Who's laughing now?
Trying to prevent fans from recording his live shows and posting his standup routine all over social media networks, Dave Chappelle is taking action. The Hollywood Reporter is revealing that the longtime comedian has teamed with tech startup, Yondr, to designate "no-phone zones" at his shows.
How? Well, Yondr touts a smartphone sleeve that locks cell phones upon guests entering a venue, thus preventing fans from being able to capture Chappelle's hilarious jokes and posting them on the Internet. The Hollywood Reporter says Chappelle will try out the San Francisco-based company's smartphone sleeves on audiences in Chicago, where he has scheduled shows this week.
If fans need to make a call, while their phones are locked in Yondr's sleeves, all they have to do is leave the designated "no-phone zone" and walk to stations set up around the venue to unlock the pouches.
"It's a huge thing for Chappelle, like all comedians — how to make the show phone-free," said Yondr founder Graham Dugoni to the celebrity news website. "The deal came together pretty quickly."
Dugoni isn't overselling what a coup Yondr is for comedians, either. Think about it — if a comic's entire routine hits the Internet, it could prevent people from actually going out and purchasing tickets to see him or her live. Why pay for a live ticket when you can watch the entire show online for free? Additionally, it would discourage comedians from using the same material night after night, and jokes don't grow on trees, even for comedic greats.
Fellow comedian Hannibal Burress used Yondr's smartphone sleeves after a video from his notorious 2014 performance — one in which he called Bill Cosby a rapist — went viral, with him receiving death threats for bringing up that news about the legendary comic.
Will music artists use the Yondr technology as well?
