WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.379 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We sift through mountains 00:00:03.379 --> 00:00:05.480 of information, pull out the core knowledge, 00:00:05.620 --> 00:00:08.679 and basically get you up to speed fast. Yeah, 00:00:08.779 --> 00:00:10.460 make you the most informed person in the room 00:00:10.460 --> 00:00:14.619 on the topic. Exactly. And today, we're undertaking 00:00:14.619 --> 00:00:18.079 a pretty deep exploration of someone whose career 00:00:18.079 --> 00:00:21.260 path is, well, it's a bit of a paradox, isn't 00:00:21.260 --> 00:00:24.359 it? Hannibal Burriss. Totally. A comedian who, 00:00:24.600 --> 00:00:27.480 for years, was kind of flying under the radar, 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:29.899 you know, observational comic, doing his thing. 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.439 Right. And then, bam! One moment, totally unscripted, 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:36.520 turns him into this huge cultural catalyst. That's 00:00:36.520 --> 00:00:39.219 the core tension, absolutely. Our source is today 00:00:39.219 --> 00:00:41.820 mostly a really detailed biographical summary, 00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:44.460 plus various articles covering his work, his 00:00:44.460 --> 00:00:46.960 controversies. They map out this, uh... This 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:49.200 pretty wild journey. We're talking American comedian, 00:00:49.619 --> 00:00:52.420 actor, writer, producer, and weirdly enough, 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:54.659 landlord. And landlord. Yeah, that comes up later. 00:00:54.859 --> 00:00:56.920 He's worn a lot of hats. Marvel actor, real estate 00:00:56.920 --> 00:00:59.140 owner. This is a diverse portfolio. So we're 00:00:59.140 --> 00:01:00.619 not just going to list credits here. What we're 00:01:00.619 --> 00:01:03.000 doing is cracking his whole arc from doing open 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:07.640 mics back in 2002 to suddenly being this like 00:01:07.640 --> 00:01:11.650 pivotal figure disrupting culture. So our mission 00:01:11.650 --> 00:01:14.290 for you listening is to really pull out the key 00:01:14.290 --> 00:01:18.569 insights. How did this witty, often kind of low 00:01:18.569 --> 00:01:21.469 -key comic become this agent of global accountability? 00:01:21.650 --> 00:01:23.810 And maybe just as important, how did he handle 00:01:23.810 --> 00:01:25.969 everything that came after? The spotlight, the 00:01:25.969 --> 00:01:29.510 scrutiny, the professional complications. It's 00:01:29.510 --> 00:01:31.930 a real study in how modern fame works, or doesn't 00:01:31.930 --> 00:01:34.069 work sometimes. OK, so to get the guy who disrupts 00:01:34.069 --> 00:01:35.469 things, we got to start at the beginning, right? 00:01:35.590 --> 00:01:37.930 Build the foundation. Definitely. So Hannibal 00:01:37.930 --> 00:01:40.900 Amirbares, born February 4th. 1983. That makes 00:01:40.900 --> 00:01:43.879 him 42 today as we record this. Wow, okay. And 00:01:43.879 --> 00:01:45.780 he grew up in Chicago, Illinois, specifically 00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:47.939 the Austin neighborhood, which feels important, 00:01:48.040 --> 00:01:50.519 you know. It grounds him outside that, like, 00:01:50.599 --> 00:01:52.719 Lane New York comedy bubble. Yeah, that Chicago 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.379 grounding feels key to his whole vibe. And his 00:01:55.379 --> 00:01:57.519 family background seems solid, working class. 00:01:57.579 --> 00:01:59.920 His mom, Margaret, was a teacher. And his dad, 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.079 John, worked for the Union Pacific Railroad. 00:02:02.219 --> 00:02:04.359 Right, so that foundation, you can almost see 00:02:04.359 --> 00:02:06.459 it in his observational style. He's always looking 00:02:06.459 --> 00:02:08.780 at everyday stuff, the friction with, you know, 00:02:08.840 --> 00:02:10.560 how things are supposed to work versus how they 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:14.120 actually do. And he constantly plays with that 00:02:14.120 --> 00:02:17.099 grounding through his humor. Like, take his name, 00:02:17.500 --> 00:02:19.479 Hannibal. Named after the Carcaginian general, 00:02:19.719 --> 00:02:21.300 the famous one. Right, the historical figure. 00:02:21.759 --> 00:02:23.900 But he tells this joke in his standup all the 00:02:23.900 --> 00:02:26.539 time about how... when he introduces himself, 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:29.240 especially to women, their minds jump straight 00:02:29.240 --> 00:02:32.379 to Hannibal Lecter, the cannibal. Exactly, the 00:02:32.379 --> 00:02:35.219 fictional cannibal. And he uses it as this funny 00:02:35.219 --> 00:02:37.979 story about getting shot down romantically. But 00:02:37.979 --> 00:02:41.520 it's also like a really early sign of his specific 00:02:41.520 --> 00:02:43.879 brand of humor. It's self -deprecating, sure, 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:46.400 but it's also smart. He just owns the awkward 00:02:46.400 --> 00:02:48.479 association right away, disarms it. Yeah, it's 00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:51.860 like tactical self -deprecation. Smart. OK, education 00:02:51.860 --> 00:02:54.729 -wise, he went to Steinmetz College Prep. And 00:02:54.729 --> 00:02:57.250 then Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. 00:02:57.770 --> 00:03:00.389 SIU. Stayed there four years. But didn't graduate, 00:03:00.729 --> 00:03:03.669 interestingly. Didn't get the diploma, no. But 00:03:03.669 --> 00:03:05.710 that time at SIU was still important for other 00:03:05.710 --> 00:03:08.689 reasons. He actually met and became friends with 00:03:08.689 --> 00:03:10.750 the hip -hop artist, Open Mike Eagle, there. 00:03:11.069 --> 00:03:14.090 Oh, okay. Interesting connection. Yeah, and that 00:03:14.090 --> 00:03:16.479 friendship... kind of hints at those cross -media 00:03:16.479 --> 00:03:19.520 vibes that define his whole career, right? Comedy, 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:22.520 music, that sort of counterculture thing. He 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:25.960 was building his network, just maybe not in the 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:28.620 traditional academic way, more in these alternative 00:03:28.620 --> 00:03:30.960 creative scenes. Okay, that perfectly sets us 00:03:30.960 --> 00:03:34.000 up for section one then. His comedy style and 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:36.819 that early career climb. Because before the TV 00:03:36.819 --> 00:03:39.560 fame, he was really working hard on stage, honing 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:42.199 a very specific kind of act. Yeah, the list of 00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:44.860 what he does, stand -up, film, TV, it's broad. 00:03:45.340 --> 00:03:47.099 But his stand -up itself, it's not just one thing. 