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Mo'nique - Netflix Lowballed My Negotiations 'Cause I'm a Black Woman

Apathy

Apathy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,992
woman said:
Why is everyone assuming she's some delusional oaf who thinks she should be paid 20 million?

For what Netflix has paid others, 500k is nothing. She has every right to question netflix's offer.
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Because she thinks she's as good as Rock or Chappelle. Otherwise why compare herself to them? She thinks her brand is worth theirs or at least has enough cache to get close to what they got.

The reality is it isn't and she won't ever get what those other comedians get. This isn't because she's black, it isn't because she's a woman, it's because of the draw power she has to audiences.
 
Syriel

Syriel

Banned
Dec 13, 2017
11,088
woman said:
"Barack Obama is president, you black people need to get up off your lazy asses"

Let's not use exceptions to the rule to make a point. Schumer, Rock, and Chappelle aside, pretty much the rest of Netflix's stand-up offerings star white men. I wonder how much of them were initially offered more than 500k. I wonder how many of them have a resume comparable to Mo'Nique and Wanda Sykes.
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Someone's letting bias cloud their judgement here, and it's not Netflix. What you state doesn't seem to mesh with the list of performers hired by Netflix for comedy specials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_original_stand-up_comedy_specials_distributed_by_Netflix
 
Pwnz

Pwnz

Member
Oct 28, 2017
14,279
Places
No thanks, if anything reduce pay to the others. Monique wasn't even active before 2000. If we throw cash at everyone we'll be back to $80/month with 35% ad time.
 
Zero315

Zero315

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,193
Pwnz said:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo'Nique

Okay 1999+. My point is that she's no Chris Rock.
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The wikipedia article is omitting that The Parkers was a spinoff of Moesha. Also the fact that she was doing standup around the time of Moesha too. I remember seeing her on ComicView around that time.

Edit: https://www.biography.com/people/monique-517474

Big Break
It proved to be a smart move. Just two years after that initial dare from her brother, Mo'Nique had earned enough stand-up work that she could pursue comedy full-time. Known for her less-than-svelte size, Mo'Nique celebrated her girth and her womanhood in a way comedy fans adored. Soon, she was on the music circuit, her brand of comedy tapped to open up for musicians like Keith Sweat and Bobby Brown.

In 1989, Mo'Nique got her first significant break when she was selected to appear on It's Showtime at the Apollo. Other big-ticket appearances soon followed, including Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam and BET's Comic View.

After a handful of appearances on the UPN comedy Moesha and several other television spots, including an appearance on The Bernie Mac Show, Mo'Nique was launched full-time into the living rooms of American homes in 1999 with a starring role on the UPN sitcom The Parkers.
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Deleted member 1120

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,511
Monique was black listed from hollywood, this obviously drove her value down despite her talent. Of course she's going to feel insult with such a lowball offer. It's possible she feels this could only happen to a woman of color, to be so easily dropped in value for being blacklisted.
 
LionPride

LionPride

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
12,804
woman said:
"Barack Obama is president, you black people need to get up off your lazy asses"

Let's not use exceptions to the rule to make a point. Schumer, Rock, and Chappelle aside, pretty much the rest of Netflix's stand-up offerings star white men. I wonder how much of them were initially offered more than 500k. I wonder how many of them have a resume comparable to Mo'Nique and Wanda Sykes.
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Okay

That's just a bold face lie
 

haimon

Banned
Nov 22, 2017
291
woman said:
Why is everyone assuming she's some delusional oaf who thinks she should be paid 20 million?

For what Netflix has paid others, 500k is nothing. She has every right to question netflix's offer.
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Because she admits it herself.

They offered 500k, she responded by talking about the big 3 that make over 10 million.

That was her counter offer and based on that they decided there was no point to discuss.

Now chances are if she came back with a normal counter offer, there would have been some sort of negotiations.

But she did what she has done for years which is burn Bridges and try to show that it's not her fault but a system that has it out for her, when her case is a very weak one.
 
Silvard

Silvard

Resettlement Advisor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
411
woman said:
Ok I am going through this list clicking every name and I underestimated the amount of women but as for race?
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I'm not overly familiar with the stand up scene but I'm seeing a bunch of PoC comedians on that list. Not a whole lot of PoC women though, and of those, I haven't found a black woman, but I haven't clicked on them all.
 
Pankratous

Pankratous

Member
Oct 26, 2017
9,257
Calling for a boycott because you were "only" offered 12 years salary for a normal person.

How about no.
 
