Latest news with #MichelleButeau
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michelle Buteau talks saying goodbye to 'Survival of the Thickest' and her 'first true love' stand-up comedy
Buteau celebrates stand-up as a Gala star at the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal From her incredible success with the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest and history-making stand-up shows, including being the first woman to film a comedy special at Radio City Music Hall, Michelle Buteau is one of the most beloved talents in entertainment. So the Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal is lucky to have her featured as a Gala star. Whether she's acting, doing stand-up comedy, hosting, writing or producing a project, she excels at it all. But no matter how many hats she's worn in her career of more than 20 years, stand-up is her "first true love." "I fell in love with stand-up and everything else is just cherries on the cake," Buteau told Yahoo Canada. "When you get the Gala spot at JFL, it feels like you've won Formula One. ... When you start stand-up, there are a handful of things, especially New York comedians, always talk about getting. An SNL audition, or a Late Night spot, and JFL was right up there. So this is very exciting. I mean, it's been a long time, so very happy to be doing it." As Buteau highlighted, there's nothing like experiencing the thrill of a live stand-up show. But through her comedy specials on streaming sites and leveraging online platforms, Buteau has really been able to make her work available to people around the world. It's that accessibility component that's important for her. "There's a non-binary teenager in Kenya that's reaching out to me, a 62-year-old lesbian in Bulgaria, ... then there's cities in Brazil ... using my catchphrase," Buteau said. "It makes comedians feel like rock stars." Michelle Buteau is 'tired' of people being told their 'not worthy' With the success of Survival of the Thickest, the show has been praised for being particularly sex-positive, as the lead character Mavis (played by Buteau) works to thrive mentally, emotionally and sexually. "When we talk about mental health and making people feel good, it isn't just about how you look. It's about how you feel. And it's about how you feel in all chapters of your life," Buteau said. "So whether it is a piece of clothing, whether it is food, whether it is attention, whether it is sex, all of it is meant to build you up, not tear you down." "[I'm] sick and tired of the conversation, especially in and around the arts, film and TV, of bigger bodies always having to feel very grateful that someone finds them desirable, which is just plain bullshit. ... Since the beginning of time there has been thick people who have been loved on and dicked down. It's just like, excuse me, why is this such a wild concept that somebody would love their body? And honestly, it is what we are going through today and what we've been going through also since the beginning of time. It's control. It is a mental prison. If you tell people they are not worthy ... they're going to believe you, they're not going to feel good about themselves. And I'm so tired of that." Buteau added that what's great about having Survival of the Thickest on Netflix, which is available in 190 countries, is how many people she can reach with the show's core messaging. "I know that I can reach people of all gender expressions, of all sizes and shapes, and say, 'Hey boo, you look f—king good and you're worthy of whatever you want,'" she said. "That's why I made my character a stylist, because I think the platform of fashion can showcase the injustices. ... It's also a good excuse to be like, 'Hey, I need a lot of money for fashion.'" While we already know that Season 3 of Survival of the Thickest will be the show's last, a tough hit for many fans, Buteau is ready to go out with impact. "It feels earned and deserved," Buteau said. "I'm really lucky ... that I found something I love to do, and so I don't take the responsibility lightly. We're going to blow it up ... in the best possible way." "I know people are bummed that it won't be coming back, but it's actually such a gift to know that it is the third and final. I don't think a lot of platforms and networks give you that information all the time."
CTV News
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
What's On in Montreal: July 18
A news crew shoots a report in front of the Just for Laughs theatre. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press) Food, film and comedy are all happening this weekend in the city. Just For Laughs Montreal continues to play host to many festivals, including Just For Laughs. The festival will bring in big names in comedy like Fortune Feimster, Michelle Buteau and Mikey Day. There's a variety of shows to choose from until July 27. Food fests If you're craving some classic greasy food, head to the Clock Tower Quay in the Old Port for The Grand Poutinefest. Another great option for foodies to explore is Cho Dem Montreal at the Peel Basin. Chow down on delicious eats from more than 40 vendors partaking in the Vietnamese street food festival until July 20. Fantasia Film Festival Movie fans might enjoy the Fantasia International Film Festival, which is on until Aug. 3. There will be screenings and networking opportunities with 400 industry members. Allez, Montréal Cheer on CF Montreal as they face off against Chicago Fire FC on July 19 at Saputo Stadium.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Just For Laughs festival returns to Montreal: Michelle Buteau, Chris Distefano, Robby Hoffman, Mae Martin and more
