Whatever you do, never tweet at a Pete Davidson comedy show. The “Saturday Night Live” cast member has recently been doling out non-disclosure agreements before each of his recent comedy shows.
Most recently, fans attending Davidson’s standup at the Sydney Goldstein Theater were asked to sign a lengthy contract that forbade them from tweeting or Instagramming any opinions about the performance.
One attendee, Stacy Young, originally discovered by Consequence of Sound, posted the alleged NDA on her Facebook. It stated: “the individual shall not give any interviews, offer any opinions or critiques, or otherwise participate by any means or in any form whatsoever (including but not limited to blogs, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, or any other social networking or other websites whether now existing or hereafter created).”
“I didn’t want to sign it because it was basically saying that I wasn’t able to comment on it or have an opinion,” Young told Variety. “The most you could say is ‘no comment.’” After refusing to sign the NDA emailed to her from the venue, Young was given a full refund but there was no additional information as to why this was happening. “I called the box office and wondered if it was for a special, but they didn’t have any information.”
The fine for breaking said NDA was a whopping $1 million. “In the event of breach of this agreement, individual shall pay company, upon demand, as liquidated damages, the sum of one million dollars, plus any out of pocket expense.”
“I understand that comedians are protective of their material,” Young added. “But to not be allowed to express an opinion, whether I liked it or not, is off-putting in an Orwellian thought police way.”
Sources confirmed to Variety that Davidson’s NDA would again be handed out on Saturday prior to his show at Chicago’s Vic Theatre.
A spokesperson for the “SNL” star could not be reached for comment.
Cell phone bans are nothing new in world of modern day live performances. In May, Louis C.K. banned the use of phones at his comedy shows while Dave Chappelle and Madonna have also prohibited fans from sharing live materials without written consent.
Source: Variety