Ryu_Ken

Ryu_Ken

Member
Oct 30, 2017
1,783
woman said:
Why is everyone assuming she's some delusional oaf who thinks she should be paid 20 million?

For what Netflix has paid others, 500k is nothing. She has every right to question netflix's offer.
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Question - Are people going to rush out and by subscriptions to watch a Mo'nique special? Is she a bankable star like Rock and Chapelle?
Answer - No, she has been offered what she is worth. Race and sex has F all to do with it.
 
Staticneuron

Staticneuron

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,187
woman said:
Ok I am going through this list clicking every name and I underestimated the amount of women but as for race?
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That list is majority of different races other than white. Even in the upcoming section the only white guy is Ricky Gervais. People of latin, asian and black decent are all over that list. I watch many comedy shows on netflix and was surprised you even stated that. Did you do any research about this before you came to that conclusion?
 
Apathy

Apathy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,992
Staticneuron said:
That list is majority of different races other than white. Even in the upcoming section the only white guy is Ricky Gervais. People of latin, asian and black decent are all over that list. I watch many comedy shows on netflix and was surprised you even stated that. Did you do any research about this before you came to that conclusion?
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Come on, we all know the answer to that without them answering.
 
Bear

Bear

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,876
Just saw this news for the first time. This is the kind of shit that undermines real, actual claims of discrimination in pay based on gender or race. She clearly does not command the interest that someone like Chris Rock or Dave Chappelle do. It's a ludicrous argument.
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
The worst part is that according to the Ringer, it was for a 15 minute set. 500k for 15 minutes. Oy.

EDIT: Good catch by excelsiorf - the Ringer article puts the two together but doesn't say that the 500k was specifically for a 15 minute set.

Did some digging and found this

https://www.pastemagazine.com/artic...oes-netflix-pay-for-15-minutes-of-stand-.html

Then I thought: Huh, I wonder how much Netflix is shelling out! Well folks, the answer is about $26,000 plus travel and lodging, according to a source with direct knowledge of the series.
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Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
Gattsu25 said:
How many other 15 minute sets has Netflix done?

I'm expecting the number to be in the neighborhood of zero. Stop believing random shit you hear online.
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Random shit I heard online... huh

https://www.theringer.com/tv/2018/1...-minutes-dave-chappelle-monique-max-silvestri

On Monday, however, Netflix finally introduced a new twist on the stand-up special. While building on the streamer's proven omnivorous tendencies, the move also has the potential to test and expand the constraints of the form the same way the company clearly aims to do for television as a whole. The streaming service, as reported on Vulture, has commissioned a full class of 16 comics to tape a series of specials weighing in at just 15 minutes each, half the length of the half-hour taping previously considered the standard for short, introductory tapings. The specials will be taped next month in Atlanta, then released in batches (Netflix hasn't yet clarified how many) throughout the year.
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The announcement thus edges Netflix even closer to a stand-up monopoly, creating new territory for the service to own wholesale rather than conquering what already exists. In the short term, this is good news for comedians who might not otherwise get access to the company's massive, built-in exposure until later in their careers. (There's no better, or freer, marketing than having your face pop up on that homepage.) In the longer term, however, the 15-minute special further solidifies Netflix's bargaining power — power it can then employ in favor of interests that have frequently aligned with those of entertainers, but not always. Just this week, Netflix came under fire for reportedly lowballing black female comics Mo'Nique and Wanda Sykes; Sykes has since taken her special elsewhere, to Epix, but the more Netflix supplants the competition, the harder it becomes for talent to say no to the terms the company is increasingly able to dictate.
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excelsiorlef

excelsiorlef

Bad Praxis
Member
Oct 25, 2017
73,325
Cybit said:
Random shit I heard online... huh

https://www.theringer.com/tv/2018/1...-minutes-dave-chappelle-monique-max-silvestri
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That uh doesn't say what you think it says.

Nothing in that says Mo'nique's offer was part of this 15 minute series.

That paragrpah as a whole is talking about how Netflix is cornering the market and gaining a sort of stand up comedy monopoly, and talks about the good and bad of that. It's bringing Mo'nique and Sykes up to say that Netflix interests (strengthened with extra bargaining power through this 15 minute format somehow) often align with the interests of performers in general ... but not always and the not always is the examples of Mo'nique and Sykes.
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
excelsiorlef said:
That uh doesn't say what you think it says.

Nothing in that says Mo'nique's offer was part of this 15 minute series.