Back in 2024, Canadian comedy fans were left without the Just For Laughs (JFL) festivals in Montreal and Toronto. But after a bankruptcy restructuring, with new owner ComediHa! taking over from the former Quebec parent company, the festival returns to Montreal this week (July 16 to July 27), featuring comedians including Michelle Buteau, Chris Distefano, Fortune Feimster, Rhys Darby, Gianmarco Soresi, Robby Hoffman, Gianmarco Soresi, Wally Baram, Mae Martin, Nish Kumar and more. Nick Brazao, head of programming, told Yahoo Canada it's "satisfying" to be able to bring this impressive lineup to the Montreal festival. Adding that there's a lot of anticipation to see how fans respond. "There's a lot of pieces that go into putting it together, and then once you see it all kind of happening and all being talked about, it's a good time of year," Brazao said. For years, comedy fans haven't just seen their favourite comedians at Canadian JFL festivals, but they're unique opportunities to get exposure to talents you never knew about. Whether it's an opener you had never heard of, or the spontaneous late night stop you make hopping from show to show, it's an incredibly fun time. "To manufacture as much as you can the discovery and the surprise aspect is, I think, a huge part of what makes festivals special and makes them worth doing," Brazao. But with so many comedians gaining popularity and a fan base on social media and other platforms, it all gets considered when it comes to, as Brazao described, the goal of having "something for everyone" at the festival. "It's fun to see the effect of the internet," Brazao said. "The ability of people to reach specific pockets of audiences through social media, or through targeted platforms, whether it's Dropout Improv or things like Smosh Reads Reddit Stories, ... podcasting, ... through Instagram, through TikTok, or maybe more traditional comedy fans that are consuming Netflix specials and Amazon specials, ... [it's] trying to have as much of a varied landscape of that." "People are finding ways to ... find audiences and find a relatability with people. And then now they have this opportunity in a fan base that wants to buy a ticket to see them do something. So now they have to kind of reverse engineer a show versus 15, 30, 42 years ago when the festival started, it was comedians starting with two minutes of material and going to an open mic night and turning that into five minutes of material, and turning that into 10 minutes. And if you're really good and really dedicated and brought yourself to so many audiences, you got seasoned enough to be a headlining act, and then you could hopefully be booked elsewhere." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Just For Laughs Montréal (@jflmontreal) Brazao also highlighted that it's significant for a comedy festival of this size to be in Canada. "If you're in a comedy club anywhere in North America and even across the world, it's referred to as 'Montreal,' but they mean Just For Laughs, which is very cool that it's irreplaceable kind of currency in terms of brand recognition and value," he said. "So it's being able to hone that and respect that, to create something every year." "I think any good comedy festival and any good event really embodies the DNA of the city. Montreal is a city unlike any other. ... There are a few festivals in the global footprint, like Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, ... but I think Canada being such a comedy home and Montreal being such a renowned stand-up place that comedians want to go to, ... now it's part of the zeitgeist." While many of the bigger names in the history of JFL have been American, there's also a commitment to including locals, but Brazao highlighted it's about providing a space where comedians from different markets, at different stages in their comedy careers, can come together. "When you are engaging in an activity with diverse groups of comedians that are at the top of their game, then everybody's talent level rises along with it," he said. "Ultimately, we do a lot of thinking, of trying to set people up for success ... and can help them elevate to that next level. So I think by blending everybody together, giving them the chance to rub shoulders together and to experience things together, their network is going to be built bigger." "The best comedians are evergreen in that they could perform in front of any audience with any sort of subjective experience from whatever community they live in, but you found a way to connect with them. ... We have a responsibility to try to bridge some of those gaps, or have them open for maybe more rare or a more currently famous foreign comedian. Maybe that leads to another opportunity of them going on tour or being exposed to their fan base, and now they get more followers from having opened for whatever bigger star could be here. And then those little pieces, I think, along the way, can build up to eventually, they can have their own headlining show on their own, and it can be part of their development."
