Laugh Factory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Laugh Factory is a comedy club in Los Angeles, California.
Comedians who have performed in the club include Michael Richards, Kip Addotta, Bob Saget, Carlos Mencia, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Damon Wayans, Paul Rodriguez, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Chris Tucker, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook, and Roseanne Barr.
The club is owned by Jamie Masada, who opened the Laugh Factory in a tiny storefront on the Sunset Strip in 1979. Today there are three locations: the original location in West Hollywood, California, plus locations in Long Beach, California, and Times Square, Manhattan, New York.
[edit] Michael Richards incident
The Laugh Factory made headlines in late 2006 when Michael Richards made racist comments towards two black men during a November 17, 2006 standup comedy routine at the venue. In response, Laugh Factory released a statement [1] stating that "Mr. Richards is no longer welcomed here." Richards later apologized for his remarks. The two men, represented by Gloria Allred, are planning on suing Richards in the near future, despite the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of freedom of speech.
In response to the Michael Richards incident, The Laugh Factory banned comedians from using the word nigger in their acts. The first known incident involving this new rule involved Damon Wayans, who used the word 16 times in 20 minutes, facing a fine of $320 and a 3-month ban from the club. [2]