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:49.460 You can't easily slap a label on it. No, definitely 00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.020 not. The sources we looked at list a whole range. 00:03:52.360 --> 00:03:54.439 Observational comedy is maybe the baseline. Right, 00:03:54.539 --> 00:03:56.379 the everyday stuff. But then it quickly layers 00:03:56.379 --> 00:04:00.099 in. Black comedy, blue comedy, satire. And this 00:04:00.099 --> 00:04:02.479 feels crucial, surreal humor. How does he mix 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:05.259 that, like, mundane observation with stuff that's 00:04:05.259 --> 00:04:07.939 just completely out there? I think it's all in 00:04:07.939 --> 00:04:10.319 the delivery. It has to be. He's got that legendary 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:12.620 deadpan, right? That super low -effect style. 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:14.539 Totally. Like, he's just reading a shopping list. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:17.459 Exactly. He presents the most insane, absurd, 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:19.819 or even cutting material. Like, he's just describing, 00:04:19.819 --> 00:04:22.500 yeah, a trip to the grocery store. And that lets 00:04:22.500 --> 00:04:25.220 the surreal stuff land hard. Because the joke 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:28.000 isn't just the weird thing he said, it's how 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.680 calmly he accepts the weirdness. Yeah, his reaction 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:33.120 or lack of it. Yeah. And then when he shifts 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:36.300 to darker stuff, black comedy or satire, that 00:04:36.300 --> 00:04:38.920 same deadpan makes it sound less like he's preaching 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.430 and more like he's just stating facts. Uncomfortable 00:04:42.430 --> 00:04:45.189 facts, maybe, but just facts. And his subject 00:04:45.189 --> 00:04:47.129 matter is just as wide -ranging. I mean, you 00:04:47.129 --> 00:04:49.490 look at the topics he hits, African -American 00:04:49.490 --> 00:04:52.589 culture, politics, race relations. Heavy stuff. 00:04:52.870 --> 00:04:54.930 But then, like, right alongside that, discussions 00:04:54.930 --> 00:04:58.310 about food, pop culture, just everyday life annoyances, 00:04:58.730 --> 00:05:01.829 he can pivot from, like, a really short critique 00:05:01.829 --> 00:05:05.230 of systemic issues to this super -specific long 00:05:05.230 --> 00:05:07.740 bit about some weird snack he found. The sources 00:05:07.740 --> 00:05:10.879 mentioned things like self -deprecation, human 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:14.879 sexuality, religion, but also the streets. That 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:16.879 mix highlights that tension again, doesn't it? 00:05:17.060 --> 00:05:22.240 How so? Well, he's clearly this smart, intellectual 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:24.860 guy and award -winning writer, you know. He uses 00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:27.600 high -level critique. But his whole delivery, 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:31.060 his perspective, it feels rooted in that authentic, 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:34.319 kind of unglamorous Chicago thing. He talks about 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:37.579 big societal ideas, but keeps it grounded, approachable. 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:39.579 And that authenticity, that came from the early 00:05:39.579 --> 00:05:42.139 years, right? The grind started at an open mic, 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:45.279 2002, a full decade of work before things really 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.670 took off. But you start seeing the recognition 00:05:48.670 --> 00:05:52.009 build up steadily. Like in 2007, he won Chicago's 00:05:52.009 --> 00:05:54.629 Funniest Person. That was a contest run by Time 00:05:54.629 --> 00:05:56.569 Out Chicago. Winning your local scene like that, 00:05:56.569 --> 00:05:58.350 that's big. That's often the toughest crowd. 00:05:58.569 --> 00:06:00.709 Absolutely. And proving you can own that room, 00:06:00.850 --> 00:06:02.750 that gives you confidence. And it clearly got 00:06:02.750 --> 00:06:05.250 noticed outside Chicago pretty quickly. Because 00:06:05.250 --> 00:06:08.269 by 2010, Variety puts him on their 10 comics 00:06:08.269 --> 00:06:10.370 to watch list. OK, so that's the industry really 00:06:10.370 --> 00:06:11.970 starting to pay attention. They see something 00:06:11.970 --> 00:06:14.029 unique. Definitely. And his material is getting 00:06:14.029 --> 00:06:16.110 polished, too. First album, My Name is Handel, 00:06:16.110 --> 00:06:19.110 that dropped in July 2010. But the second one, 00:06:19.250 --> 00:06:22.550 Animal Furnace, in 2012. That felt like a bigger 00:06:22.550 --> 00:06:24.769 step. It got aired as a Comedy Central special, 00:06:25.129 --> 00:06:28.230 got good reviews, really raised his profile beyond 00:06:28.230 --> 00:06:31.009 just the hardcore comedy club scene. Yeah. It 00:06:31.009 --> 00:06:33.490 cemented him as a serious stand -up force. And 00:06:33.490 --> 00:06:36.970 that same year, 2012, he wins Best Club Comic 00:06:36.970 --> 00:06:39.550 at the American Comedy Awards. So he's mastering 00:06:39.550 --> 00:06:42.800 the live stage. He is. But what's... Wilde is, 00:06:42.980 --> 00:06:45.120 while his stand -in is taking off, he's also 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.399 trying that other path, the really traditional, 00:06:47.699 --> 00:06:50.639 often brutal one, the network TV writing room. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:53.000 Ah, yes, the writing room years. This part is 00:06:53.000 --> 00:06:55.740 fascinating from a career strategy perspective. 00:06:55.879 --> 00:06:57.800 He gets hired at Saturday Night Live 2009 to 00:06:57.800 --> 00:07:00.879 2010. Huge deal. Massive. SNL is the dream for 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:03.199 a lot of comics. But here's the kicker, the real 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:06.040 point of tension. He leaves after only one sketch 00:07:06.040 --> 00:07:08.949 he wrote actually made it to air. That sounds 00:07:08.949 --> 00:07:12.350 not great. Like, borrowing failure, given how 00:07:12.350 --> 00:07:15.509 prestigious SNL is. So how do we square that? 00:07:15.560 --> 00:07:17.860 that low output with the fact that he still gets 00:07:17.860 --> 00:07:20.139 an Emmy nomination for outstanding writing for 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:22.399 his work there in 2010. That's the paradox, right? 