneak away.

And runs smack dab into Mockingbird who has a lot of justified anger over almost getting run over by the roller earlier. But she just throws him over to some police that have finally shown up.

Letterman tells the audience not to try any of this at home, just in case any of them have gravity-generator osmium steel steamrollers lying around? And cuts to commercial, presumably so that some basic tidying can happen.

Hours after the filming of the show concludes, the Avengers TV Squad have returned to the mansion, with Vision wishing he could have taken part of this assistant editors month special issue.

Vision: “What became of Stankowicz?”

Black Panther: “Well, with all the charges NBC is leveling against him, the only machinery he’ll be dealing with for some time will be in the New York State Prison library!”

So, he attacked Avengers Mansion. He attacked Wasp’s superheroine brunch at the Van Dyne residence. That’s all well and good. He attacks the Avengers again in the NBC studio and the man is going to jail forever.

I guess the Avengers really haven’t been bothering to press charges on Fabian. But a massive media corporation isn’t so kind.

Since Hawkeye is technically the active Avenger (even though Vision’s hologram head is RIGHT there) he has to follow up on the thing Beast said about quitting the Avengers reservists.

Beast says its not right for him to be an Avengers reservist if he’s also trying to turn “the Defenders into a for-real group!”

Uh, Defenders fans? Wasn’t the appeal of the Defenders them being the not-team team? How did people feel about Beast going ‘ok but what if they were more like other teams instead?’

Meanwhile, Wonder Man is pacing, waiting for the Late Show to come on so he can see how he did when WOMP WOMP the show is interrupted by a special news bulletin.

Wonder Man is aghast that his big break isn’t even airing but when the special news bulletin is about a burning chemical barge, his hero instincts that he has suddenly swell up.

Wonder Man: “This... This is awful! What’re we standing around for? Let’s do something! We’re Avengers, aren’t we?”

Black Panther: “That we are, Simon! Let’s go!”

Beast also decides, hey, one more time won’t hurt and accepts his Avengers ID card back from Hawkeye.

And as they’re headed off to the Quinjet, Beast has a hopeful note for Wonder Man.

Beast: “Hey, Wondy -- remember, there’s a three-hour time difference between the coasts! If we can get this mess cleaned up in time, maybe some folks in California will still see you get your big break!”

Wonder Man: “And if we don’t -- ?”

Beast: “Well, that’s show biz!”

Pretty enjoyable issue! Like, sure, its a good for Assistant Editor’s Month. But if you’re going to do a goof, then you can do worse than bringing back Fabian Stankowicz for a third time’s not the charm.

Speaking of charm, having the Avengers appear on a talk show is a charming concept. Not a whole lot was done with it except the joke about Hawkeye answering the wrong questions but its still a fun idea.

And having the Avengers off busy lets us brush off some Also Avengers that haven’t been in play for a bit. That’s a fun idea that I wouldn’t mind seeing some more.

Have the reservists called in because of a situation happening when the Avengers are already busy.

Heck, I’d like to see a situation where the silliest and least regarded Avengers are the only ones available to respond to an emergency. Have them bounce off each other as a group. Maybe they’re mutually aware of their bad reputations.

Anyway, I expected this issue would be ridiculous but it was also enjoyable. Didn’t mind it at all. And (though by a different writer) the Hawkeye miniseries was very enjoyable too.

This is just feeling like a good era for the Avengers team.

Next time, apparently The Ghost of Jessica Drew. So she’s some kind of ghost spider? Nobody tell Carol Danvers.

Follow @essential-avengers​ because I typed this post partially while a cat was lying on my wrist. That’s dedication. Which you can’t spell without cat. Also, like and reblog if you think its likeable and rebloggable.

[thedeadshotnetwork]

Is Mariah Carey���s Backup Dancer-Boyfriend Her Kevin Federline?

Louis C.K.’s Powerful Army of Celebrity Enablers

For years, Louis C.K.’s fellow male comedians refused to comment on the sexual misconduct allegations against their friend (and sometime mentor).

11.10.17 12:00 AM ET

In the fall of 2015, I sat down with Aziz Ansari to discuss his excellent new Netflix series Master of None. We met at The Greenwich Hotel (his suggestion) and, over the course of an hour—and several cups of coffee—engaged in a lively, unbridled discussion touching on race, comedy, and everything in between.

There was only one question that he refused to answer.

