Comedian Lou Perez said something about America’s current immigration turmoil. “As the son of immigrants, I’m very tolerant of immigrants, just like his father,” he tells Align. “And for immigrants like my cousins, the border is very closed.”
Our subject’s birth name is Luis Amante Perez (his father is from Argentina), but you can call him Lou. Just don’t call him “Latin.” NYU alumni first became aware of the term in 2018 when their alma mater’s Latino Alumni Network changed its name. Perez wrote in his 2022 book: “Those jokes aren’t funny anymore: On the death and rebirth of comedy.”:
“I think it’s really important right now for people to just stand up and say, ‘Look, if this is what you want to play, I’m happy to show you how I play.’
”[W]When I think of Latinas, I think of Latinas who can’t seduce your wife. Sir, you don’t have to worry about your cute wife when you hire these landscapers. they are Latino.”
Mr. Perez continues his campaign of ridicule with the latest video for his sketch series “Comedy is Murder,” which he co-produces with the libertarian-minded group Free the People. “The Latin That’s one of perhaps 62.5 million Americans who identify as “Latino.” ” Watch below (but be aware there is a bit of R-rated profanity towards the end).
LatinX fileyoutube.be
Like many of his colleagues who dare to poke fun at liberal orthodoxy, Peres has been labeled a “far-right radical.” Unlike most people, his particular accusations were made by: Expert. That happened in the latter half of 2020. Nearing 40 and with a new baby at home, Mr. Perez had just been fired as the head writer and producer of his YouTube channel, We the Internet TV, and has released hundreds of videos, including: This brought an end to the five-year period of activity. “Stop making me defend Donald Trump.” and “Social Justice Warrior Therapist.”
Shortly thereafter, Perez was surprised to find his body of research published in an academic paper titled “Assessing the Size, Growth, and Origins of Right-Wing Echo Chambers on YouTube.” Mr. Perez eventually wrote an editorial on the subject in the Wall Street Journal. He sent an article on Facebook to a publisher who was his friend, and the publisher encouraged him to write a book (the text of the editorial appears in That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore) ).
Perez sees this experience as another validation of his belief in putting yourself out there, even if it feels strange. He has followed this credo since his early days in comedy. At New York University, he sketched out the group Wicked and joined the Hammer Cuts. The group quickly made a name for itself by hosting sketch shows at the then-increasingly popular Upright Citizens Brigade Theater.
He also met fellow “meathead comedy idiot” Greg Burke. “Our first conversation was about the bench press.” The duo began releasing videos of their comedy sketches under the name Greg & Lou in the early days of YouTube.their 2009 epic “Wolverine’s claws are no good.” has been viewed 19.6 million times and counting. They also built a following at UCB with their sketch show.
The venue, which also housed an improvisational comedy school, went through its own Awakening Struggle sessions in the summer of 2020. Project Rethink, a group led by a longtime teacher and performer, accused UCB of “systemic racism” and made vague demands. For “seat at the table”. The controversy comes on the heels of UCB’s decision to close two Manhattan-based stores after suffering financial hardship due to pandemic lockdowns. (UCB still has a theater/school in Los Angeles.)
Perez is one of many comedians, actors and writers who credit UCB with helping launch their careers. The normally affable performer lets a hint of anger creep into his voice as he recalls the media-manufactured firestorm.
The fact of the matter is [the UCB owners and management] I’m not racist. And it’s an absolutely disgusting slur to hurl at these people. But…2020 was a time when that was the currency. You could call someone a racist and try to take something back from that. I don’t think any of the members of Project ReThink offered to buy the UCB Theater.
Also, think about this. This theater is all volunteer work, right? No one forces you to improvise. Here are people who have lived there for more than a decade, who have probably been abused, degraded, and marginalized because of their race. And yet, instead of saying, “I don’t want to deal with this garbage anymore, I’m going to go make something of my own,” they stay there and keep performing. None of them did that.
In 2024, culture seems to be undergoing some sort of change. Perestroika. One sign of that is the return of Shane Gillis as a conquering hero, the show’s host who was summarily fired five years ago for using a racial slur on his podcast.
Perhaps another sign is the discussion Perez had on the subject with outspoken progressive comedian Michael Ian Black. “Will wokeness kill comedy?” (Mr. Perez makes a persuasive and entertaining argument for the affirmative.) There was a time, not too long ago, when even asking such questions was beyond the bounds of respectable society.
But most of the time, Perez prefers action to discussion. The more people like him who carve their own path in the world of entertainment despite the opposition of the mainstream, the more free we will be. “I think it’s really important right now for people to just stand up and say, ‘Look, if this is what you want to play, I’m happy to show you how I play.’
Read an excerpt from “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore.” Content warning: Profanity.