00:07:22.420 --> 00:07:25.199 It tells you his talent was obvious, his peers, 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:27.660 the Academy voters, they recognized his skill, 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:30.399 his sharp writing, his unique viewpoint. But 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.980 maybe his specific voice, that deadpan, maybe 00:07:33.980 --> 00:07:36.420 slightly slower burned surrealism, just didn't 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:38.779 quite fit the SNL machine. You know, the live 00:07:38.779 --> 00:07:42.879 show, the immediate laughs, broad appeal. maybe 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:44.420 the system just couldn't figure out how to use 00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:46.620 them effectively. So the talent was there, but 00:07:46.620 --> 00:07:49.019 the fit wasn't. Exactly. The industry saw the 00:07:49.019 --> 00:07:50.779 skill, but the outlet wasn't right, which kind 00:07:50.779 --> 00:07:53.079 of tells you his big success probably had come 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:54.819 somewhere he had more control. Somewhere his 00:07:54.819 --> 00:07:56.620 voice could be the main thing, not squeezed into 00:07:56.620 --> 00:07:58.720 a format. OK, so SNL doesn't quite work out. 00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:01.160 He moves over to 30 Rock pretty quickly for their 00:08:01.160 --> 00:08:03.899 fifth season starting September 2010. Another 00:08:03.899 --> 00:08:07.870 great room, Tina Fey, Robert Carlock. Smart comedy. 00:08:08.449 --> 00:08:10.829 But again, relatively short stints, leaves after 00:08:10.829 --> 00:08:13.509 about six months, still gets recognition though, 00:08:13.649 --> 00:08:17.009 a WGA nomination for 30 Rock in 2012. Yeah, that 00:08:17.009 --> 00:08:19.709 30 Rock period, even though it was short, feels 00:08:19.709 --> 00:08:22.189 strategically really important, because that's 00:08:22.189 --> 00:08:24.430 where he starts transitioning more visibly into 00:08:24.430 --> 00:08:26.589 acting. Right, he started appearing on screen. 00:08:26.689 --> 00:08:29.170 Yeah, while he was writing, just small parts, 00:08:29.430 --> 00:08:31.870 background roles mostly, across nine episodes 00:08:31.870 --> 00:08:35.490 between 2010 and 2012, characters literally named 00:08:35.490 --> 00:08:39.600 Gus. Homeless guy bum, uh, but man he was getting 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.480 comfortable on camera Building that screen presence 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:45.059 even if he was playing like the most marginal 00:08:45.059 --> 00:08:47.080 characters imaginable He was already shifting 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:49.379 from just being the guy in the background writing 00:08:49.379 --> 00:08:51.879 jokes to being a guy in the foreground performing 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:54.539 and that shift pays off almost right away with 00:08:54.539 --> 00:08:57.039 those TV roles that really cemented his public 00:08:57.039 --> 00:08:59.120 image and importantly showed off that comedic 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:01.899 range we talked about for sure the first Huge 00:09:01.899 --> 00:09:05.120 one starting 2012 runs all the way to 2020 that's 00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:07.279 co -starring on Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show. 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:10.860 Oh man, that show is just pure chaos. An anti 00:09:10.860 --> 00:09:15.019 -talk show. Complete anarchic surrealism. And 00:09:15.019 --> 00:09:17.340 Hannibal's role there was absolutely essential. 00:09:17.659 --> 00:09:20.279 What was his function? Because Eric Andre is 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:22.980 just a wrecking ball. Hannibal was the anchor, 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:26.679 the counterpoint. He was the pocket of sanity 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:29.519 reacting, often with confusion or just quiet 00:09:29.519 --> 00:09:33.399 resignation, to the utter madness unfolding around 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:36.169 him. the straight man, but like dialed way down. 00:09:36.750 --> 00:09:38.570 Exactly. The meta -joke was that the co -host, 00:09:38.990 --> 00:09:41.870 Beres, was almost too good, too grounded, too 00:09:41.870 --> 00:09:44.149 smart to even be on this train wreck of a show. 00:09:44.850 --> 00:09:46.629 He was constantly questioning the whole premise, 00:09:46.629 --> 00:09:48.250 trying to figure out what was going on. And that 00:09:48.250 --> 00:09:50.090 performance actually got him an award, right? 00:09:50.110 --> 00:09:53.129 Yeah, hilariously. He won best talk show host 00:09:53.129 --> 00:09:56.230 at the Adult Swim Awards in 2014, which is just 00:09:56.230 --> 00:09:58.230 perfect irony for the guy who always seemed like 00:09:58.230 --> 00:10:01.190 he wanted to escape the host chair. OK, so he 00:10:01.190 --> 00:10:04.690 nails the surreal cult. comedy thing. But strategically, 00:10:04.929 --> 00:10:06.590 you can't just be the weird guy on Adult Swim 00:10:06.590 --> 00:10:08.909 if you want broader appeal. He needed something 00:10:08.909 --> 00:10:10.889 else. He needed to show he could be relatable, 00:10:11.190 --> 00:10:13.450 maybe even lovable. And that's where Lincoln 00:10:13.450 --> 00:10:16.169 Rice comes in on Comedy Central's Broad City. 00:10:16.970 --> 00:10:19.029 Lincoln the Dentist, such a great character. 00:10:19.389 --> 00:10:23.009 Totally. Appeared in 29 episodes, 2014 to 2019. 00:10:23.850 --> 00:10:26.090 And Lincoln was the perfect balance to the Eric 00:10:26.090 --> 00:10:29.210 Andre persona. He was this friendly, super reliable, 00:10:29.710 --> 00:10:33.350 genuinely warm guy. dentist yeah stable dependable 00:10:33.350 --> 00:10:35.830 it showed off his ability to really ground a 00:10:35.830 --> 00:10:38.169 character deliver lines with this underlying 00:10:38.169 --> 00:10:40.629 kindness even when the lines themselves were 00:10:40.629 --> 00:10:43.450 maybe a bit strange or delivered with that signature 00:10:43.450 --> 00:10:47.289 breast deadpan so you have this duality a stable 00:10:47.289 --> 00:10:51.500 sweet friend on Broad City and the totally bewildered, 00:10:51.779 --> 00:10:53.899 maybe slightly hostile participant on AirCon. 00:10:54.039 --> 00:10:56.679 Exactly. It made him incredibly versatile. Showed 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:58.360 he could handle different tones, different types 00:10:58.360 --> 00:11:00.700 of comedy, really set him up for more mainstream 00:11:00.700 --> 00:11:02.480 stuff. He even tried his own show for a bit, 00:11:02.620 --> 00:11:04.799 right? Went with Hannibal Buress on Comedy Central. 00:11:04.919 --> 00:11:07.360 He created it executive produce. Yeah, though 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:10.279 it was brief, but it showed ambition. By 2014, 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:12.139 you know, he wasn't just a working comic anymore. 