It's bringing Mo'nique and Sykes up to say that Netflix interests (strengthened with extra bargaining power through this 15 minute format) often align with the interests of performers... but not always and the not always is the examples of Mo'nique and Sykes.

It's a badly written paragraph.
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The timing lines up a little too coincidentally though - they announced the comedians in the 15 minute sets on 1/22 - so prospective negotiations line up completely in the timeline, and the comics are about the statue of Monique as stand up comedian. (The thread was started on 1/19)

Wanda Sykes I'm surprised by, but looking at Wikipedia it looks like she took a pretty solid break from working for 6-7 years?

From the vulture article

Netflix's yet-to-be-titled stand-up series will tape next month at Atlanta's historic Terminal West; the 15-minute specials will be released in bundles throughout the year. The initial lineup is as follows: Aisling Bea, Michelle Buteau, Tim Dillon, JR De Guzman, Sabrina Jalees, Janelle James, Sam Jay, Josh Johnson, Ian Karmel, Jak Knight, Matteo Lane, Max Silvestri, Taylor Tomlinson, Phil Wang, Emma Willmann, and Kate Willett. Though all up-and-comers, most are well-established comics, many of whom are touring nationally as headliners, doing sets closer to an hour. Heck, four of them — Michelle Buteau, Sam Jay, Tim Dillon, and Josh Johnson — have already taped Comedy Central half hours.
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Nationally touring comics who are looking for an increase in exposure - that seems in line. But re-reading it I think you are right that they don't explicitly tie the two together.
 

Aaron Stack

Banned
Nov 13, 2017
1,557
woman said:
And yet a majority of their original content draws little to no interest/viewership.

Also, how does Netflix estimate the interest of a black woman's comedy special when the data doesn't exist? As far as I know, there isn't a single comedy special on Netflix by a black woman.
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How do you even have evidence for this LOL
 
excelsiorlef

excelsiorlef

Bad Praxis
Member
Oct 25, 2017
73,325
Cybit said:
The timing lines up a little too coincidentally though - they announced the comedians in the 15 minute sets on 1/22 - so prospective negotiations line up completely in the timeline, and the comics are about the caliber of Monique. Wanda Sykes I'm surprised by, but looking at Wikipedia it looks like she took a pretty solid break from working for 6-7 years?

From the vulture article



Nationally touring comics who are looking for an increase in exposure - sounds fairly familiar.
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So you're making shit up... Cool.

That list literally says they're all up and comers...

Mo'nique got her first break in 1989

In 1989, Mo'Nique got her first significant break when she was selected to appear on It's Showtime at the Apollo. Other big-ticket appearances soon followed, including Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam and BET's Comic View.
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https://www.biography.com/people/monique-517474
 
Daingurse

Daingurse

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,743
Can't see Mo'Nique getting as much as Dave or Chris, but 500k does sound low to me. 1-2 million seems more fair. That could be my own bias talking though, because I quite like Mo'Nique. I was a big fan of the Queens of Comedy and The Parkers growing up.

Can't believe Wanda Sykes was offered even less . . .
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
excelsiorlef said:
So you're making shit up... Cool.

That list literally says they're all up and comers...

Mo'nique got her first break in 1989



https://www.biography.com/people/monique-517474
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Per Ticketmaster - she has a tour starting this month. Based on the comments on the overall page, it looks like she was consistent between 2009-2010, then went to a handful a year between then and 2016, and kinda picked the pace back up after 2016.

I will edit my earlier post though - didn't catch that it was implied instead of known.

EDIT: Did some digging and found this

https://www.pastemagazine.com/artic...oes-netflix-pay-for-15-minutes-of-stand-.html

Then I thought: Huh, I wonder how much Netflix is shelling out! Well folks, the answer is about $26,000 plus travel and lodging, according to a source with direct knowledge of the series. Another source familiar with the matter confirmed that the paycheck is very generous for 15 minutes of comedy, and that it's in the range of what Comedy Central pays for half hours—about $20,000 as of 2015, according to Splitsider.
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So I think you're right - it was either for a 30 minute set or an hour set. Though also found this digging

http://splitsider.com/2015/09/what-comedy-pays/

Standup Comedians:

These numbers are all over the place because there are no guild minimums, so it really depends on what your market value becomes as you gain exposure and a fan base.

A club comic will start at $20-$50 per night, if lucky. But the point of a club is to get good, and get exposure. No one is in it for the money. A mid-level comic headlining a club weekend is around $3,000. A college date for tha same comic is $3,000-5,000. Touring numbers depend on what the market will bear. For example, on the higher end, a comic touring with something like Oddball Fest (but not headlining) can make $7,500-12,000 per show. A headliner could make 10 times that.