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Just For Laughs festival returns to Montreal: Michelle Buteau, Chris Distefano, Robby Hoffman, Mae Martin and more
Back in 2024, Canadian comedy fans were left without the Just For Laughs (JFL) festivals in Montreal and Toronto. But after a bankruptcy restructuring, with new owner ComediHa! taking over from the former Quebec parent company, the festival returns to Montreal this week (July 16 to July 27), featuring comedians including Michelle Buteau, Chris Distefano, Fortune Feimster, Rhys Darby, Gianmarco Soresi, Robby Hoffman, Gianmarco Soresi, Wally Baram, Mae Martin, Nish Kumar and more. Nick Brazao, head of programming, told Yahoo Canada it's "satisfying" to be able to bring this impressive lineup to the Montreal festival. Adding that there's a lot of anticipation to see how fans respond. "There's a lot of pieces that go into putting it together, and then once you see it all kind of happening and all being talked about, it's a good time of year," Brazao said. For years, comedy fans haven't just seen their favourite comedians at Canadian JFL festivals, but they're unique opportunities to get exposure to talents you never knew about. Whether it's an opener you had never heard of, or the spontaneous late night stop you make hopping from show to show, it's an incredibly fun time. "To manufacture as much as you can the discovery and the surprise aspect is, I think, a huge part of what makes festivals special and makes them worth doing," Brazao. But with so many comedians gaining popularity and a fanbase on social media and other platforms, it all gets considered when it comes to, as Brazao described, the goal of having "something for everyone" at the festival. "It's fun to see the effect of the internet," Brazao said. "The ability of people to reach specific pockets of audiences through social media, or through targeted platforms, whether it's Dropout improv or things like Smosh Reads Reddit stories, ... podcasting, ... through Instagram, through TikTok, or maybe more traditional comedy fans that are consuming Netflix specials and Amazon specials, ... [it's] trying to have as much of a varied landscape of that." "People are finding ways to ... find audiences and find a relatability with people. And then now they have this opportunity in a fan base that wants to buy a ticket to see them do something. So now they have to kind of reverse engineer a show versus 15, 30, 42 years ago when the festival started, it was comedians starting with two minutes of material and going to an open mic night and turning that into five minutes of material, and turning that into 10 minutes. And if you're really good and really dedicated and brought yourself to so many audiences, you got seasoned enough to be a headlining act, and then you could hopefully be booked elsewhere." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Just For Laughs Montréal (@jflmontreal) Brazao also highlighted that it's significant for a comedy festival of this size to be in Canada. "If you're in a comedy club anywhere in North America and even across the world, it's referred to as 'Montreal,' but they mean Just For Laughs, which is very cool that it's irreplaceable kind of currency in terms of brand recognition and value," he said. "So it's being able to hone that and respect that, to create something every year." "I think any good comedy festival and any good event really embodies the DNA of the city. Montreal is a city unlike any other. ... There are a few festivals in the global footprint, like Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, ... but I think Canada being such a comedy home and Montreal being such a renowned stand-up place that comedians want to go to, ... now it's part of the zeitgeist." While many of the bigger names in the history of JFL have been American, there's also a commitment to including locals, but Brazao highlighted it's about providing a space where comedians from different markets, at different stages in their comedy careers, can come together. "When you are engaging in an activity with diverse groups of comedians that are at the top of their game, then everybody's talent level rises along with it," he said. "Ultimately, we do a lot of thinking, of trying to set people up for success. ... How do you present them in a way that sets them up for success and can help them elevate to that next level. So I think by blending everybody together, giving them the chance to rub shoulders together and to experience things together, their network is going to be built bigger." "The best comedians are evergreen in that they could perform in front of any audience with any sort of subjective experience from whatever community they live in, but you found a way to connect with them. ... We have a responsibility to try to bridge some of those gaps, or have them open for maybe more rare or a more currently famous foreign comedian. Maybe that leads to another opportunity of them going on tour or being exposed to their fan base, and now they get more followers from having opened for whatever bigger star could be here. And then those little pieces, I think, along the way, can build up to eventually, they can have their own headlining show on their own, and it can be part of their development."
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Today's Jenna Bush Hager Gives Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Permission To 'Kiss Me On The Lips Whenever They Want' After Their Red Carpet 'Smooch'
Jenna Bush Hager made a spicy statement on Today With Jenna & Friends after seeing her former guest host Scarlett Johansson share a 'smooch' with Jonathan Bailey on the Jurassic World Rebirth red carpet. Bush Hager and comedian Michelle Buteau, who was guest hosting the show Wednesday (June 18) morning, watched the footage of the actors' kiss in slow motion. 'Those are two very good looking people right in there,' Bush Hager commented. But Buteau was a bit confused by the spectacle. 'I have friends… We don't do that. Maybe that's like some famous people stuff?' she told Bush Hager, who laughed in response. 'It's a little nasty, it's a little sexy, it's a little wild. Is that what famous people do?' Bush Hager couldn't answer Buteau's question, but she did make an offer to Johansson and Bailey ahead of their upcoming appearance on Today With Jenna & Friends. 'I feel like Jonathan Bailey or Scarlett Johansson can kiss me on the lips whenever they want,' Bush Hager stated. Even Buteau appeared shocked! 'Okay, we'll make that happen,' she said. Bush Hager appeared as if she wanted to take back that statement as she said, 'They're gonna be here next week. I'm now a little…' Buteau joked that the Today host was feeling bolder after getting her hair cut live on television earlier this week. 'One bob cut and we can't keep her contained!' Buteau joked. 'I would love to see that.' It's no secret that Bush Hager is a fan of Johansson. Johansson was one of the first guest hosts to join Bush Hager on Today With Jenna & Friends after Hoda Kotb's exit. The actress seemed to enjoy her short stint in daytime television and even told Bush Hager this was her 'favorite job' she's 'ever had.' 'I have to say this really fills my cup. I absolutely have to come back if you'll have me,' she told Bush Hager at the time. Now, it looks like Johansson will finally be back on Today to promote her upcoming blockbuster film. Here's to hoping she will be able to guest host Today With Jenna & Friends again! Today with Jenna & Friends airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.