00:11:12.179 --> 00:11:15.039 He was this recognizable, multi -talented figure 00:11:15.039 --> 00:11:18.330 across standup, writing, acting. really well 00:11:18.330 --> 00:11:20.610 rounded. All that groundwork laid, the Emmy nom, 00:11:20.809 --> 00:11:23.289 the cult hit show, the beloved character role. 00:11:23.429 --> 00:11:26.009 Yeah, a solid career built piece by piece. And 00:11:26.009 --> 00:11:30.570 then it all gets kind of overshadowed or at least 00:11:30.570 --> 00:11:35.230 massively reframed by one single insane cultural 00:11:35.230 --> 00:11:38.570 moment, which brings us neatly to section two, 00:11:38.889 --> 00:11:41.970 the cultural tipping point, the Bill Cosby routine. 00:11:42.139 --> 00:11:44.500 This is where everything changes. Where Burris 00:11:44.500 --> 00:11:46.879 goes from being a comedian people liked to being 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:50.179 something else entirely. A genuine cultural disruptor. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:52.139 Okay, let's set the scene carefully here, because 00:11:52.139 --> 00:11:55.100 the context is everything. The date. October 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:58.799 16th, 2014. The place. The Trocadero. It's a 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.360 club, maybe medium -sized, in Philadelphia. And 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.759 the crucial detail about Philly. It's Bill Cosby's 00:12:04.759 --> 00:12:07.470 hometown. His backyard, essentially. Now, what's 00:12:07.470 --> 00:12:09.549 absolutely vital for people to get, and our sources 00:12:09.549 --> 00:12:12.049 are clear on this, this wasn't some new bit he 00:12:12.049 --> 00:12:13.929 suddenly decided to try out that night. Not at 00:12:13.929 --> 00:12:15.950 all. He had apparently been doing this same routine, 00:12:16.049 --> 00:12:17.590 talking about the sexual assault allegations 00:12:17.590 --> 00:12:20.049 against Cosby, for about six months before this. 00:12:20.230 --> 00:12:22.090 Six months, with little reaction. Pretty much. 00:12:22.110 --> 00:12:23.669 It wasn't making headlines. It was just part 00:12:23.669 --> 00:12:26.210 of his act. Consistent material, not some, you 00:12:26.210 --> 00:12:29.289 know, calculated attack planned for Philly. So 00:12:29.289 --> 00:12:32.269 why that night? Why did it suddenly explode? 00:12:32.529 --> 00:12:34.889 What was the core of the joke that finally cut 00:12:34.889 --> 00:12:37.990 through? The routine, fundamentally, was about 00:12:37.990 --> 00:12:41.549 hypocrisy. Cosby's public image versus, well, 00:12:41.889 --> 00:12:44.370 the allegations. Right. Cosby had spent years 00:12:44.370 --> 00:12:47.289 building this persona as America's dad, but also 00:12:47.289 --> 00:12:50.190 as this kind of moral authority figure. Especially 00:12:50.190 --> 00:12:52.549 within the black community. Bereth specifically 00:12:52.549 --> 00:12:56.149 called out Cosby's habit of talking down. to 00:12:56.149 --> 00:12:58.169 young black men, criticizing their clothes, their 00:12:58.169 --> 00:13:00.590 language, their lifestyle, demanding personal 00:13:00.590 --> 00:13:02.570 responsibility. While these allegations were 00:13:02.570 --> 00:13:04.710 lurking in the background, so Beres was essentially 00:13:04.710 --> 00:13:07.470 saying Cosby had lost the right to preach. Precisely. 00:13:07.669 --> 00:13:10.269 He connected the public moralizing to the private 00:13:10.269 --> 00:13:12.470 allegations and the key line, the one that just 00:13:12.470 --> 00:13:14.850 detonated. Beres basically cuts through all the 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:17.730 respectability politics and says, flat out, yeah, 00:13:17.730 --> 00:13:20.049 but you raped women, Bill Cosby, so that kind 00:13:20.049 --> 00:13:22.389 of brings you down a couple notches. Wow. Just 00:13:22.389 --> 00:13:26.379 direct. No easing into it. Direct. It punctured 00:13:26.379 --> 00:13:29.539 that carefully crafted image instantly. It took 00:13:29.539 --> 00:13:32.179 this thing that people maybe knew about, whispered 00:13:32.179 --> 00:13:34.500 about, read about in less mainstream places, 00:13:34.519 --> 00:13:36.799 and just shoved it right into the spotlight in 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.600 a comedy club. And the audience reaction in Philly, 00:13:39.960 --> 00:13:43.299 in Cosby's town? They were shocked, right? Disbelieving. 00:13:43.480 --> 00:13:45.620 That kind of denial that had protected Cosby 00:13:45.620 --> 00:13:47.860 for so long. Yeah, you can hear it in the recordings, 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:50.600 that gasp, the uncertainty. But Burris didn't 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.279 back down. He didn't soften it. Instead, he did 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:55.460 something else. He gave them homework. The instruction. 00:13:55.679 --> 00:13:58.279 Yeah, this became legendary. He told the audience, 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:00.700 basically, stop being shocked, start looking. 00:14:01.320 --> 00:14:03.440 He said, very pointedly, when you get home tonight, 00:14:03.820 --> 00:14:06.279 just Google Bill Cosby rape. Just Google it. 00:14:06.379 --> 00:14:09.779 Simple command, but absolutely brilliant, because 00:14:09.779 --> 00:14:12.240 it turned skepticism into action. It weaponized 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:14.240 the audience's own phones, their own internet 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:17.059 access. It put the burden of proof back on them. 00:14:17.179 --> 00:14:19.419 It wasn't just a joke anymore. It was a direct 00:14:19.419 --> 00:14:22.519 call. to digital investigation. And that digital 00:14:22.519 --> 00:14:25.279 call to action? Yeah. That changed everything. 00:14:25.639 --> 00:14:28.059 Someone recorded the set. Yeah, cell phone recording. 00:14:28.340 --> 00:14:29.980 It got posted on the website of Philadelphia 00:14:29.980 --> 00:14:32.480 Magazine. And from there, viral doesn't even 00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:35.500 begin to cover it. It just exploded, catastrophically 00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:38.120 for Cosby. Suddenly, the media couldn't ignore 00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:40.860 it anymore. That joke, that recording, it forced 00:14:40.860 --> 00:14:43.820 this massive media firestorm. People finally 00:14:43.820 --> 00:14:46.840 started asking, Loudie, how did Cosby keep this 00:14:46.840 --> 00:14:50.480 Teflon image for so long when these accusations 00:14:50.480 --> 00:14:52.960 have been public in some form or another for 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:55.580 over a decade? Burris' joke basically broke the 00:14:55.580 --> 00:14:57.919 dam. All those allegations, which had been kind 00:14:57.919 --> 00:15:01.320 of contained in legal documents or activist circles 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:03.500 or occasional news reports. Suddenly they were 00:15:03.500 --> 00:15:07.019 front page news everywhere. Burris was widely 00:15:07.019 --> 00:15:09.570 praised. maybe grudgingly by some, but praise 00:15:09.570 --> 00:15:11.929 for dragging this whole thing out into the mainstream 00:15:11.929 --> 00:15:14.830 public consciousness, forcing a moment of accountability 00:15:14.830 --> 