Owen Benjamin

Owen Benjamin Smith (born May 24, 1980) is an American comedian, actor, and alt-right[1][2][3] political commentator.

Owen Benjamin
Benjamin in 2017
Birth nameOwen Smith
Born (1980-05-24) May 24, 1980
Fulton, New York, U.S.
MediumStand-up, television, film, internet
NationalityAmerican
EducationSUNY Plattsburgh
Years active2006 – present
Genres
SpouseAmy Benjamin
Children3
Notable works and rolesThe Improv
Punk'd
The House Bunny
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Owen Benjamin was born to John Kares Smith and Jean Troy-Smith, both professors at Oswego State University.[4] He attended Plattsburgh State College, where he worked at the student-run TV station.[5]

Career

In 2008, Benjamin had a supporting role in The House Bunny.[5][6] In 2009, he played the lead role in the romantic comedy All's Faire in Love, co-starring with Christina Ricci.[5][6] He was on Comedy Central Presents in 2010. For three seasons (2012–14), Benjamin portrayed Owen Walsh on the TBS original comedy Sullivan & Son.[5] Benjamin was also a correspondent on The Jay Leno Show,[7] twice appearing on the program.[5]

Benjamin hosted the annual ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards from 2014 to 2016.[8] He had a podcast, Why Didn't They Laugh, on Sideshow Network. He hosted Esquire Network's The Next Great Burger in 2015. He played a correspondent to Tyson Beckford and Rev Run on their show It's Not You It's Men (2016) on the OWN network.[9]

Benjamin formally produced the late show on Saturday Nights at The Improv in Hollywood, California, and has also performed on MTV's show Punk'd.[10] Benjamin has starred in several web-only video series, including: Sony Pictures Television's C-SPOT, the role of Owen on Gaytown, Chance Stevens on Heckle U for CBS Interactive,[11] and as a host of his own series, Owen Benjamin Presents.[12]

Benjamin has used crowdfunded money to rent the venues for his shows.[13]

He has cited Adam Sandler and Vince Vaughn as being comedy influences.[14]

In October 2019, Patreon suspended Benjamin's account, saying he violated their terms of service regarding hate speech. On January 6, 2020, Benjamin and 100 fans (as leverage to attempt to convince Patreon to settle) announced they would be suing Patreon for $3.5 million for banning him from the platform. Patreon would later file a counter-suit against 72 of the fans. According to The Daily Dot, "Patreon’s previous terms of service required claims to be submitted to arbitration, like Benjamin’s $3.5 million cause of action. An update to its terms of service that went into effect on Jan. 1 both prohibits users from filing claims based on the platform kicking off someone else and requires any who do so to pay the company’s attorney’s fees and costs, court documents state... Thus, if Patreon wins the suit, Benjamin’s fans could be on the hook for a significant sum..."[15] It was theorized that Patreon specifically made the changes to its terms of service to affect the lawsuit. On July 29, 2020, a judge on the Superior Court of California for the County of San Francisco denied Patreon's request for a preliminary injunction in the case.

Owen Benjamin spoke at the Flat Earth International Conference in Dallas, Texas, on November 14, 2019.[16]

Benjamin's YouTube channel was banned on December 3, 2019 for violations of YouTube Terms of Service.[17] On December 13, he was also suspended from Facebook and Instagram for multiple policy violations. He is also banned or suspended from PayPal and Twitter.[18]

Patreon banned comedian Owen Benjamin following alleged hate speech. Benjamin told fans to file lawsuits against Patreon, saying that this suit had a basis due to a disrupted economic relationship. Patreon launched a counter-suit against the 72 individuals suing the service and sought an injunction to dismiss the suits. The injunction was dismissed, so Patreon is expected to spend around $10,000 in court fees per suit that it cannot recover. Patreon changed its terms of service on January 1 2020 to end the conditions under which the suit occurred. The suits open the door to lawsuits by other Patreon users banned from the platform, with right-wing freelance journalist Lauren Southern preparing her own suit.[19][20]

Views

His comedy is intentionally offensive and frequently uses slurs. Benjamin describes his comedy as a criticism of political correctness, liberalism, and the political left.[3] Benjamin has had scheduled shows canceled and has been suspended from Twitter for this behavior,[3][21] which includes advocating for the return of slavery to enslave Shaun King,[22] as well as from YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.

Benjamin believes in several conspiracy theories, including that the transgender rights movement is part of a eugenics program funded by Bill Gates to lower the world population.[23] Benjamin also does not believe the moon landing occurred[24] and believes that HIV is a hoax.[25] Benjamin also holds general anti-LGBT views, having used slurs in the past and has accused radio personality Jesse Thorn of being a "child molester" for having a transgender child.[26]

On March 24, 2020, the front page of The Daily Dot featured an article describing how Benjamin has been attempting to circumvent his social media bans to spread disinformation regarding COVID-19. Following the publication of the article, several of Benjamin's new accounts were terminated.[1]

Antisemitism

According to Insider Inc, Benjamin supports anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.[27] In October 2018, The Daily Beast reported that Benjamin had a history of posting anti-Semitic memes on Instagram.[28]

In a YouTube livestream on March 9, 2019, Benjamin said of Adolf Hitler: "Really what he was trying to do was clean Germany, clean it of the parasites, of the fleas. He did not hate Jews. He hated filth and he was trying to clean up." In the same YouTube livestream Benjamin yelled "Jews run our entire media, all of Hollywood, all of pornography", and "Nobody wants any of it and it's all Jews!" Benjamin also denied that gas chambers were used in the Holocaust. Benjamin said of Jews: "if they get power, they will destroy your entire civilization! Has anyone not seen that happening?"[29]