Midway through the interview, the topic of sexual harassment came up. The seventh episode of his show, titled “Ladies and Gentlemen,” sees Dev (Ansari’s character) and his pal Denise (Lena Waithe) making a citizen’s arrest after catching a middle-aged man masturbating on the subway. Dev then proceeds to take a victory lap, bragging about the incident to his other female friends, who subsequently brand him a “masturbation vigilante” before sharing their own sexual harassment horror stories.

“The seed of that episode came from a bit during my Madison Square Garden special where I’d talk about women getting followed home by creepy dudes, and I’d ask during the bit, ‘Raise your hands if you’re a woman and you’ve been followed home,’ and everyone would raise their hand. And then all the other women would look around and go, ‘What the fuck?!’ Then, I’d ask all the guys if they expected all the women to raise their hands, and none of them really did. They couldn’t believe it,” he told me.

He continued: “I thought it was interesting that this is happening, yet so many people are unaware of it. And the problem is people aren’t talking about it. What I’ve learned, as a guy, is to just ask women questions and listen to what they have to say. Go to your group of female friends and ask them about times they’ve experienced sexism at their job, and you’ll get blown away by the things they tell you. You’ll think, ‘What the fuck? This is way darker than anything I’d imagined.’”

I then proceeded to ask him about the sexual misconduct allegations against Louis C.K., a sometime mentor of Ansari’s. The two share a manager, Dave Becky, and booking agent, Mike Berkowitz—two of the more powerful figures in the comedy world, who also represent Kevin Hart and a slew of other top-shelf comics.

“I’m not talking about that,” Ansari brusquely replied.

“I was told to delete a tweet I wrote about Louis CK abusing women before I applied to a high-profile comedy job because the people conducting the hiring process might not like it.”

— Nicole Silverberg, comedian

Over the years, I’ve asked a number of famous male comedians about the allegations against Louis C.K., which have been widely known since a 2012 Gawker story titled, “Which Beloved Comedian Likes to Force Female Comics to Watch Him Jerk Off?” They’ve all either declined to comment or, in the case of Jim Gaffigan, went off the record to share their thoughts on the matter. Only a handful of brave female comics were willing to shine a spotlight on C.K.’s alleged abuse, including Roseanne Barr and Tig Notaro in interviews with The Daily Beast.

The tentacles of Louis C.K., who stands accused of sexual misconduct by at least five women, spread throughout the comedy world. He worked as a staff writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Late Show with David Letterman, and The Chris Rock Show. As head writer on The Dana Carvey Show, he was boss to comedians Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell. He mentored the likes of Ansari and Amy Schumer, and counts Jerry Seinfeld and Ricky Gervais as personal friends. Many of these A-listers in the C.K. orbit surely knew about the widespread sexual misconduct allegations against the comedian, but chose to turn a blind eye to it. Instead, they welcomed C.K. on their programs, like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, casually reminiscing about comedy days of old.

After The New York Times’ investigation broke on Thursday, Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur issued an apology for having C.K. on his NBC show even though he’d caught wind of the allegations against him (the show’s star, Amy Poehler, shares a manager with C.K.):

These days, C.K. is one of the most famous comedians alive. He regularly sells out Madison Square Garden, has a lucrative deal with Netflix, and produces and stars in a number of TV shows, including the FX programs Louie, Baskets, and Better Things. Next week, he was scheduled as one of the headliners of the Jon Stewart-hosted Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs. The program will still air November 18th on HBO, but without the participation of C.K., whose content was also removed from all HBO platforms. FX, for its part, issued a statement that read:

“We are obviously very troubled by the allegations about Louis C.K. published in The New York Times today. The network has received no allegations of misconduct by Louis C.K. related to any of our 5 shows produced together over the past 8 years. FX Networks and FXP take all necessary actions to protect our employees and thoroughly investigate any allegations of misconduct within our workplace. That said, the matter is currently under review.”

Get The Beast In Your Inbox!

Daily Digest

Start and finish your day with the top stories from The Daily Beast.

Cheat Sheet

A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know (and nothing you don't).

By clicking “Subscribe,” you agree to have read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

It was not easy to stand up to someone as well-connected as C.K. On Thursday afternoon, the comedian Nicole Silverberg shared a disturbing story on Twitter that spoke to C.K.’s power and influence. “I was told to delete a tweet I wrote about Louis CK abusing women before I applied to a high-profile comedy job because the people conducting the hiring process might not like it. These women who have spoken up are brave, and we owe them so much,” she wrote. Meanwhile, in The New York Times piece, the comedy duo of Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov, who charge that C.K. abruptly began masturbating in front of them, said that “when they told others about the incident in the Colorado hotel room, they heard that Louis C.K.’s manager was upset that they were talking about it openly. The women feared career repercussions.”