00:15:17.509 that, frankly, reshaped conversations about celebrity, 00:15:17.730 --> 00:15:20.629 power, and belief. It was huge. And you can see 00:15:20.629 --> 00:15:23.029 how deeply ingrained that moment became in the 00:15:23.029 --> 00:15:25.070 culture just a year later, right? At the Mark 00:15:25.070 --> 00:15:28.549 Twain Prize ceremony in 2015. Yeah, Eddie Murphy, 00:15:29.110 --> 00:15:31.370 who famously had refused to play Cosby years 00:15:31.370 --> 00:15:34.330 earlier in an SNL sketch. Murphy comes back to 00:15:34.330 --> 00:15:36.590 the stage. Big comeback moment. And what does 00:15:36.590 --> 00:15:39.769 he do? He is a Cosby impersonation. And in the 00:15:39.769 --> 00:15:42.570 impersonation, he mockingly threatens Hannibal 00:15:42.570 --> 00:15:45.450 Beres' life for telling jokes about him. It confirmed 00:15:45.450 --> 00:15:48.429 it, right? In the public mind, Beres was now 00:15:48.429 --> 00:15:51.629 inextricably linked to Cosby's downfall. The 00:15:51.629 --> 00:15:54.250 guy whose jokes started it all. The significance 00:15:54.250 --> 00:15:58.059 is just... Immense. A comedian known for subtle 00:15:58.059 --> 00:16:00.179 observations who couldn't even get sketches aired 00:16:00.179 --> 00:16:03.539 on SNL becomes this massive cultural force just 00:16:03.539 --> 00:16:06.000 by saying something true out loud in a small 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:08.720 room and telling people to use Google. It really 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:10.980 speaks to the power of authenticity, maybe, and 00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:13.360 how digital media can amplify that authenticity 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:15.759 to challenge even the most protected figures, 00:16:16.279 --> 00:16:18.059 exposing that hypocrisy. OK, so that happens. 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.840 Monumental. How does he navigate life after that? 00:16:21.220 --> 00:16:23.659 Which brings us to section three, career expansion. 00:16:23.950 --> 00:16:26.350 How did he use this massive new platform without 00:16:26.350 --> 00:16:28.450 losing the very thing that got him there? That 00:16:28.450 --> 00:16:30.870 authenticity. Expanding into film, voice work, 00:16:31.210 --> 00:16:33.549 music. Right. Because the pressure must have 00:16:33.549 --> 00:16:35.909 been intense. Suddenly everyone knows who you 00:16:35.909 --> 00:16:38.429 are. But maybe for this one specific thing. Did 00:16:38.429 --> 00:16:41.629 he shy away from stand -up? Not at all. If anything, 00:16:41.750 --> 00:16:44.029 he seemed to double down on his main thing. Kept 00:16:44.029 --> 00:16:45.870 releasing specials pretty consistently after 00:16:45.870 --> 00:16:49.279 2014. Okay, like what? Well, there was Live from 00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:51.679 Chicago in 2014, right after the Cosby thing 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.600 really hit. Then Comedy Comisado in 2016. Hannibal 00:16:55.600 --> 00:16:58.799 takes Edinburgh also in 2016. And more recently, 00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:01.659 Miami Nights in 2020. And he started his podcast 00:17:01.659 --> 00:17:03.899 too, right? Handsome Ramble. Yep. Launched that 00:17:03.899 --> 00:17:07.079 in October 2016. Gave him another outlet, maybe 00:17:07.079 --> 00:17:09.740 more intimate, conversational for his kind of 00:17:09.740 --> 00:17:12.240 wandering thoughts and observations. Less pressure 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:14.599 than a big special, maybe. So stand -up continues. 00:17:15.069 --> 00:17:17.230 But the big shift, professionally, you could 00:17:17.230 --> 00:17:19.930 argue, was really leaning into acting. Getting 00:17:19.930 --> 00:17:23.289 roles in big movies, mainstream stuff that kind 00:17:23.289 --> 00:17:26.470 of capitalized on that. deadpan, slightly confused 00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:29.109 persona he had. Definitely. He became that go 00:17:29.109 --> 00:17:31.750 -to guy for the funny, reliable, supporting role 00:17:31.750 --> 00:17:34.509 in studio comedies like Officer Watkins in the 00:17:34.509 --> 00:17:37.609 Neighbors movies. Right. Neighbors in 2014 and 00:17:37.609 --> 00:17:41.430 the sequel Neighbors 2 in 2016. Perfect casting, 00:17:41.890 --> 00:17:44.750 that calm but slightly absurd presence. Yeah. 00:17:45.109 --> 00:17:48.150 And then crucially, he gets into the big franchises. 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:51.240 which really cements his Hollywood status, his 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:53.900 bankability. He lands in the Marvel Cinematic 00:17:53.900 --> 00:17:56.319 Universe. As Coach Wilson? Coach Wilson and Spider 00:17:56.319 --> 00:17:59.220 -Man, homecoming in 2017. And he came back for 00:17:59.220 --> 00:18:01.920 Spider -Man. No way home in 2021. Getting in 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.339 the MCU, that's a different level of fame and 00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:06.839 visibility. It is. But what's really telling 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:09.680 about Burris' whole approach to this massive 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.480 Hollywood machine is that story about the Spider 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:15.119 -Man. Homecoming premiere. Oh, yeah, the look 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:17.720 -alike story. It's perfect Burruss. So what happened? 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:19.359 He couldn't make the premiere. Right. He was 00:18:19.359 --> 00:18:22.259 apparently busy filming another movie, Tag. So 00:18:22.259 --> 00:18:24.519 standard celebrity problems, scheduling conflict. 00:18:24.900 --> 00:18:27.220 Most people would just send regrets, maybe post 00:18:27.220 --> 00:18:30.380 something online. But not Hannibal. Nope. He 00:18:30.380 --> 00:18:32.599 hired a look -alike to go to the premiere in 00:18:32.599 --> 00:18:34.839 his place. OK. But here's the punchline, according 00:18:34.839 --> 00:18:37.519 to the sources. The guy he hired didn't really 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:41.059 look like him. Like, at all. Yeah. It was this 00:18:41.059 --> 00:18:44.299 blatant, almost performance art move. Like a 00:18:44.299 --> 00:18:47.039 public commentary on how absurd celebrity obligations 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.259 are, how fake red carpets can be. He turned a 00:18:50.259 --> 00:18:52.720 simple scheduling issue into this weird public 00:18:52.720 --> 00:18:55.319 prank. That is amazing. Where did he even find 00:18:55.319 --> 00:18:58.000 this guy? Apparently he'd used the same guy before 00:18:58.000 --> 00:19:00.460 in some video he made for the MTV Movie Awards. 