A half-hour comedy special for Comedy Central pays about $20,000, and for an hour special it depends on where and how it is being sold — Comedy Central can be $150,000, HBO or Netflix can pay more for a package they like, or less if they acquire one that you shoot yourself. The cash cow for many working comedians is theater shows — a great comic can make in one night what he or she might make in a year making a movie, with more control, and less overhead. The same goes for albums, which can now be released directly, with even less overhead.
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excelsiorlef

excelsiorlef

Bad Praxis
Member
Oct 25, 2017
73,325
Cybit said:
Per Ticketmaster - she has a tour starting this month. Based on the comments on the overall page, it looks like she was consistent between 2009-2010, then went to a handful a year between then and 2016, and kinda picked the pace back up after 2016.

I will edit my earlier post though - didn't catch that it was implied instead of known.
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It's not even implied... you're completely reading into it.

The list is literally about younger comedians, up and commers get 15 minutes. Neither Sykes or Mo'nique are young or up and commers. You just saw their name in this article and invented news.

The section you're reading is about the status of Comedy on Netflix as a whole.

In fact the Wanda Sykes thing was like 2 years ago. In her tweets she says sh got lowballed by Netflix and found a new home #EPIX, Epix is the network that aired her 2016 special "What Happened… Ms. Sykes?" in 2016.

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/04/epix-to-air-wanda-sykes-comedy-event-202599/
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
excelsiorlef said:
It's not even implied... you're completely reading into it.

The list is literally about younger comedians, up and commers get 15 minutes. Neither Sykes or Mo'nique are young or up and commers. You just saw their name in this article and invented news.

The section you're reading is about the status of Comedy on Netflix as a whole.

In fact the Wanda Sykes thing was like 2 years ago. In her tweets she says sh got lowballed by Netflix and found a new home #EPIX, Epix is the network that aired her 2016 special "What Happened… Ms. Sykes?" in 2016.

http://www.indiewire.com/2016/04/epix-to-air-wanda-sykes-comedy-event-202599/
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See edits
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
excelsiorlef said:
:)
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lol, I got no problem admitting when I step into it. That Ringer article putting the two together and the lowball prices made me think that they were asking for 15 minute sets (since 500k for a 15 minute set makes way more sense).

That said, I still think the actual story in this is that Sykes was offered less than 250k. o_0. Can't Rock pull some strings, yeesh.
 
Illest1

Illest1

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
675
Why does Netflix hate funny black women so much? Successful, established, funny, black women.

Hmmm.
 

Cybit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,326
Illest1 said:
Why does Netflix hate funny black women so much? Successful, established, funny, black women.

Hmmm.
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Didn't they just outbid fucking Disney for Shonda Rhimes? It's hard to square "Netflix hates funny black women" and "Netflix pays funny black woman showrunner 100 million dollars to make shows for them".
 

Deleted member 3058

User requested account closure
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,728
Blackage said:
How many L's can Mo'nique hold? Find out next time on "How to fuck up your career by being difficult to work with."
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You're telling me that a showrunner and tv producer signed a bigger deal than a stand up comic was offered for a single special and that means the stand up comic now caught an L?

Or is it just a "look, one single black lady made money from a different division within netflix so what is this other black lady complaining about" thing?
 
Bio

Bio

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
3,370
Denver, Colorado
Gattsu25 said:
You're telling me that a showrunner and tv producer signed a bigger deal than a stand up comic was offered for a single special and that means the stand up comic now caught an L?

Or is it just a "look, one single black lady made money from a different division within netflix so what is this other black lady complaining about" thing?
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If Mo'nique's charges of racism and sexism are true, it would be really weird for Netflix to give another black woman 100 million dollars and creative control over large swaths of their future entertainment. Netflix doesn't seem averse to paying women or people of color big money, it just seems like they don't think Mo'nique is going to generate a lot of revenue. Maybe they're right, I don't know. I'm not interested in Mo'nique but I'm also not interested in Adam Sandler and that dolt makes Netflix more money than they can count.
 
DigitalOp

DigitalOp

Member
Nov 16, 2017
9,283
WOW

BRUH, PAY ME 500K AND I WILL DO THAT 15 MIN SET ON EVERYTHING BRUH

I don't know one fucking thing about comedy but I will be funny as fuck for 15 Mins for 500K


Mo'Nique, thats a major L
 
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