On top of all this is the cavalier way C.K. approached the sexual misconduct allegations against him—brushing off questions in interviews with non-denial denials, and even going so far as incorporating them into his art.

Rape and masturbation jokes have long been a staple of C.K.’s stand-up oeuvre, but in recent years, in the wake of the aforementioned Gawker exposé, the comedian appeared to be taunting his victims—and the public. First came the controversial Louie episode “Pamela: Part 1,” wherein his character, an avatar of himself, attacks Pamela Adlon’s in an apartment, attempting to overpower her before she finally fights free. C.K. later argued that the scene represented a “consensual” encounter, calling it “a fun train wreck of a ride.” Then there’s his upcoming film I Love You, Daddy, a bizarre ode to Woody Allen focusing on a sixty-something director engaged in a romantic affair with a 17-year-old girl, where “a character pretends to masturbate at length in front of other people, and other characters appear to dismiss rumors of sexual predation,” reported the Times.

In the wake of sexual assault allegations against film mogul Harvey Weinstein, filmmakers James Toback and Brett Ratner, and the actor Kevin Spacey, there’s been plenty of talk about the nature of allyship and how passivity on the part of powerful men contributes to a culture of silence surrounding sexual abuse. Why did Brad Pitt, one of the biggest movie stars in the world, work with Harvey Weinstein not once, but twice after the executive had allegedly attacked both his ex-fiancée Gwyneth Paltrow and then-wife Angelina Jolie? Why did Quentin Tarantino, whose films are responsible for much of Weinstein’s success, continue to work with him after learning that he attacked his ex-girlfriend, Mira Sorvino?

The onus can’t only be on women to stand up to male predators. Men—particularly men of power and influence—must be willing to speak up for what is right, and refuse to align themselves with the creeps of the world.  

Tags: November 10, 2017 at 08:27AM Open in Evernote

[neverbeen-nevermet-blog]

Selena gomez porn video

High Ten Male Haircuts Of 2008 Patton follows the lifetime of George S. Patton (George C. Scott), well-known Allied tank commander from World Conflict II. Starting together with his exploits in North Africa, Patton follows the profession of this bombastic normal by means of the D-Day invasion (wherein he would act as a decoy), the Battle of the Bulge, and the liberation of Germany. He has gained 5 Filmfare awards, together with two consecutive greatest actor recognitions in 2011 and 2012. Branches poke out the again of his head, including further peak to an already imposing figure. Many of the Bollywood Actresses like Shilpa Shetty, Bipasha Basu, Kareena Kapoor, Kangna Ranaut, Hema Malini, Raima Sen, Neha Dhupia, Nandhana Sen, Sameera Reddy,Malaika Khan and Esha Deol are some of the fitness bodies in Bollywood. With his most up-to-date film successes, he has catapulted to the fifth spot within the 2014 rankings of highest-paid Bollywood actors. In the beginning of 2017 KFC went back in time, casting Billy as considered one of Biff's sidekicks from Again to the Future. Whether or not it be due to the paparazzi, the shortage of privacy, or folks not being able to inform the distinction between an actor and a personality, being well-known isn't at all times as great because it appears. Brittany Howard, lead singer of soul-rock band Alabama Shakes, overcame the attention most cancers, retinoblastoma She turned blind in one eye resulting from having the disease as a baby. However the Canadian actor with the perfectly chiseled jaw first began acting as a 12-12 months-old on Disney's Mickey Mouse Membership. Hrithik Roshan is an Indian movie actor who performed as a toddler actor in many movies right by the eighties. Due to this fact, they won't care about what it's they do so long as they end up being well-known. In keeping with this theme you'll be able to choose to wear garments like the well-known fairy tales characters for example Little Pink Driving Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and even Cinderella. On this article, we are leaving out wonderful British, Australian and Canadian actors and actresses, as we are specializing in those that haven't got English as their native language. Greater than something, Pattinson beats himself up over how many individuals dislike him just for being famous. In fact if it is a well-known title-a film star or a T.V. star, it's easy to get this job. My favorite Actor is Irish - Jonathan Rhys Meyers... He is my celeb crush too - sooo dreamy! Craig Robinson - Humorist and actor from The Office, Pineapple Categorical and Sizzling Tub Time Machine. Prime 20 Famous Redheads in Historical past - A list of well-known historic figures that all had red or ginger hair. Although the actor has had his struggles with alcohol, it is fame that has been the most important difficulty for him. However whereas many people retire properly earlier than they qualify for Social Safety, a commendable number of actors keep working and producing memorable work well into their 70s. Mike Rowe — An actor and opera singer, he currently hosts Soiled Jobs and Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Reese Witherspoon has slowly moved up the ranks where her acting career is anxious, now one in every of Hollywood's brightest and most promising actresses. The former tennis star ultimately died from HIV which it is believed that he contracted by means of blood transfusion years earlier than his dying. Robert Pine, seventy one, is a longtime TELEVISION character actor who co-starred in 'Chips' within the early ‘80s. There is a school of thought on the market that actors have to herald the stronger healthier Ego. The marriage was held at Aston Home at W Seoul's Walkerhill, with a thousand invited attendees, the place some notable actors and actresses were additionally current. New York had tough competitors for the spot of probably the most well-known actor, with Tom Cruise trailing intently behind De Niro. His funeral induced close to hysteria with the public and made his identify even more famous and continues selena gomez porn video to be recognized tody. He checked after the séance for an outline of what she was carrying the day she died - and it was the same gown. Within the franchise's 50-12 months run, six distinguished actors have taken on the part and secured a spot in cinematic historical past. The World Warfare II veteran turned actor was known for his portrayal of Dr Will 'Doc' Hayward within the cult '90s TELEVISION series, which was co-created by his son, Mark Frost. I actually don't know much else about this man but he's famous and doing properly for himself after profitable the top prize on that TELEVISION show. A wonderful mixture of occupations for the top ten Davids with one athelete (Beckham), one speak present host (Letterman), two administrators (Slade and Lynch), two actors (Carradine and Hasselhoff), four musicians (Gilmour, Byrne, Cook, and Bowie). Vote for the actor you assume is the best American thesp of all time, and debate your choices within the comments. Up to now one sometimes turned well-known through what they'd given to the world. Stephen Rea is an Irish actor who was nominated for an Academy award for her portrayal as Fergus within the film Crying Recreation”- A story of a British soldier kidnapped by IRA terrorists. Christopher landed his most well-known role in 1972, replacing the actor who portrayed Father Mulcahy within the M.A.S.H. pilot.

