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Steve Hofstetter

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Steve Hofstetter
Hofstetter in Stockholm, in October 2024
Birth nameSteven Ira Hofstetter
Born (1979-09-11) September 11, 1979 (age 45)
Queens, New York, U.S.
MediumStand-up
NationalityAmerican
Years active2002–present
GenresObservational comedy, satire/political satire, social commentary
Subject(s)American culture, American politics, current events, pop culture, religion, foreign policy, ignorance
Spouse
  • Sara Tenenbein
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2010; div. 2016)​
  • Savannah Martin
    ​
    (m. 2024)​
Websitestevehofstetter.com

Steven Ira Hofstetter (born September 11, 1979) [1] is an American stand-up comedian and podcast host. As of May 2022, his YouTube channel has accumulated over 709,000 subscribers and 195,000,000 views.[2] Hofstetter starred in the FS1 special Finding Babe Ruth,[3] has been a panelist on MLB Now on MLB Network,[4] and was the host and executive producer of Laughs on Fox television stations.[5]

Hofstetter has made a number of television appearances, including ESPN's Quite Frankly,[6] Showtime's White Boyz in the Hood,[7] VH1's Countdown, ABC's Barbara Walters Special[8] and CBS's The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.[9]

Early life and education

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Hofstetter grew up in a Jewish family in the New York City borough of Queens, living at various times in Briarwood, Forest Hills and Rego Park.[10]

He graduated from Hunter College High School in 1997 and received his B.A. from Columbia University's School of General Studies in 2002.[11] There, Hofstetter wrote for the Columbia Spectator[12] and served as President of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.[13][14]

Career

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Hofstetter gained a reputation by posting videos of interactions with audience members on YouTube, which garnered so many views that Fox Television offered him a series called Laughs, a half-hour showcase for standup comedians, which debuted in August 2014.[15] Shortly after its premiere, SAG/AFTRA issued a "Do Not Work" notice to its members due to Fox's choice to make the show a non-union production. This touched off a controversy about whether all television shows should be union productions.[16]

Hofstetter was the Senior Comedy Correspondent for FOX Sports' Just a Bit Outside.[17]

Hofstetter vs. The Cable Guy

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In March 2006, Hofstetter and Razor & Tie announced the April 4 release of Cure for the Cable Guy, a 45-minute CD/DVD that featured a cover with a Larry the Cable Guy Doll hanging by a coax cable. The disc earned Stuff Magazine's "Album cover of the month". Later that week, Larry the Cable Guy's new film debuted and was universally panned. Several movie reviewers discussed Hofstetter's album, including the Orlando Sentinel's Roger Moore.[18] Moore's review was picked up by dozens of papers across the country, including the Chicago Tribune,[19] Denver Post,[20] and Columbus Dispatch.[21] Hofstetter did radio interviews about the album, including one with Philadelphia's Kidd Chris show, where Hofstetter spoke with Larry the Cable Guy's mundane persona, Dan Whitney. Whitney ended the interview with his catch phrase, "Git-R-Done."

The album's cover was compared to the Sex Pistols' "Pink Floyd Sucks" T-shirts. Allmusic's Bret Love wrote, "Hofstetter effectively rebels against the mainstream by positioning himself as the antithesis of the world's most popular comedian. What could be more punk rock than that?"[22]

In July, an article in the New Yorker quoted Whitney as saying Hofstetter had been hurtful, and Whitney's manager criticizing Hofstetter for "trying to make a buck". In response, Hofstetter posted a video on YouTube explaining his stance on the Cable Guy and his comedy.[23]

Pay-What-You-Want

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In December 2007, Hofstetter announced his new album, Dark Side of the Room. Customers can download it directly from his website with "Pay-What-You-Want" à la Radiohead's 2007 album In Rainbows.[24]

