This time, she wasn't ready: Tiffany Haddish says she's sorry for bombing on NYE
Aux News Tiffany HaddishGirls’ Trip actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish has sent an apology to her fans after a disastrous stand-up set at the James L. Knight Center in Miami on New Year’s Eve. After posting an Instagram video in which she talked about being out until 7 a.m. the night before, it seems Haddish went the Will Smith route and partied in the city where the heat is on, all night on the beach ‘til the break of dawn—and forgot most of her set.
According to Deadline, a number of fans walked out of the show in frustration, and the Night School star copped to having a bad night on Twitter:
The less-than-good performance has resurfaced comments that fellow stand-up comic (and no stranger to subpar sets himself) Katt Williams made about Haddish in September 2018. On the Frank and Wanda In the Morning show on Atlenta’s V-103, Williams remarked about how the up-and-coming star has yet to prove herself as a legitimate comic. “[Haddish has] been doing comedy since she was 16. You can’t tell me your favorite Tiffany Haddish joke. Why? Because she ain’t done a tour yet. She ain’t done a special. She has not proven the ability to tell jokes, back to back for an hour,” he said.
But even if Williams is in the anti-Tiffany Haddish camp, the pro-Tiff contingent seems to have the numbers to drown him out. Other comedians, including Marlon and Damon Wayans, Kathy Griffin, and more, voiced support for her, with Marlon Wayans tweeting sympathetically about how difficult NYE shows can be:
But, don’t cry for Tiffany Haddish. According to IMDB, she has five projects in various stages of production for 2019, and The Last O.G., the TBS show she stars in with Tracy Morgan, has just been picked up for a second season. She (will be) ready again soon.
94 Comments
Movie comics don’t always translate to standup comics overnight. I’m also kinda surprised she hasn’t had a comedy special yet. Either way she was good at hosting SNL so I think this was a one off bomb
She did get her start doing standup at Laugh Factory in LA. Everyone has off nights though.
Not to the point that you stand there forgetting your jokes, admit you’re making a mess, then have somebody come onstage from out of the crowd to tell THEIR jokes…in front of a large audience on New Year’s Eve no less. She bit off more than she can chew at this point in her career, and it was a very bad time and place to do it. It was also totally unprofessional. This isn’t like having a bad time with new material at the Laff House at one in the morning.
This wasn’t an off night. Every comic bombs, there’s nothing to apologize for for that. She didn’t come prepared. It wasn’t that her act wasn’t a hit, it’s that she literally couldn’t do her act. That’s obnoxious and contemptuous of your audience, and every comedian that is defending her is skipping over that part. This isn’t about bombing.
This wasn’t an off night. Every comic bombs, there’s nothing to apologize for for that. She didn’t come prepared. It wasn’t that her act wasn’t a hit, it’s that she literally couldn’t do her act. That’s obnoxious and contemptuous of your audience, and every comedian that is defending her is skipping over that part. This isn’t about bombing.
Also, why does an improv or movie comic even need to attempt standup? They’re different skill sets. One might bomb one way but be amazing at another. To go along with your own SNL example, how many times have we seen funny people completely freeze up under the sketch comedy model of the show? We don’t question whether they’re actually good at what they came on to promote.
I think comedians these days are pressured into doing a little of everything all at once.
“When you’re in Hollywood and you’re a comedian, everybody wants you to do things besides comedy. They say, ‘OK, you’re a stand-up comedian — can you act? Can you write? Write us a script?’… It’s as though if I were a cook and I worked my ass off to become a good cook, they said, ‘All right, you’re a cook — can you farm?’”
She got her start doing stand up.
This makes me think about Kevin Hart. That dude’s stand-up is NOT funny at all, but his movies are mostly funny and I could watch him roast people forever!
My favorite Whoppi Goldberg quotes comes from several movies and not her comedy specials or Talk Show jig.
Call it Michael Richards Syndrome.
She does have a special. It’s called She Ready! and it’s pretty good. She was a stand-up before she found success with acting. Buncha know-nothing dinguses on here, I swear. It’s what the title of this very article is referencing.
She’s been doing standup since the mid 2000’s. Lol! She’s not a rookie in the slightest.
I saw her to stand up last year and she’s ok, she starts off strong but then her set kinda fizzles down and it becomes a I’m thankful to be here and I can’t believe I’m here kinda thing, here’s to hoping she practices and improves her stand up, would love to see a special too but as of now, I don’t think she has strong material for a Stand Up with all new original material (oh yeah the fumiest jokes on the night I saw her were from late night appearances I had already seen ).
She had a special on Netflix, which was terrible. TH has personality for the roles she takes, and her delivery is great; but no stand up material, just rambling stories with no point.
