With less than four weeks until the festival begins, Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival has added new shows to its lineup, including top stand-up performances, Netflix series cast events as well as a free outdoor fan experience. The festival, which now boasts over 250 live shows across over 30 venues covering Los Angeles, is produced by Netflix in association with Live Nation.
One of the added highlights of the event is the Billy Eichner host Stand Out: An LGBTQ + Celebration. The celebration is happening in the wake of October 2021 Netflix walk out controversy that saw LGBTQ employees stage an office walk out due to what they considered to be transphobic content during Dave Chappelle’s Netflix comedy special, The Closer. Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos received backlash due to two internal emails by Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos — sent out on the same day and leaked days apart — in which he defended Chappelle and argued that content like The Closer does not “directly translate to real-world harm.”
Emmy winner Hannah Gadsby took her fellow comedian Chappelle, the streamer and Sarandos to task for the executive listing her in a memo to staff as one example of Netflix’s commitment “to ensure marginalized communities aren’t defined by a single story.” In what was Sarando’s’ second unsuccessful attempt to smother the outrage over Chappelle’s hurtful and repeated remarks about the trans and LGBTQ+ communities, the exec later admitted he badly handled the responses as trans staffers and more publicly protested The Closer and the company. He spoke to Deadline and in his own words said, “First, right upfront, I screwed up the internal communication — and I don’t mean just mechanically. I feel I should’ve made sure to recognize that a group of our employees was hurting very badly from the decision made, and I should’ve recognized upfront before going into a rationalization of anything the pain they were going through. I say that because I respect them deeply, and I love the contribution they have at Netflix. They were hurting, and I should’ve recognized that first.”
Despite Chappelle’s past run-ins with the LGBTQ community, and him being one of the main headliners of the Netflix Is A Joke event, the lineup for the Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration is surprisingly stacked with Queer comedians. Here are the details of the celebration:
Billy Eichner will host an all-star night of entertainment with Bob the Drag Queen, Eddie Izzard, Fortune Feimster, Gina Yashere, Guy Branum, James Adomian, Joel Kim Booster, Judy Gold, Mae Martin, Margaret Cho, Marsha Warfield, Matteo Lane, Patti Harrison, River Butcher, Sam Jay, Sandra Bernhard, Scott Thompson, Solomon Georgio, Tig Notaro, Trixie Mattel, Wanda Sykes and more to be announced soon. Stand Out is produced by Page Hurwitz, Wanda Sykes (Push It Productions), Brian Graden and Dave Mace (Brian Graden Media).
Here are the full Highlights from the new additions:
JOHN MULANEY – Hollywood Bowl
- John Mulaney: From Scratch with Special Guest Earthquake- Guests encouraged to dress in evening attire.
SNOOP DOGG – Hollywood Palladium
- Snoop Dogg’s F*cn Around Comedy Special (recorded)– Snoop hosts a night of legendary black comics. Featuring Katt Williams, Mike Epps, Sommore and more.
BILLY EICHNER HOSTS STAND OUT: AN LGBTQ+ CELEBRATION- THE GREEK THEATRE
- STAND OUT: An LGBTQ+ Celebration: (recorded) Billy Eichner will host an all-star night of entertainment with Bob the Drag Queen, Eddie Izzard, Fortune Feimster, Gina Yashere, Guy Branum, James Adomian, Joel Kim Booster, Judy Gold, Mae Martin, Margaret Cho, Marsha Warfield, Matteo Lane, Patti Harrison, River Butcher, Sam Jay, Sandra Bernhard, Scott Thompson, Solomon Georgio, Tig Notaro, Trixie Mattel, Wanda Sykes and more to be announced soon. Stand Out is produced by Page Hurwitz, Wanda Sykes (Push It Productions), Brian Graden and Dave Mace (Brian Graden Media).
SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO – The Wiltern
- Sebastian Maniscalco: Nobody Does this Tour
BILL BURR – Hollywood Palladium
- Bill Burr & Friends (recorded)– American stand-up, director, actor and creator of F is For Family, invites you to join him and his favorite comedians for a joke-filled hang.
FRANCO ESCAMILLA – Hollywood Pantages Theater
- Voyerista Auditivo (recorded)
INTERNATIONAL STAND-UP – Laugh Factory
- Best of Brazil with Fabiano Cambota, Maurício Meirelles, Rodrigo Marques, Bruna Louise, Criss Paiva, Léo Lins, Murilo Couto, Patrick Maia, Rafinha Bastos, with Host Manu Maciel. Also featuring Women of Comedy, Made in Canada, Made in the UK, Spanglish hosted by Paul Rodriguez, Musical Comedy Jam, All-Star Comedy hosted by Finesse Mitchell, Maz Jobrani and Friends, and Chocolate Sundaes.
NEAL BRENNAN – Largo at the Coronet
JACQUELINE NOVAK – Largo at the Coronet
NETFLIX SERIES:
NEVER HAVE I EVER
- Never Have I Ever Live Table Read: Co-creators Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher will be hosting a live table read with your favorite cast members, giving you an exclusive first look at season 3. Join Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Lee Rodriguez, Ramona Young, Richa Moorjani, Niecy Nash, Megan Suri, Rushi Kota and more!
COBRA KAI
- Cobra Kai: Live & Badass: Join the cast of the Netflix phenomenon Cobra Kai for an unprecedented, badass, one-night-only celebration! This explosion of the Cobra Kai universe includes exclusive conversations with the cast, live musical performances, fan photo ops, and plenty of surprises. Costumes are encouraged — break out those gis, shower curtains, and mohawks! Strike First. Strike Hard. No Mercy.
PENTAVERATE FAN SCREENING
- The Pentaverate Premiere: Mike Myers and the cast of The Pentaverate are hosting a FREE World Premiere screening of episode 1 of Netflix’s newest comedy series, including a special introduction from the cast. About The Pentaverate: What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347? As this new series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!
SOMEBODY FEED PHIL FAN SCREENING
- Laugh With Your Mouth Full: An Evening with Phil Rosenthal. Join Phil Rosenthal for a special advance screening of Somebody Feed Phil Season 5 episode, Oaxaca. Fans will also enjoy light bites and a Q&A with Phil moderated by Jimmi Simpson.
BLOCKBUSTER
- Movie Trivia Happy Hour Featuring The Cast of Blockbuster: Join Randall Park, Melissa Fumero, JB Smoove and Tyler Alvarez to test your movie knowledge in this pub trivia game as the cast of Blockbuster competes against each other for the bragging rights of who is the Netflix is a Joke Movie Aficionado. About: The series takes place at the last Blockbuster Video in America, and explores what it takes – and more specifically who it takes – for a small business to succeed against all odds.
LIVE PODCASTS:
- FLY ON THE WALL WITH DANA CARVEY & DAVID SPADE – The Wiltern
- THE READ WITH KID FURY & CRISSLE – The Theatre at Ace Hotel
- BEST FRIENDS WITH NICOLE BYER & SASHEER ZAMATA – The Regent Theatre
- YOU MADE IT WEIRD WITH PETE HOLMES – Avalon Hollywood
All-STAR LINEUPS ADDED TO PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SHOWS
AMY SCHUMER & FRIENDS- Hollywood Palladium
- Featuring: Lil Rel Howery, Chris Distefano, Christina P, Janelle James, Ron Funches, Rachel Feinstein & Jaye McBride
JANE FONDA & LILY TOMLIN: LADIES NIGHT LIVE- Hollywood Palladium
- Featuring: Michelle Buteau, Avi Gilbert, Cristela Alonzo, Margaret Cho, Heather McMahan & Tracey Ashley
