Louis C.K.: $780,000 From Beacon Theater Special Online Sales Going to Staff, Charity

Comedian Louis C.K., known for his crude and raw humor, made a serious announcement that he would be giving away most of the money earned from selling his Beacon Theater special online. During an interview on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” Wednesday, C.K. announced that he had made $1 million in sales from his online special so far because of ”a $5 impulse that 220,000 people had.” He admitted it was the first million he had made “all at once.” Perhaps struck with the joy of the holiday season, or just plain struck, C.K. said that he “felt uncomfortable having that much money,” so he divied it up: $250,000 went to production costs; $250,000 for his staff’s bonuses; and $280,000, the largest chunk, would be donated to five charities.
“I just started dishing it out,” he told Fallon.
C.K. said the charities include the Fistula Foundation, which helps abused women; Green Chimneys, which works with children and animals; the Pablove Foundation, which help children with cancer, Charity: Water, which provides clean drinking water to impoverished countries; and Kiva, a microfinance organization that offers small loans to people in need. The remaining $220,000 would go to fund a “new one,” C.K. added, laughing and pointing to his lower region. The comedian told “Nightline” anchor Bill Weir in a recent interview how he went rouge with the release of his “Louis C.K.: Live at the Beacon Theater” show, blowing off HBO and Comedy Central to sell downloads himself on his website for $5 a pop. Not only that, he also wrote, produced, performed and edited his fifth stand-up special on his MacBook Pro by himself . The special was posted on C.K.’s website, which has no corporate affiliation, on Dec. 10. Visitors can download the special for $5 using a PayPal account. C.K.’s comedic style has changed dramatically over the years. A decade ago, his act was more absurd, silly humor, but more recently, he goes for raw honesty. “It just kind of happened because when you start doing comedy you’re trying to think of funny things. You’re trying to find funny things, and you’re trying to be funny,” C.K. told Weir. ”At some point, you just get older. You grow up and you get tired of doing it and something happens where you just don’t care — you just can’t keep faking it, you can’t keep being fake.”
“Some people harden into a glazed version of their fake selves,” C.K. continued. ”‘I’ve seen them all the time. They’re frozen into this one face on stage. And after the show you’re like, ‘How you doing?’ and they’re like, ‘Yeah! I’m OK!’ And they’re living with some awful thing in their life. I said to myself at some point I’m either going to stop this or I’m going to do the wrong version of this. I was like, ‘these jokes suck.’ I had gone around many times with ’this guy’s funny, maybe he could do a TV show!’ ‘Ahh, maybe not.’ I’d gone that circle so many times, and I realized I don’t want to do this. Let’s really trash this career in a fabulous way.”

I wish I had my own wheel, but his belonged to a friend, so alas… I do not know how to dress. Although, I do know what to wear with GRAY!  Looks like Holeproof is big in Australia, but this came from Allentown, PA. Please to enjoy, and let me know if you have ever seen one of these.

Reggie Watts – F_ck Sh_t Stack

Very clever commentary.

So, I was on a flight to Atlanta earlier this year and met a girl named Nell from Milwaukee.  She was fantastic.  We talked for just the last 20 minutes of the flight, but I think she was in love with me…  Hang on, let me back up.

It was one of those crazy things… doesn’t happen to me.  She was very pretty and put together — red coat, simple medium-length hair that highlighted her face, and taller than average.  I usually don’t talk to people on planes, regardless of how attractive they are.  It’s time I use to decompress, listen to music/podcasts, and read usually. BUT, she was listening to the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe.  Flying into the Bible belt, you usually don’t see that.  In fact, some folks would be discretely covering up their screen.  She had it sitting in her lap tilted towards me as if she hoped I would see it.  She alternated between her iPhone and reading “Out Stealing Horses” by Per Petterson. Earlier, I swear as if it was the most subtle flirt ever, she was listening to “This Charming Man” by The Smiths.  Those were the only two things I noticed on her screen the entire flight.  My ego would not let me presume that it was anything to do with me until it sank in the next day. I didn’t imagine it. There was something there… clearly I am an idiot.

As the plane started it’s final approach and she removed her headphones, I removed mine and remarked, “Great podcast.” She said, “Oh…? Yeah. It is.  Do you listen to it?”, or something similar.  So, we started talking and she was on her way to England to get her remaining stuff from when she had lived there a year or so ago.  She had trained in Europe as a pastry chef after quitting corporate America. I was SO infatuated and intrigued.  She was cute, and that was totally hot.  She was flying an unconventional route from Philadelphia through Atlanta, was spending the night at the Country Inn and Suites, and was out again first thing in the morning (uh, single girl traveling alone… why would you tell me that??).  During our interaction, we had a couple of those moments where it’s really nothing (how could it be anything?), but nevertheless, there is a spark or a look that keeps making you want to talk, or glance, or think of something clever to say so the person doesn’t leave and so you can get to know them.

Well, this made no sense whatsoever for us.  Our lives were worlds apart, my ride was already at the airport, and she was out of town forever at the crack of dawn. Before we both left the airport, I saw her three more times… coincidence?  I spoke to her once more as I was leaving the baggage carousels because she looked a little lost (or was she?) so I directed her to the shuttles that should get her to the hotel.  Why didn’t I ask her for her e-mail address, or her Facebook, or her phone number??  Because that would be absurd.  How fucking complicated! Who has time for a long distance affair of the heart?  I can hardly imagine anything worse. Secret phone calls? “Hey, who’s that girl from Milwaukee on your Facebook?” I don’t even have time to keep up with this damn blog!

Well, Nell, if you ever run across this, just know, I really, REALLY liked you and wished I had bailed on my ride and we had jumped in a cab to your hotel.  I’m sure it would have been a wonderful mess. At least, that’s how it played out for me…

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/04/entertainment-industrys-dystopia-future