I listen to several stand up comedian’s podcasts it sounds like bombing is pretty common.I assume NYE is a step and a half higher than a corporate party… I was at a Christmas party and watched a local comedian’s set bomb, which I guess led him to attempting improv skits, then getting people on stage to dance.Listening to the first two Mitch Hedberg CDs. The first album was pretty rough. The second album had 2 discs: Full Set and Edited. The edited disc was great… the Full Set was ugly. I think they probably had licenses considering how much massaging went into making the edited into such a good disc.I’m pretty sure the only comedians that don’t have rough gigs are the ones that have been doing the same act for 20 years.*Internal Monologue*“Ok Foxworthy, those last two ‘you might be a redneck’ jokes bombed… you had to try the new punchlines… Hit ‘em with the classics and they’ll be back on your side. Don’t let them see you cry. Don’t do it.”If this were a non-holiday gig in Deer Butte, Montana not even Katt Williams would have known it happened to confirm what he already thought.
She’s been doing standup for about 15-20 years, and had a standup special (I think, on Showtime?) in 2017 (Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood)…
Yeah its “difficult” to not get wasted and waste the money of people you paid to see you. Its almost like she’s in a position she doesn’t deserve to be in because she’s hot. And let’s be real, if she wasn’t black this article would read a lot differently.
Mueller calling another woman hot.
“Marlon and Damon Wayans, Kathy Griffin”She’s really popular among lazy hack comics.
You know you’ve fucked up when Louis CK’s most recent stand-up performance goes over better than yours!
I’m guessing Tiffany and the promoter don’t have “a strong feeling” they should offer refunds. Maybe they should go pray on it.
Yes, I’d like to know how strong a feeling has to be before it births a refund. Perhaps it would have required belligerence on her part or maybe if she didn’t deign to drink with some of the fans?
Other comedians, including Marlon and Damon Wayans, Kathy Griffin, and
more, voiced support for her, with Marlon Wayans tweeting
sympathetically about how difficult NYE shows can beKathy Griffin is a talentless hack thirsty for any attention she can get and something tells me Marlon Wayans’ stand-up is awful. Also why would your set on NYE straddle midnight? Either way these aren’t exactly heavy hitters in her corner.
This wasn’t a “bad night”. A bad night is one where your material doesn’t land, or your timing is off, or your energy isn’t in the right place.This was her deciding she didn’t give enough of a shit about her performance to even bother learning her own jokes, and then just cutting the show short when she didn’t feel like finishing it. It was completely unprofessional and disrespectful to the fans who paid (very) good money to see her.I know she has a lot of fans around here, but just call this one for what it is.
This site treats Tiffany Haddish with such kid gloves. She was so unprepared that she couldn’t remember her own material and had to read it off of an ipad while on stage (not even off of a teleprompter) then when the audience got rightly upset and started to leave she just shrugged her shoulders and gave up. This isn’t some late night set at the chuckle-hut where she was working out new material that didn’t land, this was the main set at a high priced NYE event that people built their entire evenings around. If it had been someone like Pete Davidson or Amy Schumer every writer on this site would be eviscerating them right now but Haddish can do no wrong.I don’t think she should have to give out refunds like others are suggesting – showing up hung-over as fuck and not being able to do your job is a classic comedian move – but she deserves every word of bad press she’s getting.
That’s my beef with it. She’s the headliner for the evening. Headliners don’t do what she did. Well, not for long. Unless you’re Lauryn Hill.
For me, Davidson and Haddish are in a similar boat, though at least Haddish was well-received in a movie. Pete Davidson, though, is going to have to actually, you know, do something at some point, because all he has now is being young.
Davidson makes his living on stage, and probably always will. Even his time on SNL is basically spent doing stand-up comedy bits on the Weekend Update. Tiffany has charisma and a possible future as a movie star. She has stand-up experience, but it is clearly not her forte. They couldn’t be more polar opposites.
“I’m like Evil Knievel, I get paid for the attempt.” – Chappelle
Yeah, but Chappelle is actually funny. Haddish is not.
Being Black is hard, being a Black woman comedian is even harder. ou saw all her shit Monique to and I didn’t even like her. People still rip Jones to shreds ad her comedy doesn’t work me.
Older Black women comedians had it better because social media wasn’t their to throw it in your face 24/7
Are you saying that she’s only getting criticized because of her gender and race or that we should give her a pass for legitimately shitting the bed due to her gender and race? Either way I disagree with you.
No and no.
You can’t touch her! She’s teflon! She’s FUNNY!
Now she’s going to come up here and say something funny. C’mon Tiff, c’mon up here & say something funny…g’head.
Adam Pally did nearly the same exact shit at some awards show recently and was praised for it. Completely phoned in his performance to the point of being pulled off-stage, actually, so his was even worse. https://news.avclub.com/adam-pally-didnt-even-try-to-hide-his-despair-on-stage-1825293715
Not even close to the same thing, he wasn’t headlining a comedy show on new years eve, he was presenting an award at the lamest awards show ever.
