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Fans Rally Around Martin Short After Essay Calls Him ‘Unfunny’ on September 8, 2023 at 11:30 pm Us Weekly

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Martin Short. Bruce Glikas/WireImage

Nonbelievers beware — Martin Short is a national treasure. 

After Slate dropped an essay titled “Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short” on Friday, September 8, criticizing Short, 73, for being “devastatingly unfunny,” fans quickly took to social media to fiercely defend the comedian against the story’s harsh words. 

The op-ed’s author, Dan Kois, labeled Short’s comedy as an “eager-to-please flamboyance” that proves he would do “anything for a laugh.” The critic deemed all of Short’s “over-the-top” characters — which have existed across the span of his more than four-decade career — “unbelievably annoying,” calling his “whole schtick exhausting, sweaty, and desperately unfunny.” 

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“Throughout his evolution from sketch-comedy standout to uneasy movie star to twice-failed talk-show host to enthusiastic song-and-dance man, I’ve wrinkled my nose,” Kois wrote. “Every time he dresses up in a silly outfit or says something outrageous or mugs for the audience, I want to shout at the screen: Why are you being like this?” 

Related: Everything to Know About Season 3 of Hulu’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’

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Only Murders in the Building continues to find resounding success on Hulu by getting a renewal weeks after its second season started to air. The comedy series follows three strangers who form a bond over their love of true crime. After a mysterious death occurs in their New York City apartment building, Mabel, Oliver and […]

Upon the publication of Kois’ essay, Short’s name immediately trended across social media platforms. Fans began taking a stand against his critiques by sharing clips of Short’s days on Saturday Night Live, Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm and more.

“‘Martin Short isn’t funny’ doesn’t need argument because it’s not even a thing,” one person wrote via X (formerly known as Twitter). “It’s like someone saying ‘The sun isn’t hot!’ You just smile at that person and hope they get the help they need.’” 

Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Another said: “If you dislike Martin Short, I’m going to assume you also dislike kittens, chocolate ice cream, sunshine, butterflies and fluffy bunnies.” A third quipped: “You’re entitled to your open opinion. Unless you think Martin Short isn’t funny.” 

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Beyond denouncing Short’s earlier works — including 1994’s Clifford, in which he labeled Short’s performance as “grating,” “upsetting,” and “fully committed” — Kois also found fault in Short’s latest role as Oliver Putnam on Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, in which he stars opposite Selena Gomez and longtime comedy partner Steve Martin

Short’s portrayal of the failed Broadway director has nabbed him two Emmy nominations since the show premiered in 2021. While Kois admitted that Short’s season 3 performance — which premiered last month — plays as more “quasi-naturalist” due to Oliver’s heart attack, he claimed that “you can always see the mischievous glint in his eye.” 

Fans disagreed. “Genuinely weird to write a hit piece on Martin Short when the most recent episode of Only Murders in the Building has him giving one of the best romantic dramedy performances anyone’s ever done since his costar [Steve Martin] also dated and smoked with Meryl Streep in It’s Complicated,” one person argued. Another added: “Martin Short is truly one of the only comedians who not only has remained funny as he’s gotten older (which is already super rare) but somehow has only gotten funnier.” 

On the personal front, Kois confessed that “despite this exhibitionist stage presence, it seems that in real life [Short is] mostly a calm, well-adjusted guy — friend to many, loving husband and father,” and someone he would find to be a “lovely gent” if the twosome shared a meal. That didn’t, however, stop fans and celebrities alike from gushing over Short’s personable and kind demeanor. 

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“When I was a kid, I walked up to Martin Short and told him I loved THREE AMIGOS,” Jerry O’Connell wrote via X on Friday. “He could not have been kinder to this annoying kid. I think about that exchange a lot.” 

Others remembered a 2012 interview where Short didn’t correct Today Show host Kathie Lee Gifford after she failed to remember his wife, Nancy Dolman, had died a year prior. When Gifford, 70, asked if Short was “still in love” with Dolman, he simply replied: “Madly in love.” 

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Related: ‘Father of the Bride’ Cast: Where Are They Now?