00:19:00.700 --> 00:19:02.500 So it wasn't totally random, but still. Yeah. 00:19:02.829 --> 00:19:05.569 It just shows how he uses his platform, his connections, 00:19:06.049 --> 00:19:08.309 to constantly mess with expectations of what 00:19:08.309 --> 00:19:09.970 a famous person is supposed to do. He's always 00:19:09.970 --> 00:19:12.569 slightly outside the system, even when he's inside 00:19:12.569 --> 00:19:14.730 it. Love that. OK, so besides the franchises, 00:19:15.109 --> 00:19:16.970 other big roles? Yeah, he kept popping up in 00:19:16.970 --> 00:19:19.430 those ensemble comedies. Dave the Tech and Baywatch 00:19:19.430 --> 00:19:23.009 in 2017. OK. Kevin Sable and Tag in 2018, the 00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:24.369 movie he was filming, instead of going to the 00:19:24.369 --> 00:19:26.609 Spider -Man premiere. Right, right. And Frank 00:19:26.609 --> 00:19:30.049 and Blockers, also 2018. These roles kind of 00:19:30.049 --> 00:19:33.579 solidified his brand. Dry wit slightly off -kilter 00:19:33.579 --> 00:19:35.900 reliable supporting player He could bring that 00:19:35.900 --> 00:19:38.680 unique energy to big -budget movies and his versatility 00:19:38.680 --> 00:19:40.799 kept going right voice acting became a big thing 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:44.039 for him, too Which maybe let him show that warmer 00:19:44.039 --> 00:19:46.299 side. We saw a bit with Lincoln on Broad City. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:48.200 Absolutely He's done a ton of animation. He was 00:19:48.200 --> 00:19:51.819 in the Angry Birds movie in 2016 and he was buddy 00:19:51.819 --> 00:19:54.700 the doxened in The Secret Life of Pets, both 00:19:54.700 --> 00:19:57.599 the 2016 original and the 2019 sequel. Buddy, 00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:59.700 yeah, I remember him. Kind of reliable, a bit 00:19:59.700 --> 00:20:01.839 anxious. Yeah, a perfect voice role for him. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:05.019 Provides that familiar, funny contrast to all 00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:08.500 the cartoon craziness. He's also done voices 00:20:08.500 --> 00:20:11.460 for shows like Bob's Burgers. And more recently, 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:14.920 he was Genghis Frog in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.960 Mutant Mayhem. He's everywhere. Even video games. 00:20:18.140 --> 00:20:21.180 Yep. did a cameo as himself on the Fylo FM radio 00:20:21.180 --> 00:20:23.799 station in Grand Theft Auto V way back in 2013, 00:20:24.299 --> 00:20:27.359 and he voiced a character called Ice in NBA 2K17. 00:20:27.640 --> 00:20:29.720 He really covered all the bases of modern performance 00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:33.380 media. Stand -up TV, film, voice acting, video 00:20:33.380 --> 00:20:35.960 games. What about music? You mentioned his connection 00:20:35.960 --> 00:20:38.180 to Open Mike Eagle. Yeah, he stayed connected 00:20:38.180 --> 00:20:40.619 to the music world, especially hip hop. Lots 00:20:40.619 --> 00:20:42.640 of guest appearances on tracks by people like 00:20:42.640 --> 00:20:45.660 Mike Eagle, of course, Static Selecta, The Cool 00:20:45.660 --> 00:20:49.119 Kids. He pops up in unexpected places. But the 00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:52.140 absolute peak of his musical output has to be 00:20:52.140 --> 00:20:55.730 the Judge Judy single. Oh my god, yes. It's peak 00:20:55.730 --> 00:20:59.410 berets, so specific, so niche, so deeply reverent 00:20:59.410 --> 00:21:02.089 of pop culture minutiae. He released a single 00:21:02.089 --> 00:21:05.089 called Judge Judy in 2020. Why? Because it had 00:21:05.089 --> 00:21:06.869 just been announced that her original show was 00:21:06.869 --> 00:21:10.769 ending. So he drops this track as like a musical 00:21:10.769 --> 00:21:13.269 homage, a tribute. That's incredible. Who does 00:21:13.269 --> 00:21:15.609 that? Exactly. It just shows that even while 00:21:15.609 --> 00:21:18.009 he's starring in Marvel movies and big comedies, 00:21:18.130 --> 00:21:20.990 he's still that guy obsessed with the weird corners 00:21:20.990 --> 00:21:23.440 of everyday culture and absurdity. He hasn't 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:25.779 lost that core sensibility. Okay, so we've seen 00:21:25.779 --> 00:21:28.299 the rise, the explosion, the Hollywood expansion, 00:21:28.700 --> 00:21:31.220 which inevitably leads us to section four. Personal 00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:33.880 life, controversy, and reflection. This is where 00:21:33.880 --> 00:21:36.119 Burress, the guy who critiques society, finds 00:21:36.119 --> 00:21:38.440 himself under the microscope, dealing with that 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:40.579 same scrutiny, that same institutional friction 00:21:40.579 --> 00:21:43.380 he often jokes about. Yeah, this section is really 00:21:43.380 --> 00:21:45.660 about accountability. Both the accountability 00:21:45.660 --> 00:21:48.259 maybe he sought for himself and the accountability 00:21:48.259 --> 00:21:50.220 demanded of him by others. Let's start with some 00:21:50.220 --> 00:21:53.240 basics. Personal beliefs. Sources say he's an 00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:55.420 atheist. And after years living in New York, 00:21:55.420 --> 00:21:59.500 he actually moved back to Chicago in 2017, settled 00:21:59.500 --> 00:22:02.019 in Wicker Park. Staying close to those roots. 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:04.940 He's a big White Sox fan too, right? Very Chicago. 00:22:05.140 --> 00:22:08.099 Very Chicago. But a really significant personal 00:22:08.099 --> 00:22:10.240 shift happened, or at least was announced, in 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:13.900 September 2018. He publicly stated he had quit 00:22:13.900 --> 00:22:16.940 drinking. OK. Was there context for that? Yeah, 00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:19.000 it wasn't just a casual mention. He specifically 00:22:19.000 --> 00:22:22.630 tied it to having had a number of, uh, alcohol 00:22:22.630 --> 00:22:25.109 -fueled incidents, things he described as arguments 00:22:25.109 --> 00:22:27.410 and messy shit. He basically admitted he hadn't 00:22:27.410 --> 00:22:29.470 been handling things well. That self -awareness 00:22:29.470 --> 00:22:33.470 is interesting. And that timing, late 2018, that 00:22:33.470 --> 00:22:35.849 provides important context for probably his most 00:22:35.849 --> 00:22:38.190 high -profile personal controversy that wasn't 00:22:38.190 --> 00:22:40.930 joke -related, the Miami arrest. Exactly. That 00:22:40.930 --> 00:22:44.309 happened in December 2017, less than a year before 00:22:44.309 --> 00:22:46.549 he announced he'd stopped drinking. He was arrested 00:22:46.549 --> 00:22:49.150 in Miami for disorderly intoxication. And the 00:22:49.150 --> 00:22:52.740 details of the arrest itself are just bizarre, 00:22:52.880 --> 00:22:54.859 like they feel like they could be a Hannibal 00:22:54.859 --> 00:22:58.460 Bures bit. What did the police report say? The 00:22:58.460 --> 00:23:02.359 official report claimed he was detained, basically, 00:23:02.380 --> 00:23:04.980 because he kept approaching officers asking them 00:23:04.980 --> 00:23:07.259 to call him an Uber and wouldn't stop asking. 