I’m a fan but yea, this isn’t bombing, this was just her being unprofessional and lazy.
That’s her fans’ faults for paying to see her do anything. That chick is not funny…she’s just loud and ghetto.
um hello… loud and ghetto = funny.
Staying out partying all night before you have to work is also not a good idea, no matter what your job is. (This is from personal experience)
“Other comedians, including Marlon and Damon Wayans, Kathy Griffin, and more, voiced support for her”Wow, so two of the Wayans brothers and Kathy Griffin have given her their seal of approval? Well, that’s won me over….
Just absolutely sterling recommendations right there.
Ikr?! It’s like “Well, if people who had marginal success in the mid 90’s think she’s good well then she must be!….right? Right?!
Everyone tell your favorite Katt Williams joke!
tink tink
“I’m tryin’ ‘a tink but nuttin’ happens!”
Ya gotta be in tune with yo starplaya to tink right.
tru dat
“Katt Williams”
Say what u will about his recent stuff but Pimp Chronicles is a stone-cold classic. You’re probably not a fan but here are some of my favorite bits:“Smart, dumb n***as”“This shit right here, this here this shit”Many classic bits in there. Most have been removed from YouTube these are rough ‘titles’ for great bits he’s done that have entered the lexicon.
Right. I sense the sarcasm, but I laugh at pretty much every other line from the Pimp Chronicles (despite being stood up by him at a show in Seattle). That show is famously like 98% quotable.
No sarcasm on my part, i fucking love the pimp chronicles
The problem with Katt Williams isn’t that he isn’t funny.
The problem is,
-he’ll fuck up his own career momentum
-hit drugs so hard his hair starts looking like different continents
-complain that other comedians aren’t as great as he is
-go after Tiffany Haddish because he has absolutely nothing else to do
-And then still claim that no one is as successful as him, even though he never sold out Miami twice like Kevin Hart did.
-And put in the time to get beat up by a 12 year old.
He’s the chihuahua looking for smoke, eventually you find it to be just annoying.
All my favorite Katt Williams jokes are about him, not by him.
When he explains to his son that he could get more games buying a used N64 than a new system.
The one where he keeps terrorizing the good people of the greater Metro Atlanta AreaPlease stop, Katt
Meow I’m a cat!
Getting beat up by a tween and stating with all seriousness that, “that’s no way to treat a celebrity.” Nah, but really, Michael Douglas throwing kitty under the bus.
“every day I’m hustling”“Insurgents stole the Cereal”and i’m not really a big Katt Williams fan.
“Your honor, I regret the actions that have brought me to this courtroom.”
There was the time he got beat up by that teenager.
“Bitch, its called SELF ESTEEM!”
um…”n-word, f-word, n-word” *uproarious laughter and whooping* ?
Dis shit right here? Dis shit right here? It’s called death.
She’s really not that funny IMO. Maybe in a skit, scripted environment with others to bounce off, but her solo act is bupkiss.
Worst stand-up set I ever saw was Sarah Silverman who was the main headliner of a comedy festival. Despite the premium price tickets for a heavily promoted event in a large, stylish theatre, she basically treated it like a walk thru practice session of old material everyone already knew very well. It was all incredibly passive and laissez-faire, complete with hesitations, broken trains of thought and half-hearted apologies when she had to check the notes she brought with her onstage. Basically the audience received the least amount of effort for maximum dollars. The lack of professionalism was insulting.Best stand-up set I ever saw was Leslie Jones who fucking brought it. Tickets were moderately priced and the venue was medium sized and only half full, but she came out like James Brown carrying a towel and left everything on stage. If you have the opportunity to see her perform do it.
You’re probably the third person I’ve heard say this about Sarah. How disappointing! Stand-up is kinda…her entire thing, why phone it in?
I thought we were at the same show, until you said “theater.”I saw her at The Oddball Comedy Fest at Colorado’s Red Rocks. Hannibal, Aziz, Louie, Dimitri Martin, Marc Maron all killed, and then Sarah Silverman got up there and did the worst act I’ve ever seen. Unprepared. Unfunny. Tone deaf. Mean spirited (not in a good way). Just terrible.She didn’t get booed off stage, but if she had stayed up there for another five minutes, she would have. The whole place turned on her and it was awkward.
Wow. What comedian in their right mind would phone it in, in the presence of so many other prominent comedians? I would think that would be when you bring your A game.
I don’t think the issue here is that jokes didn’t land or the crowd wasn’t receptive, its that she got too drunk to do her job which is unacceptable. If I hire a plumber and he shows up drunk and continues to drink then asks me how to fix my toilet I am not going to say the guy “had an off day”.