No party poopers here! It’s been nearly three decades since fans met the Banks family in Father of the Bride and watched Annie Banks (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) go from college grad to beaming bride. The rom-com from Nancy Meyers hit theaters in 1991, showing what it’s really like for a dad to let go of his little girl on her […]

During a commercial break, Gifford learned of her gaffe and apologized on-air. “Martin just told me as he was leaving, he said, ‘Kathie, you probably didn’t know,’ but his beautiful, precious wife Nancy did pass away a year and a half ago … I feel so badly,” the remorseful Gifford told viewers.

Days later, Short spoke to E! News about the awkward exchange — and made it clear he doesn’t hold it against Gifford.

“I think that it’s live television and people make mistakes and there’s no ill will intended,” Short said. “And I think it’s nice to aspire to be that way.”

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Nonbelievers beware — Martin Short is a national treasure.  After Slate dropped an essay titled “Why We Keep Putting Up With Martin Short” on Friday, September 8, criticizing Short, 73, for being “devastatingly unfunny,” fans quickly took to social media to fiercely defend the comedian against the story’s harsh words.  The op-ed’s author, Dan Kois, 

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STREAMING PREMIERE · JUNE 13, 2026

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Laughter Meets Inspiration: Our Ladies Show Lands on The Roku Channel

A bold new sketch comedy series for women premieres June 13 across the U.S., U.K., and Canada — arriving on the back of a festival-winning run that has critics and audiences already paying attention.

It isn’t every day a brand-new comedy arrives already wearing a row of trophies. Our Ladies Show does. The seven-episode inspirational sketch comedy series — created, written by, and starring Christin Jezak — begins streaming on The Roku Channel on Friday, June 13, 2026, available free to viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada.

Produced in partnership with global media services leader Encompass Digital Media, the series sets out to do something rare in today’s streaming landscape: make women laugh out loud and leave them lifted. In a media moment crowded with noise and cynicism, Our Ladies Show is a deliberate counterweight — comedy with a conscience, built for women of every age and background.

A Show Built Around Real Life — and Real Laughs

Each of the seven episodes opens with a monologue from one of the cast members introducing the theme, then rolls into three or more sketches that hit the subject from every comedic angle. The series tackles the things women actually carry: holding grudges, comparison, beauty, patience, gift giving, the importance of community, and dealing with anxiety.

The comedy comes from a place of warmth rather than mockery — a “laugh at ourselves” spirit that runs through a gallery of unforgettable characters: a nosey neighbor, an overwhelmed mom, relentlessly optimistic flight attendants, beauty pageant winners past their prime, and a crew of unruly campers with a counselor who simply cannot hold it together.

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Then the show does something most sketch series don’t. In the final segment of every episode, the cast gathers in a living-room setting and invites the audience in — sharing real inspiration drawn from the theme, the sketches, and their own personal stories. It’s the moment the laughter turns into something that stays with you.

The Women Behind the Show

Our Ladies Show brings together three performers with serious range:

  • Christin Jezak — creator, writer, and star (Miracle at Manchester, Raising Hope, Jimmy Kimmel Live!)
  • Hillary Hawkins — (Primal, Nick Jr.’s Play Along, Gullah Gullah Island)
  • Sarah Hernandez — (Nefarious, Unplanned, House of Payne)

“In a world with so much division and depression, I hope women of all ages and backgrounds will watch this show, laugh, be reminded of how beautiful, unique, and loved they are, and remember how much we need each other.”— Christin Jezak, Creator & Star

Already a Festival Favorite

The series’ recurring long-form sketch, Neighborhood Watch, didn’t arrive quietly. Originally released as a web series and revamped for Our Ladies Show with new footage, sound, and music, it has been sweeping the festival circuit:

  • 🏆 Best Webseries — 2026 New Media Film Festival (Los Angeles)
  • 🏆 Best Web/TV Series — Paris Film Awards
  • 🏆 Best Web Series — Dallas Movie Awards
  • 🏅 Additional wins at the London Movie Awards, Florence Film Awards, and Hollywood Gold Awards
  • 🎬 Official Selection — 2026 Harvard Divinity School Film Fest
  • ⭐ Finalist — Houston Comedy Film Festival
  • 📣 Three nominations — 2025 Content Christian Media Conference, including Best Actress in a TV and Web Series nods for both Christin Jezak and Sarah Hernandez

Where and When to Watch

Our Ladies Show premieres Friday, June 13, 2026, streaming on The Roku Channel — the home of premium and free entertainment — in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. All seven episodes deliver the series’ signature blend of sharp sketch comedy and genuine encouragement.