He has also tried a new model of comedic touring: The Your Tour, where tickets are sold prior to a show that has yet to be announced. Once the city and the date are announced, if at least 50 people in the city have purchased tickets, Hofstetter will perform. If not enough people buy tickets, all purchases are refunded.[25]

Books

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  • Student Body Shots: A Sarcastic Look at the Best 4–6 Years of Your Life
  • Student Body Shots – Another Round: More Sarcasm On The Best Four To Six Years Of Your Life
  • National Lampoon's Balls! An In Your Face Look at Sports (2007, National Lampoon)
  • Ginger Kid: Mostly True Tales from a Former Nerd
  • Follow Your Dream (Unless Your Dream Is Stupid) (2022)

Album and special releases

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  • Tastes Like Bliss (2004, unofficial release)
  • Cure for the Cable Guy (2006, Razor & Tie)
  • The Dark Side of the Room (2008, Next Round)
  • Steve Hofstetter's Day Off (2009, Next Round)
  • Pick Your Battles (2011, Next Round)
  • Ginger Kid (2015, Next Round)
  • Secret Optimist (2017)
  • The Recipe (2023)
  • Me, Myself, and ID (2024)

References

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  1. ^ https://x.com/stevehofstetter/status/1568964082535104513?s=46 [bare URL]
  2. ^ "Steve Hofstetter". YouTube. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Waksman, Gary (October 26, 2015), Finding Babe Ruth (Sport), Steve Hofstetter, Pedro Martinez, Gerrit Cole, Major League Baseball, MLB Network, New Wave Entertainment Television, retrieved May 31, 2024
  4. ^ "Steve Hofstetter on MLB Now - 05/10/2016". MLB.com. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "TVNewser - Jobs in TV News". Mediabistro.com. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  6. ^ "Steve Hofstetter from ESPN, VH1, & More". Providence Monthly. July 25, 2019. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  7. ^ "Steve Hofstetter". sidneybia.ca. Sidney Business Improvement Area Society. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  8. ^ "Steve Hofstetter". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  9. ^ "North Jersey - Montclair". MontclairTimes.com. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  10. ^ Silverberg, Alex. "Comic Thanks His Queens Upbringing", copy of article from The Queens Tribune, July 6, 2007. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. "Hofstetter has been all around Queens.. He spent his younger years in Briarwood before moving on to Forest Hills, and finally settling down in Rego Park for the duration of his teen years."
  11. ^ "Alumni". Alumni.gs.columbia.edu. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  12. ^ Hofstetter, Steve (May 1, 2002). "Parting Shots". Columbia Daily Spectator. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  13. ^ "Sigma Phi Epsilon – Building Balanced Men". Sigep.org. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  14. ^ "History". Columbia Sigma Phi Epsilon. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  15. ^ Fox Television Stations Sets Summer Test Runs for Three Series, Variety
  16. ^ "Steve Hofstetter, co-owner of the Laughing Derby, opts to make Fox's 'Laughs' a non-union show - Louisville - Business First". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  17. ^ FOX Sports [@FOXSports] (February 13, 2015). "Meet @SteveHofstetter, the new #JABO (Just A Bit Outside) Senior Comedy Correspondent! First up: Josh Hamilton" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ^ "Your Family's Media Guide - Ok.com". Deseret News. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  19. ^ "Metromix. Movie review: ?Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector'". Archived from the original on March 11, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2006.
  20. ^ ""Cable Guy" needs healthy joke infusion". March 25, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  21. ^ "Mix971.net: The Leading Mix Site on the Net". Archived from the original on August 14, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  22. ^ "New Music Videos, Reality TV Shows, Celebrity News, Pop Culture - VH1". VH1. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  23. ^ Steve Hofstetter (July 6, 2006). "Why I Cured the Cable Guy (Steve Hofstetter)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 12, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  24. ^ "Johnson City Press". Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  25. ^ Borha, Imade (September 8, 2016). "Steve Hofstetter heckles the hecklers". The Frederick News-Post. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
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