Benjamin also has appeared on livestreams with prominent white supremacists such as Peter Brimelow, the founder of anti-immigration website VDARE.[24]

According to Bethany Mandel, Benjamin has also posted fabricated verses from the Talmud, and frequently spreads anti-Semitic conspiracy theories including blaming Jewish people for every societal ill. Mandel also notes that Benjamin is a holocaust denier and anti-vaccination.[30]

Personal life

In March 2008, he and Christina Ricci announced they were engaged, but they ended their engagement two months later.[6][31] He later married and had two sons.[32]

Benjamin is a creationist who does not believe in the theory of evolution, and does not believe that dinosaurs existed, calling them a "Smithsonian lie".[16]

References
  1. Goforth, Claire (2020-03-24). "Banned 'alt-right' comedian returns to spread coronavirus misinformation". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  2. "Alt-right comedian Owen Benjamin comes to the Panida » Sandpoint Reader". Sandpoint Reader. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2020-07-30.
  3. "Local comic Day Bracey clashes online with alt-right comedian Owen Benjamim over canceled Pittsburgh show". 2018-04-19. Archived from the original on 2018-04-19. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  4. "Look at OZ: Stand-up comic Owen Benjamin – The Oswegonian". 2018-11-29. Archived from the original on 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2018-07-12. Benjamin’s parents are both professors at Oswego State.
  5. "Oswego native Owen Benjamin to perform at Funny Bone in Syracuse". Oswego County News Now. 2016-08-21. Archived from the original on 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2020-01-05. Benjamin got his start in entertainment during college at SUNY Plattsburgh, where he was involved with a student-run TV station. ... By the mid-2000s he was acting in films, including roles in 2007’s 'I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry' and 2008’s 'The House Bunny.' ... He also co-starred in the 2009 feature film 'All’s Faire in Love' alongside Christina Ricci.
  6. "Christina Ricci is Engaged!". usmagazine.com. March 17, 2009. Archived from the original on March 20, 2009. Owen Benjamin recently made his film debut in 2008's The House Bunny.
  7. Levine, Stuart (2009-09-08). "Jay Leno adds to posse". Variety.
  8. "Comedian Owen Benjamin Returns As Host Of The Art Directors Guild 20th Annual Excellence In Production Design Awards". shootonline.com. 2015-11-12.
  9. ""It's Not You It's Men" Full Cast/Crew Credits". IMDb.com.
  10. "Owen Benjamin's tweet from February 9, 2018".
  11. Frommer, Dan. "Lindsay Campbell's New Show, 'Heckle U', Launching Today". Retrieved 2009-08-23.
  12. "C-Spot Season 2 on Crackle". thecomicscomic. 2008-06-19. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  13. "Conservatives banished from comedy industry". The Washington Times. January 1, 2018. Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
  14. Weiser, Sonia (2013-06-27). "The Laughspin Interview with Owen Benjamin". Laughspin.com.
  15. Goforth, Claire (2020-07-06). "Alt-right comedian asked his fans to sue Patreon. It backfired". The Daily Dot. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  16. Gallagher, Danny (2019-12-10). "Discworld Is Real! Dive into Flat Earth Culture at their Global, Sorry, International Conference". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  17. Petrizzo, Zachary (December 4, 2019). "Owen Benjamin, alt-right comedian, banned from YouTube". The Daily Dot. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  18. Holt, Jared (December 13, 2019). "Instagram and Facebook Suspend Right-Wing 'Comedian' Owen Benjamin". Right Wing Watch. People For the American Way. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  19. "Court denies Patreon injunction against fans of 'canceled' comedian". i24NEWS. 2 August 2020.
  20. Goforth, Claire (6 July 2020). "Alt-right comedian asked his fans to sue Patreon. It backfired". The Daily Dot.
  21. "What Happened To Owen Benjamin Is Further Proof We Are Losing Our Min…". 2017-09-29. Archived from the original on 2017-09-29. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  22. Joe, Berkowitz (December 3, 2018). "Why is Amazon promoting this anti-trans alt right troll's comedy special?". Fast Company. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  23. Holt, Jared (November 29, 2018). "Owen Benjamin: Transgender Rights Movement is a U.N.-Sponsored Eugenics Program". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  24. Holt, Jared (February 12, 2019). "Owen Benjamin: Another 'Red Pill' Overdose Victim". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  25. Gallagher, Danny (2019-06-24). "Should the Observer Be Banned From the Flat Earth Conference? Flat Earthers Are Asking". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  26. Deto, Ryan. "Local comic Day Bracey clashes online with alt-right comedian Owen Benjamin over canceled Pittsburgh show". Pittsburgh City Paper. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  27. Einbinder, Nicole. "White nationalists continue to post on Instagram, despite a new Facebook policy banning such content". Insider Inc. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  28. Lorenz, Taylor (October 30, 2018). "Instagram Is Teeming With Anti-Semitism". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  29. Holt, Jared (March 18, 2019). "Owen Benjamin's Rhetoric is Growing More Extreme". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  30. Mandel, Bethany (2019-04-08). "How did conservative comedian Owen Benjamin became a darling of the 'alt-right'?". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2019-05-14. Every few days, fans of his streams and posts on platforms like Instagram and Facebook can watch Benjamin quote fictitious tractates from the Talmud or mock critics of Holocaust denial.
  31. "Christina Ricci calls off her engagement to 'All's Faire in Love' co-…". 2012-09-07. Archived from the original on 2012-09-07. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
  32. "Owen Benjamin Comedy on Twitter: "Both momma and baby are happy and healthy". 2018-07-20. Archived from the original on 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
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