Click Here To Get Tickets

Watch the trailer now on your platform of choice:

For more information, visit www.ourladiesshow.com and follow @ourladiesshow on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.


About Christin Jezak

Christin Jezak has worked for over 15 years in the entertainment industry. She created and stars in Our Ladies Show and the award-winning web series Neighborhood Watch. She produced the EWTN TV program For the Sake of the Gospel and the all-women web series Ladies Keepin’ It Real, played Dr. Sam in Miracle at Manchester (starring Dean Cain, Daniel Roebuck, and Eddie McClintock), and voices Agnes in the podcast Confessions of a Catholic Single. She held a lead role in a short film for NTT Data directed by Academy Award–winning cinematographer Janusz Kamiński, has co-starred on Raising Hope, and appeared in Jimmy Kimmel sketches and a Grubhub Super Bowl commercial.

About The Roku Channel

Roku pioneered streaming on TV and is the #1 TV streaming platform in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico by hours streamed (Hypothesis Group, Dec. 2025). The Roku Channel is the home of premium and free entertainment, alongside Roku’s Howdy and Frndly TV services. Roku is headquartered in San Jose, California.

About Encompass Digital Media

Encompass Digital Media is a global managed services company — technology-driven, software-defined, and people-powered. Trusted by world-leading broadcasters, networks, sports rights-holders, and OTT platforms, it processes over 25,000 hours of content daily, serves 850 channels to 84 countries, distributes over 243,000 live events annually, and reaches 400 million radio listeners weekly worldwide. Learn more at www.encompass.tv.

Media & Interview Requests: To interview creator Christin Jezak or the cast, contact Christin at cjezak@p2ptheatre.com.

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What Filmmakers Should Actually Steal From Euphoria

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Most of the talk about Euphoria asks one question: was it realistic? That’s the wrong question if you make films. The better one is simpler. How did Sam Levinson get an audience to feel addiction from the inside? And what did it cost him to end the show the way he did?

Strip away the noise and Euphoria is a clinic in three choices: point of view, style, and the ending. Here’s what’s worth taking — and what isn’t.

1. Put the Camera Inside the Character

Most shows about drugs watch from across the room. Euphoria doesn’t. When Rue is high, the camera is high too. Walls breathe. Floors tilt. Time skips. You’re not watching her — you’re stuck inside her head.

That’s the lesson: point of view is a decision you make with the camera and the cut, not a mood you add later in color. Levinson builds it into the lens, the blocking, and the edit.

So before you shoot a scene through a character’s eyes, ask one thing on set: whose eyes is this lens standing in for? Then make every cut respect that.

2. Your Style Has to Mean Something

The glitter. The slow push-ins. The impossible club lighting. Euphoria‘s look got copied everywhere. That’s the trap.

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The style worked because it carried weight. The beauty wasn’t decoration — it was the lie addiction tells you, the reason the next high looks worth it. The camera made self-destruction gorgeous on purpose.

The copies missed that. A thousand music videos took the look and left the meaning behind, and you can feel how hollow they are. So here’s the test: if your signature style could be swapped onto any other project and still “work,” it’s not a style. It’s a filter. Every choice should have a reason behind it.

3. The Ending Tells the Audience What It All Meant

When Euphoria ended for good in Season 3, Levinson killed Rue — an accidental, fentanyl-laced overdose. He called it “the honest ending,” saying he wanted to tell a true story about addiction and grief in a time when one mistake can be the last one. Reportedly, that wasn’t the original plan; the death of Angus Cloud, who played Fezco, changed the script.

Forget whether you agree with the choice. Study how it works. An ending is the last instruction you give your audience about how to read everything before it.

By ending on consequence instead of recovery, Levinson reframed seven years of beautiful chaos as a story about cost — not a celebration of it.

It’s also the show’s most debatable move, and that’s worth noticing too. A show that spent years making pain look beautiful had to fight to make that pain land as loss. Did it earn the ending, or enjoy the wreckage too long to stick it? Smart filmmakers will disagree — and that argument is exactly what a good ending is supposed to start.