Every standup comic –
great, bad, mediocre – can tell a story about a night where they bombed
spectacularly. It’s such an integral part of the gig that it becomes a point a
pride, like a surfer wiping out, or a mobster getting arrested. One key difference
here is that most comics don’t have every single audience member livestreaming
their worst set, or every news outlet reporting on it.But there’s another
difference too. Audiences – and increasingly, pop culture writers – have gotten
so desperate for new heroes that there’s a real tendency to blow initial successes
way out of proportion, and stan for people in a way that isn’t really helpful. Haddish is a
great example of this. She was absolutely hilarious in “Girls Trip” – one of
the funniest performances of that year, if you ask me – and she was incredibly
charming on late night shows and the like. It made sense that people got
excited about her. But people weren’t just saying “I want to see more of her”
or “Paul Feig should cast her in something.” It was like she was anointed the
new queen of comedy overnight. People who had just learned her name a couple
months earlier were angrily wondering why she hadn’t already been picked to host
the Oscars. (And then she butchered a bunch of people’s names when she hosted the
nominations announcement and everyone thought it was adorable.) She would show up
on a red carpet and stick her tongue out and 100s of people would respond like “God
I love her so much she’s perfect.” She was pretty good on SNL and won an Emmy
for it. She had Tucker Max of all fucking people ghostwrite her book and most
people politely just changed the subject. And now she goes out and bombs –
really bombs – a big show, and the responses are mostly either “Leave Tiffany
alooooone” or “Tiffany Haddish is cancelled forever LOLOLOL!”Just call it for
what it is – she’s a talented actress/comic who’s been kind of half-assing
things since she first blew up, and she got called on it. Hopefully that’s a
good thing for her in the long run. Being a fan of someone doesn’t mean you can’t
demand more from them.
Yeah, I agree with this, not that it matters.
What a surprisingly measured take.
I never found Haddish funny, but what actually makes me so annoyed is the constant, undeserved hype she gets from places like the AV Club and other Kinja sites. Do a search for “Tiffany Haddish” and “AV Club” in Google and you’ll come back with something like 25+ articles in the last year, most of them fluff pieces about how she’s a delight, or how she works so hard, or how she doesn’t give a fuck, etc. That’s why I started making half-joking comments about her publicist paying for these articles because they’re that ubiquitous.At the end of the day she’s a 39-year old who’s appeared in a couple of big movies in supporting roles, has bit parts in several other movies, and is a co-lead on a basic cable comedy. At this point she has an equivalent career to, say, Lamorne Morris, and doesn’t get 10% of the attention she inexplicably generates.
Agreed! i first saw her on the CarMichael Show and thought she was funny but nothing special yet and then all of a sudden shes blowing up everywhere, I was like did i miss something??its wierd. I mean Great for her but its just wierd how some people get all this hype. I was introduced to Amber Stevens on the same Show and though she was way funneir and still don’t understand how Haddish got all this hype and attention over her.
how dare you bring Winnie the Bish into this
Well, at least she didn’t star in a shitty movie this year.
The media profess to know about stand up comedy in one breath, then display their complete ignorance on the subject as it applies to Louis CK.
When someone says they “prayed on it,” what does that mean exactly? (non-religious person here)
Deep reflection, looking for guidance and forgiveness.
After what she did, I would guess a good Act of Contrition.
Assuming they’re not just blowing smoke, it usually means that they “spoke to God” about it (i.e. meditated, asked for guidance from a higher power, that sort of thing).
It means “I talked to my lawyer and he helped me craft this statement.”
How would God cover his ass in this situation, I believe.
14:59
Where did she say she was sorry? All she did was acknowledge that it happened and then she prayed about it. No apology to the people who spent money to go see her. I wonder if that omission was at the advice of her lawyer.
You are right. There is no apology.That the article is headed saying she’s “sorry” says a lot about either the bias of the author or about the sub-editor never even reading the article and just making crap up.
What, did she go off on how the government is hiding the fact that drinking turpentine will cure what ails you? Because she is fucking bonkers and totally believes that:
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Tiffany-Haddish-Drinking-Turpentine-44722803
She got PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAID. Don’t forget that or feel too bad for her, cause she ain’t giving any of it back! LMAO, people are such suckers for this crap. “Oh I’m so sorry, I apologize, I sincerely regret…”, its not even the celebs, its the dopes who keep following this shit.
Much like musicians, stand ups have to pay their dues…grinding it out in small clubs, perfecting their craft, and learning how to win over surly crowds.Sounds like she ain’t there yet.
Haddish is a stand-up comic? I just know and like her for her goofy and open and charmingly foul personality. Didn’t know, don’t care. Just her little snippet of dialogue in the new Lego movie trailer tickled me. Hee-eey!
One trick pony
Oddly enough, owning it like that makes me like her more.