00:23:07.599 --> 00:23:10.980 That's a thin reason for disorderly intoxication, 00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:13.400 asking for an Uber. Right. It feels like pure 00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:16.200 institutional absurdity. And Bures' side of the 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:18.319 story kind of fills in the blanks. He said the 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:20.380 officer refused the request, told him to get 00:23:20.380 --> 00:23:23.049 off the street. OK. Then Beress says he tried 00:23:23.049 --> 00:23:25.410 to go into a nearby bar, maybe to charge his 00:23:25.410 --> 00:23:27.990 phone or call one himself. And the officer followed 00:23:27.990 --> 00:23:30.170 him inside the bar, telling him he was too drunk 00:23:30.170 --> 00:23:32.470 to be allowed in. So the officer followed him 00:23:32.470 --> 00:23:35.029 off the street into a private business. According 00:23:35.029 --> 00:23:37.269 to Beress, yeah. His summary of the whole thing 00:23:37.269 --> 00:23:39.670 was just feeling like he was in a state of trying 00:23:39.670 --> 00:23:42.710 to get home. And he said very clearly, I don't 00:23:42.710 --> 00:23:45.690 really believe I was at fault. It sounds like 00:23:45.690 --> 00:23:48.410 a classic case of minor situation escalating 00:23:48.410 --> 00:23:51.849 due to, well, policing. and the legal outcome. 00:23:52.109 --> 00:23:54.089 The case was eventually dismissed, thrown out. 00:23:54.450 --> 00:23:56.250 But Berest didn't just leave it there, did he? 00:23:56.390 --> 00:23:58.609 He connected it back to his professional themes, 00:23:58.990 --> 00:24:01.369 critiquing the system. He did. In his stand -up 00:24:01.369 --> 00:24:03.130 later, particularly in the Miami Night Special, 00:24:03.349 --> 00:24:05.670 which seems titled after this, he talked about 00:24:05.670 --> 00:24:08.420 the incident. And importantly, he highlighted 00:24:08.420 --> 00:24:10.319 reports suggesting the arresting officer had 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:12.779 a history of alleged violence and disciplinary 00:24:12.779 --> 00:24:15.859 issues within the force. So he framed his personal 00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:18.859 inconvenience as part of a larger pattern of 00:24:18.859 --> 00:24:21.480 potential police misconduct. Exactly. And he 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:25.319 took it beyond just jokes. In July 2020, he actually 00:24:25.319 --> 00:24:27.619 filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Miami 00:24:27.619 --> 00:24:30.890 and the officers involved. Whoa. Okay. On what 00:24:30.890 --> 00:24:33.589 grounds? Alleging constitutional violations related 00:24:33.589 --> 00:24:35.490 to the arrest, false arrest, First Amendment 00:24:35.490 --> 00:24:37.230 retaliation, things like that. So you see this 00:24:37.230 --> 00:24:41.029 transformation. He takes this frustrating, possibly 00:24:41.029 --> 00:24:43.250 alcohol -influenced personal encounter. Which 00:24:43.250 --> 00:24:45.490 he later addressed by getting sober. Right. And 00:24:45.490 --> 00:24:47.950 turns it into this significant legal challenge 00:24:47.950 --> 00:24:50.470 against the institution that detained him. He's 00:24:50.470 --> 00:24:53.230 using the system to critique the system, seeking 00:24:53.230 --> 00:24:56.089 accountability. But accountability cuts both 00:24:56.089 --> 00:24:59.130 ways. Not all the controversy involved the police. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:02.200 The next big one put him squarely in the crosshairs 00:25:02.200 --> 00:25:04.940 of his own audience over an issue he often talks 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:08.740 about, economic inequality, the landlord controversy. 00:25:08.900 --> 00:25:12.200 Ah, yes. This one is complicated, and it starts 00:25:12.200 --> 00:25:14.640 with the fact that he does indeed own a building 00:25:14.640 --> 00:25:18.039 in Chicago. Okay. Landlord Hannibal. And the 00:25:18.039 --> 00:25:20.480 initial friction, according to sources, began 00:25:20.480 --> 00:25:24.079 back in 2017. He apparently removed the existing 00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:26.759 residential tenants from his building. Why? To 00:25:26.759 --> 00:25:29.799 convert the units into short -term rentals. Airbnbs. 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:32.500 Oof. OK. In a city like Chicago with housing 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:35.180 issues, that move alone is going to raise eyebrows 00:25:35.180 --> 00:25:37.980 among activists and tenants' rights groups. Not 00:25:37.980 --> 00:25:39.960 a great look for a comedian who often punches 00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:42.299 up. Exactly. It already puts him potentially 00:25:42.299 --> 00:25:44.140 at odds with some segments of his progressive 00:25:44.140 --> 00:25:47.359 fan base. But the issue absolutely exploded onto 00:25:47.359 --> 00:25:50.400 the national stage in October 2019. Because of 00:25:50.400 --> 00:25:52.980 a tweet. A non -deleted tweet, yeah. It was directed 00:25:52.980 --> 00:25:55.079 against Senator Bernie Sanders, who was calling 00:25:55.079 --> 00:25:57.140 for national rent control at the time. What did 00:25:57.140 --> 00:25:59.539 Burr's tweet? Something critical of rent control. 00:25:59.779 --> 00:26:02.799 And then this is the truly bizarre, maybe trollish 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:05.599 part. He actually asked people to donate money 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:08.559 to an Illinois Landlords Association. He asked 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:11.140 his followers to donate to a landlord's pack. 00:26:11.770 --> 00:26:13.930 Seriously. That's what the reports say. It's 00:26:13.930 --> 00:26:17.170 just baffling. And it went viral instantly. The 00:26:17.170 --> 00:26:20.309 phrase, Hannibal Buress is a landlord, became 00:26:20.309 --> 00:26:23.890 this immediate meme, like a shorthand for perceived 00:26:23.890 --> 00:26:26.509 celebrity hypocrisy. The contrast was just too 00:26:26.509 --> 00:26:29.869 perfect, right? The cool counterculture comedian 00:26:29.869 --> 00:26:32.470 known for critiquing power structures, suddenly 00:26:32.470 --> 00:26:34.910 sounding like, well, a landlord complaining about 00:26:34.910 --> 00:26:37.829 regulation, and seemingly aligning himself with 00:26:37.829 --> 00:26:40.269 real estate interests, gentrification. Yeah, 00:26:40.269 --> 00:26:42.720 the optics were terrible. He later deleted the 00:26:42.720 --> 00:26:44.500 tweets and tried to walk it back, claiming they 00:26:44.500 --> 00:26:46.420 were just jokes meant to stir things up, get 00:26:46.420 --> 00:26:48.680 a reaction. He also mentioned he'd made some 00:26:48.680 --> 00:26:50.420 comments about Sanders' age that contributed 00:26:50.420 --> 00:26:53.079 to the backlash. Did people buy the just joking 00:26:53.079 --> 00:26:55.759 explanation? It seems like the damage was done, 00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:58.259 at least