[myupdatestudio-blog]

New Post has been published on Myupdatestudio

New Post has been published on https://myupdatestudio.com/tone-recommendations-the-two-way-avenue-of-endorsements/

Tone Recommendations: The two-Way Avenue of Endorsements

I have these days received some questions on equipment endorsements, with subjects starting from the satisfactory Manner to method producers to what producers anticipate in go back for make-supplying artists with the gadget, be it discounted or free.

                                  Tone Recommendations

Tone In a Book

First, you need to have something of price to offer to even be taken into consideration for a gear endorsement. You want to have a high-enough profile as a musician that an organization can virtually see the cost in having you associated with their brand. Exposure to his or her equipment is the primary reason corporations make up take on endorsers. So, whether it’s the use of their gear onstage, on television, or in YouTube videos, you need to be honest with yourself approximately your ability to offer that Exposure.

The “old days.” Earlier than the internet, being associated with a first-rate band or artist changed into the best Way guitarists have become well known. If you were in a band with a reported deal that was a very good begin, as it make-up there has been a promotional system backing you. And returned then, it turned into all of getting equipment into the hands of musicians that have been respected and favorite.

I make-suppose makeup the long-term success of the Gibson Les Paul is the gold fashionable that every gear manufacturer needs to shoot for whilst introducing a product. It has to, in reality, be noted that the Les Paul truly wasn’t that famous until Mike Bloomfield, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and others found its deserves in the mid-’60s—after it has been discontinued! (Gibson could begin generating them again in 1968.) Entering into the ’70s, continuously seeing global-famous guitarists like Jimmy Web page, Ace Frehley, and Peter Frampton with Les Pauls turned into more than simply an endorsement. It helped cement the Les Paul into our collective cognizance as one of the number one equipment in rock ’n’ roll—so much in order that even non-guitarists ought to without difficulty apprehend one. The internet. With the arrival of the internet, the physical income of song commenced saying no. Unlawful file sharing took a large toll and report agencies were either trimming fat, consolidating, or outright folding. Recording budgets decreased, studio bookings slumped, and artists had to begin counting on journeying and merch income for their earnings.

But something else happened—something I view as high quality. The appearance of tools like Myspace, YouTube, iTunes, and Fb made it possible to build a fan base, release music, and make a call for yourself as a musician or band without the need for a manager, file organization, or any of the alternative conventional track-biz middlemen. Musicians in small-metropolis The usa—or anywhere else in the global for that depend on—may want to now reach a huge target audience on their personal. And close to endorsements, reputation is repute. Period. I don’t make makeup tools producers honestly care whether you are a popular band with a major-label deal or live in Omaha and feature a YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers. If you have an audience and people dig what you are doing, you’re in a role to offer precious advertising.

