In my youth I had some connections to “TV Hollywood.” Kind of. My heart wasn’t into it. And, predictably, I didn’t last long. I couldn’t take the titanic yet fragile egos. Don’t get me wrong, I have an ego – but mine was on a minor-league level to the people I encountered.  

I was hired to do art for a pilot. Because I was on set, I was also asked to sit in on an ad hoc panel that, if the pilot was picked up, would be inhabited by celebrity judges. It was a no-frills thing. We were given place cards with numbers 1 to 10. Kind of testing the flavor. Three of us were supposed to “judge” comedians. It was something like workshopping jokes, I guess.  

I only remember one of the comedians (it turned out to be Brad Garrett). Garrett is a very funny guy, but he wasn’t very funny that day. You wouldn’t know that by the reaction of the other people in the room when he finished his routine. The other people gave him “10s”. I gave him a “6.” No one was laughing then. Oh boy – you could hear a pin drop. All eyes were on me. I was told by the producer that I had just missed the point. I hadn’t found Garrett funny – but I should have, or something.  

I wasn’t invited back to judge more comics. Go figure.  

Comedy is often and usually subjective. I remember when Saturday Night Live was funny. Objectively funny. I haven’t watched SNL “live” in decades, but most of the clips I see are remarkably unfunny. I suspect that most SNL skits are workshopped, and hilarity ensues. Even the unfunny bits get “10s.” It’s just a guess, but if you step onto the SNL set, you must laugh, or the whippings will continue. How else does bad comedy make it on air?  

So, it was of no surprise to learn that a comedy “star” named Chloe Fineman was turned into a ball of tears because X owner Elon Musk didn’t find her funny.  

Chloe Fineman deleted the video after it was up for a few hours. Luckily I saved it…in it she says Elon Musk did not like her sketch: “You made I, Chloe Fineman burst into tears because I stayed up late writing a sketch. I was so excited, I came in, I asked if you had any… https://t.co/y4BxNSab8j pic.twitter.com/p2RVHQMYuC

— Chris Gardner (@chrissgardner) November 12, 2024

Musk is now persona non-grata for the left. They used to love him, because he made Teslas. But now they can’t stand the Asperger’s guy because he didn’t laugh at their jokes. It did remind me of my experience decades ago and that comedians demand that you find them funny – at all times. 

Chloe was like, she was, like totally, like upset – ok? 

"And I'm like, you know what? I'm gonna come out and say at long last that I'm the cast member that he made cry. And he's the host that made someone cry. Maybe there's others." 

"I was like, I'm not gonna say anything. But I'm like, no, if you're gonna go on your platform and be rude, like, guess what? You made I, Chloe Fineman, burst into tears because I stayed up all night writing the sketch. I was so excited, I came in, I asked if you had any questions and you stared at me like you were firing me from Tesla and were like, ‘It's not funny.'" 

Fineman continued: "I waited for you to be like, ‘Ha ha, jk.' No, then you started pawing through my script, like flipping each page, being, like, ‘I didn't laugh once, not one time.'" The sketch did make it onto the show, according to Fineman, who said "it was fine" and she "actually had a really good time." 

"I thought you were really funny in it," Fineman added. "But, you know, have a little manners here, sir." 

Manners? Musk was a host, not your therapist, Chloe. If Chloe intended that video as comedy, well congrats – I did laugh. Ok, I chuckled. 

Frankly, it was only on the Thursday before the Saturday that ANY of the sketches generated laughs. I was worried.

I was like damn my SNL appearance is going to be so fucking unfunny that it will make a crackhead sober!!

But then it worked out in the end 😮‍💨…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 12, 2024

Comedy is hard. Sometimes my comedy doesn’t work. Sometimes my cartoons aren’t funny. But please... don’t tell me that. Like, Ever. Never. I am still on a Trump-was-elected sugar high. Don’t give me a “6.” I don’t want to cry. 

Have some manners.