to some extent. The consequences felt 00:26:58.259 --> 00:27:01.339 real. He himself shared an anecdote later, claiming 00:27:01.339 --> 00:27:03.900 that a housing charity actually refused a $4 00:27:03.900 --> 00:27:06.299 ,000 donation he tried to make. They turned down 00:27:06.299 --> 00:27:09.180 his money. Why? Because of his perceived pro 00:27:09.180 --> 00:27:11.619 -landlord stance, stemming from those tweets 00:27:11.619 --> 00:27:13.759 and maybe the Airbnb conversion that shows that 00:27:13.759 --> 00:27:16.480 line, right, where satire maybe fails or where 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:18.400 your personal financial life directly clashes 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:21.220 with your public persona. The audience, even 00:27:21.220 --> 00:27:23.680 charities, started demanding accountability from 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:26.519 him. That's such a crucial modern dilemma for 00:27:26.519 --> 00:27:28.500 public figures, especially comedians who trade 00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:31.500 on social critique. The critic who exposes everyone 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:34.000 else's hypocrisy suddenly finds his own choices 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:36.799 under the same intense lens judged against the 00:27:36.799 --> 00:27:40.759 values his work often promotes. It's messy. And 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:42.559 before we wrap up the personal stuff, sources 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:45.599 do confirm he has one child, a daughter, which 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:47.339 just adds another layer to the picture. He's 00:27:47.339 --> 00:27:49.980 not just this detached, unpredictable cultural 00:27:49.980 --> 00:27:53.059 commentator. He's also parent navigating all 00:27:53.059 --> 00:27:55.769 this. Okay, so let's quick and synthesize all 00:27:55.769 --> 00:27:58.250 this. We've gone from open mics to SNL writers 00:27:58.250 --> 00:28:01.069 rooms to surreal sidekick to surprise cultural 00:28:01.069 --> 00:28:04.109 catalysts to Marvel star to controversial landlords. 00:28:04.750 --> 00:28:07.190 What are the big takeaways from this really unique 00:28:07.190 --> 00:28:10.049 career? I think one key takeaway is how he almost 00:28:10.049 --> 00:28:12.849 found his path through, well through not quite 00:28:12.849 --> 00:28:15.930 fitting in initially, being maybe too unique 00:28:15.930 --> 00:28:19.130 for SNL, too specific for the standard sitcom 00:28:19.130 --> 00:28:21.609 track early on. That kind of forced him back 00:28:21.609 --> 00:28:23.849 to his core strength, his stand up. Exactly. 00:28:23.950 --> 00:28:26.069 It forced him to double down on his own authentic 00:28:26.069 --> 00:28:29.269 voice. And that authenticity, that grounded but 00:28:29.269 --> 00:28:31.690 critical observation, is what eventually allowed 00:28:31.690 --> 00:28:34.650 him to deliver that one line about Cosby that 00:28:34.650 --> 00:28:37.609 just resonated so powerfully. He built a voice 00:28:37.609 --> 00:28:40.849 so real that when he spoke plainly, it cut through 00:28:40.849 --> 00:28:43.910 decades of obfuscation. So the lesson for you, 00:28:44.009 --> 00:28:46.490 the listener maybe, is that sometimes the biggest 00:28:46.490 --> 00:28:48.509 cultural impact doesn't come from the giant, 00:28:48.890 --> 00:28:52.029 planned, studio -backed projects. Right. Sometimes 00:28:52.029 --> 00:28:54.170 it comes from an unscripted moment in honest 00:28:54.170 --> 00:28:56.470 observation in a small room that just gets amplified 00:28:56.470 --> 00:28:58.930 by technology. He really represents that modern 00:28:58.930 --> 00:29:01.230 artist who can shift gears effortlessly. Yeah. 00:29:01.440 --> 00:29:03.619 he could be the funny guy in a billion dollar 00:29:03.619 --> 00:29:05.859 Marvel movie. And also the guy putting out a 00:29:05.859 --> 00:29:08.460 weird tribute single to Judge Judy on his own. 00:29:08.759 --> 00:29:11.460 Yeah. He embodies that cross media influence. 00:29:11.579 --> 00:29:13.559 He gets power from traditional scripted stuff 00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:16.240 like Broad City or Spider -Man, sure. But he 00:29:16.240 --> 00:29:18.920 also gets power from these moments of real world 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:21.960 confrontation, whether it's taking on Cosby's 00:29:21.960 --> 00:29:25.440 legacy or... literally suing the Miami police. 00:29:25.640 --> 00:29:28.880 That duality, that ability to operate both inside 00:29:28.880 --> 00:29:31.460 and outside the system, critiquing it while also 00:29:31.460 --> 00:29:34.339 benefiting from it, that leaves us with a final 00:29:34.339 --> 00:29:36.400 kind of provocative thought for you to mull over. 00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:39.180 Think about those specific controversies, the 00:29:39.180 --> 00:29:42.460 Cosby routine. exposes hypocrisy and a powerful 00:29:42.460 --> 00:29:45.160 figure. The Miami arrest leads him to critique 00:29:45.160 --> 00:29:47.779 police institutions legally, the landlord controversy. 00:29:48.359 --> 00:29:50.380 Suddenly, he's the one facing critique for his 00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:52.400 own economic choices that seem to clash with 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:54.579 the political persona. So Bures' comedy, his 00:29:54.579 --> 00:29:56.980 whole brand, is built on pointing out absurdity, 00:29:57.119 --> 00:29:59.240 hypocrisy, power imbalances. Right. But we live 00:29:59.240 --> 00:30:01.539 in this age now where everything is documented, 00:30:01.740 --> 00:30:03.819 everything is amplified online instantly. So 00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:06.670 the question is... How does a comedian, especially 00:30:06.670 --> 00:30:09.829 one who operates as a social critic and whose 00:30:09.829 --> 00:30:13.349 whole currency is authenticity, how do you balance 00:30:13.349 --> 00:30:16.670 that vital critical perspective with the unavoidable 00:30:16.670 --> 00:30:19.650 reality that your own life, your own choices 00:30:19.650 --> 00:30:21.769 are going to be scrutinized just as intensely? 00:30:22.309 --> 00:30:24.829 Yeah. What happens when the satire doesn't land 00:30:24.829 --> 00:30:27.170 or when your private life being a landlord getting 00:30:27.170 --> 00:30:30.230 arrested seems to contradict the principles you 00:30:30.230 --> 00:30:33.519 champion on stage? How do you maintain that credibility, 00:30:33.660 --> 00:30:35.720 the very credibility that allowed you to become 00:30:35.720 --> 00:30:37.779 a disruptor in the first place? It's a tough 00:30:37.779 --> 00:30:39.740 balancing act. Something to think about regarding 00:30:39.740 --> 00:30:42.980 the complexities of fame, critique, and authenticity 00:30:42.980 --> 00:30:45.019 in our current moment. Definitely food for thought. 00:30:45.380 --> 00:30:47.180 That was a deep dive on Hannibal Buress. Thanks 00:30:47.180 --> 00:30:48.460 for joining us. We'll see you next time.