I've been a reporter for The Pulse, a science show made by WHYY that airs on NPR stations for five years. I helped edit SERUM, an excellent limited-run investigative podcast.
I also do stand up mostly local to Philly and New York. I post reels on my IG @ JadSlay, (about an hour's worth at this point) A lot of clips here too.
My boss /team all knew and didn't care. My stage name is just my first name, last initial, Jad S (Arabic last name, tough for hosts). I never talk about work.
But recently I got called into a meeting with no warning and fired on the spot for “egregious violations of WHYY values” because of those reels. Guess some exec(s)/director(s) of whatever saw them? I dunno.
My act isn't clean, deals with dark stuff, I'm a former Marine, an Arab Muslim from West Virginia and I used to be a war correspondent and EMT.
But in all my clips it's a room full of people laughing. (They’re all clips where I’m doing well obviously)
I told them I’m a complete unknown, no real fan base. If you’re at my level and try to do true edge lord stuff, you just bomb. I told them I get booked at black shows, gay clubs, up in the Poconos for old white people, everybody has fun.
Isn’t the laughter proof you're overreacting?
They didn't care, it's like they mentally edited out the audience. If I'm so shitty for telling these jokes, what's that make the laughing crowd?
My work knows I recently got diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (had some trouble walking, stable atm tho) and losing my job means it's back to the VA hospital that's not really designed for that.
They flat didn't give a shit. It was kind of unreal just how enraged they were (again, not my team or my actual boss).
I dont think your employer should have a say in your off hours creative expression(unless you like shit talk them), but at the same time I wouldve changed my byline or stage name, whatever. Didn't get a chance. They said the meeting was over.
This all seems like a kind of moral extremism to me. You watch clips of a show that a diverse room full of people is enjoying and your reaction to that is… blind fury?
You go yeah for his jokes this guy needs to lose his livelihood and his doctors. I feel like these people would take me out back and shoot me if they could get away with it.
The VA has improved over the years so fingers crossed on that.
But I told them I wouldn't let them do this quietly. Ive been a journalist for 13 years and if I ever want to work in media again they'll ask why I was fired and it's out of the bag then anyway.
So i dunno, share my IG clips. Remote editing work would be dope (I do happen to be one of the best story editors around, google my work) Can I get a guestie on your bar show?
Go birds.