How I did it. when I was beginning my professional touring career in the overdue ’90s, I were given in contact with Gibson’s La artist-family members workplace and enquired approximately endorsements. Their policy was to not deliver something away, However, they could every so often loan guitars. And In case you favored one, they would sell it to you with an artist bargain. When they loaned me an SG fashionable, I identified that I used to be an unknown and might have to show myself. So, every time a band I used to be in carried out on Tv, I’d be sure to set the timer on my VCR to report the show. every few months, I’d make-up make up a meeting at Gibson and bring the tape wherein they’d see me on the Tonight show and the past due show with David Letterman to daylight applications like the Rosie O’Donnell display—all with the SG they loaned me. They genuinely appreciated my loyalty and enthusiasm for the logo, and ultimately let me maintain the device.

When I began my YouTube channel in 2006, I had no idea YouTube might grow to be such a big a part of what I do. In the beginning, I might just sometimes upload instructions and guitar-oriented videos. However, that modified in 2007 when the folks at Suhr gave me a fantastic artist-priced deal on a Badger 18 amp. I wanted to do something in go back to thank them, so I make-up make up the amp in my little domestic studio, miked its makeup, and videoed myself demonstrating what it became capable of. some weeks after make up the video to YouTube, Ed Yoon from Suhr reached out and informed me they’d bought the complete first run of Badgers, and that my video helped get human beings enthusiastic about the amp. My very first YouTube demo!

I’d like to reiterate the importance of viewing a dating with a tools manufacturer as a -Manner Street. In case you need to endorse a product, ask yourself how you may be of value to the corporation. What can you do to help unfold the word about their products and make support them? Don’t expect the world At the start, But a willingness to earn their recognize via displaying you have something to offer is a make makeup region to begin. until next month, I want you glad guitaring! Pores and skin Firming Hints Healthful and bakeapple Pores and skin is not so much of a dream If you take right precautions and be aware of your food regimen and exercising. a very good daily Skincare routine requires four basic steps: Cleansing, Exfoliating, Toning, and Moisturizing. Skin toners are essential for all Pores and skin sorts. Skin toners allow to improve blood circulation to the Skin floor and offer the Pores and skin the glow that is related to its right fitness. Toners are used to easy the oil from the Skin. They’ll reason Pores and skin experience tighter due to Skin irritation. The Pores and skin are freshened via Skin Firming lotions. They help to boom the blood make makeup to the Skin. Toning the Pores and skin helps put off any residual purifier or that may have been left behind. A toner also enables restore the herbal pH degree of the Skin, leaves your Skin clean, clear and ready to be hydrated.

Way Traffic

Toning close the pores, tighten the Pores and skin, and hold it from being uncovered to a number of the toxins which can be floating inside the air or different environmental pollution. Toners can be used to clean the last lines of oil from the Pores and skin. Pores and skin Firming creams freshen the Skin. Additionally, they stimulate the blood make-up to the Skin. Use astringent creams with a chunk of cotton wool But if your Skin is asking worn off and worn-out, pat it on with a brisk slapping movement. For Ordinary Pores and skin, cut up a small sized fresh cucumber and liquidize it with half of a make-up of yogurt.Observe the combination for 5-10 minutes, and wash it off. For shiny Pores and skin whisk one egg white until it thickens, then whisk in 1 tsp of honey. Eventually, upload 1 tsp of lemon juice.Follow on your face and neck avoiding the delicate eye and lip regions

Catherines Plus Size

The easiest Way of making use of a toner is to put it on a cotton pad and wipe face in outward and make upward strokes. Toners now not simplest cleanse the Skin further and help in putting off any remnants of particles that you can have left at the back of However also cools, nourishes, hydrates and freshens make-up your Skin. It tightens makeup Pores and skin and close make-up any Pores and skin pores which could have makeup at the same time as deep Cleansing the face. Toners must be alcohol-unfastened as alcohol dries off Pores and skin. you could additionally make a natural Skin toner at domestic. Tomato juice is a make makeup Skin toner. Cucumber toner is a refreshing toner for Ordinary skins. cut up a small sized fresh cucumber and liquidize it with half of a make-up of yogurt. Apply the aggregate for 5-10 mins, and wash it off. Rose is an amazing Skin toner. Nutrition E oil and wheat oil are very powerful for dry Skin.