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What Not to Take

The neon grief is the most copied part. It’s also the least useful. Take the surface — the colors, the slow-mo, the trauma-as-texture — and you get the costume without the body.

The real craft is underneath. Commit your camera to a real point of view. Make every stylistic choice earn its place. Treat your ending as the point of the whole thing. Do that, and your work won’t look like Euphoria. It’ll do what Euphoria did.


This piece touches on addiction and substance use. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available through the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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How a 22-Person Film Crew Each Walked Away With $300,000

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In the spring of 2020, with Hollywood shut down and most film workers suddenly out of a job, Zendaya made a movie in a single house with a crew of 22. The film was Malcolm & Marie. What happened to that crew afterward is the part worth paying attention to — and it’s quietly become a blueprint indie filmmakers are borrowing five years later.

Instead of paying everyone the standard flat day rate and sending them home, Zendaya structured the production so the crew owned a piece of it. They received “points” — a share of the film’s revenue.

When Malcolm & Marie sold to Netflix for roughly $30 million, those points turned into real money. Because one point typically equals 1%, a single point on that sale was worth around $300,000.

For a crew used to being paid by the day, that’s a life-changing number.

The Math That Makes It Click

The reason points are so powerful is that their value scales with the film, not with your hours on set:

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  • At $30 million in revenue, 1% equals $300,000
  • At $50 million, 1% equals $500,000
  • At $100 million, 1% equals $1 million

Now hold that against traditional indie crew pay, which runs roughly $300 to $800 per day. A 20-day shoot totals somewhere between $6,000 and $16,000 — full stop, no upside, no matter how well the film does. The points model flips the entire logic: you stop getting paid for time and start getting paid for success.

This Isn’t New — It’s Just Newly Accessible

Backend deals are how the biggest names in Hollywood get rich. Robert Downey Jr. reportedly earned tens of millions from his Avengers: Endgame backend; Keanu Reeves made a fortune off The Matrix through profit participation. The leverage to demand that kind of deal has always belonged to A-list stars.

What changed with Malcolm & Marie is who got a seat at the table. Zendaya didn’t reserve the points for herself and a couple of producers — she extended them to the crew, the people she described as laying the tracks and doing the heavy lifting. That’s the shift indie filmmakers are now studying: ownership as something you share down the call sheet, not hoard at the top.

Why Indie Filmmakers Should Care

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Independent films usually run on budgets between $50,000 and $500,000, where labor can eat up 40% to 60% of total costs. That creates a permanent squeeze: how do you attract genuinely skilled people without torching the budget before you’ve shot a frame?

Equity is the pressure valve. Offering ownership instead of higher upfront pay lets you reduce immediate production costs, attract more experienced collaborators, and — maybe most importantly — build a team that actually wants the film to win.

How to Apply It to Your Own Project

You don’t need a $30 million Netflix sale for this to work. Say your budget is $250,000 and your revenue goal is $500,000, making 1% worth $5,000. Instead of stretching cash thin across every line item, you might offer 1% to a cinematographer, 1% to an editor, and 1–2% to a producer. You preserve cash during production and hand your key people a real reason to overdeliver.

Ownership Changes How People Show Up

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A stake rewires behavior. People who own a piece of the outcome stay sharper on set, pitch in on marketing and promotion without being asked, and stay invested long after wrap. That last part matters more than it sounds — a crew that’s financially tied to the film becomes part of its distribution engine, not just its production.

Read the Fine Print

Equity is not a salary, and it’s honest to say so. Malcolm & Marie worked because it sold to Netflix at a high price — that’s the upside scenario, not a guarantee. If a project underperforms, points can be worth little or nothing. So if you use this model, do it cleanly: define revenue participation explicitly in contracts, spell out recoupment structures so everyone knows who gets paid and in what order, and offer partial upfront payment where you can to balance the risk. The whole thing runs on trust, and trust runs on transparency.

The Bigger Picture

What Zendaya pulled off with a 22-person crew in one house pointed to something larger about how creative work gets valued. In an industry where funding is the hardest wall to climb, ownership has become its own currency. You may not control access to millions in financing — but you fully control how value gets shared on your set. And that, more often than not, is the difference between a film that stalls in development and one that actually gets made.

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