Stand-up comedian Mark Normand believes in making fun of everyone, equally.
When asked about his latest Netflix special, Normand said he wanted to be “inclusive,” meaning he wanted to make fun of people from all walks of life.
‘I want you to admit on this call that they’re a dangerous people.’
Normand told podcaster Shannon Sharpe recently that he gave “equal opportunity” mockery to every group, including “trans, Mexican, black, gay, Muslim, everyone.”
It was one of those specific groups that executives confronted Normand about and wanted it removed from his hour-long set. The comic revealed a phone call he received from top brass recently, and while most would assume he was referring to Netflix — given that his “None Too Pleased” special was just released on the platform — a Normand voiceover told audiences multiple times it was actually Hulu he had the conversation with.
On the podcast “Tuesdays with Stories,” the New Orleans native recalled, “About a week ago or two weeks ago, they said, ‘Send us a couple jokes you like. We’ll chop them up and use that as promo on social media.'”
A week later, representatives allegedly asked the comedian to have a conference call, which he was not looking forward to because it’s “18 Jews on there with a speakerphone and my Jews,” Normand joked with co-host Joe List.
“They go, ‘Yeah, we got some bad news there. We reviewed the special again. We’d like to take out the Muslim joke.'”
Normand explained that staff told him that the last time “a comic did a Muslim joke,” they got bomb and death threats. But the 42-year-old said he refused to take it out.
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“I like the joke. It kills. It’s a hot joke,” Normand said, adding, “And you know, no one touches ‘Muzz,'” referring to Muslims.
The comic said he fought for his joke, telling the platform, “You approved it. Now you’re going back.”
The platform allegedly then focused its battle on not removing the joke from the special itself but rather getting Normand to agree that it would not appear in social media promotions. The platform apparently believed social media was where most of the turmoil and backlash spawns from, not from people actually watching the special.
In response, Normand then gave the reps an ultimatum:
“OK. I don’t love it, but OK. I will take it off on one condition,” he recalled saying. Normand then said he told those on the call that he would only approve the social media plan if they admitted Muslims are dangerous.
“I want you to admit on this call that they’re a dangerous people. And they were like, ‘What? No. What, are you crazy?’ And I’m like, ‘You got to admit it, or I’m keeping it, or I’m posting it.'”
Normand said he could hear the commotion through the phone, until he was eventually told they would not adhere to his request, chiefly because it’s “offensive.”
That’s when Normand called out the studio’s hypocrisy.
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Photo by Valerie Terranova/Getty Images for Bob Woodruff Foundation
“That’s what the call is!” Normand remembered. “You’re calling about this, and I just need you to say it out loud.”
Remembering his phone call had Normand up in arms on the recent podcast, as he mocked the executive class for “signaling” about their beliefs but not standing behind them.
“You can say, ‘Hey, I love this group.’ But then you don’t live near them. You know, we’re all talk. We’re all signaling. We’re all virtuous, but you don’t actually act that way.”
“So they admitted it,” Normand said to his surprise; and while he did reveal he was “half joking” when he made his request, the comedian had a good time getting “a group of HR homos” to say, “All right, they’re dangerous. We’ll see you later,” before hanging up the phone.
As for which platform Normand spoke to, Netflix did not respond to a request for clarification; Hulu did not reply either. Normand seemingly had one special on the latter platform, “Out to Lunch” (2020), but it appears to no longer be available.
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