Comedian Pete Davidson reportedly has fans signing non-disclosure agreements before his standup shows.
Davidson has apparently been giving out the NDAs to sign since Nov. 7, according to a report published Saturday by Consequence of Sound.
Fans started to talk about the agreements on social media throughout the month of November, but the report of the NDAs first surfaced over the weekend. Facebook user Stacy Young shared an apparent screenshot of the agreement on Facebook.
“In short, by signing this agreement, you are agreeing not to discuss any details of the show you are about to watch or your experiences at this event, period,” the NDA apparently states, before adding that fans are not allowed to share anything from the show on social media. Fans who breach the contract are required to pay $1 million and “any actual out-of-pocket expense, as well as any attorney fees.”
Young expressed her disbelief in the caption of the screenshots.
“In that NDA the signer CANNOT GIVE ANY INTERVIEWS, OPINIONS OR CRITIQUES about it in ANY form whatsoever including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other social networking,” Young wrote.
“I understood and was willing to consent to the initial request of locking up any phones or cameras brought to the event, but I think this a bit ridiculous and over the top,” she added. “I get that comedians are protective of their jokes and don’t want their routines rebroadcast, but it’s rather Orwellian to not allow anyone to share an opinion on it. Don’t perform for the public if you don’t want people to have an opinion about it!” (RELATED: Pete Davidson Says He’s Done Doing College Shows: ‘You’re Just Setting Yourself Up For Failure)
Young is right here. Comedians have become so worried about being cancelled by the public for something that they joked about so they’re having fans attending their shows sign non-disclosure agreements. That’s absolutely insane.
People are allowed to have an opinion about somebody’s comedy, just like people have opinions on people’s acting abilities.
I guess some find Davidson’s comedy worth it, including this Twitter user who shared a photo of the top of a clipboard. Another user shared a photo from outside the theater where she saw Davidson, but let her followers know she couldn’t comment on the show because she signed an NDA.
Signed my first NDA at a comedy show. Worth it #PeteDavidson pic.twitter.com/di0J2nr1pw
— Nancy Davidson (@peelweight) November 28, 2019
We saw Pete Davidson at the Varisty but I cannot comment on it because I signed an NDA. https://t.co/907XF9EfiN pic.twitter.com/LOC346riQA
— Savannah (@slamvan) November 9, 2019
Davidson recently shared his thoughts on what comedy has become in an interview with Paper magazine.
“Stand-up’s about to be about, like, sneakers,” Davidson shared. “Like, ‘Hey, everyone like sneakers?’ You can’t talk about anything. You can’t.”
“The second you open your mouth and have an opinion, you lose money today,” the “Saturday Night Live” star further explained. “And I don’t think that’s a safe place to live in.”
I really hope we can get back to a place where people aren’t offended by jokes and speech can flow freely without people being scared they’ll be cancelled.