Celebrities need to stop doing commercials. Ft. Alia Shawkat
Summary
Alia Shawkat thinks celebrities need to stop doing commercials, and Kareem isn't having it. She's fed up with seeing Pete Davidson's face everywhere, selling everything from Amazon to tampons on "a tiny doll." But Kareem counters: what about the actor who needs that Verizon gig to pay for his kids' college? Shawkat admits the truth hurts. She's not making enough from her art because she won't sell out, while Sydney Sweeney banks on denim ads to fuel her side projects. The conversation spirals into cats, Arab households, and Bill Hicks' famous decree that doing commercials gets you "off the artist roll call forever." They both end up pitching themselves for sponsorships anyway. Money is money.
Featured guests
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? Celebrities need to stop doing commercials.
100% disagree.
Why do you disagree? Because what else are they going to do?
I don't care. They could go maroon themselves in Beverly Hills, but like get paid for what you do. I'm not getting paid for what I do well enough because I got to sell so much in order to sell my own art.
It is true. You can't get by on just doing this. No, I'm not getting paid to do this.
I'm not getting paid to do this again. YOU DIDN'T EVEN BUY MY COFFEE.
Uh, You tried to sneak in there and pay for my ticket last minute, but it didn't work, gentleman.
But I just think it's up. I feel like it's gone too far. You know, now every commercial is some big celebrity or some actor who's like selling me a toothbrush. Well, you want just some random guy to sell you a toothbrush?
Yeah. What about an actor who gets like a Verizon gig and it pays for his life and his kids' college? That guy needs the job. You know what I'm saying?
I agree. I don't need to see Pete Davidson's face put on a tiny doll. Like, he's selling me Amazon, T-Mobile, tampons. This guy is like everywhere. I'm like, get out of here. Stop.
I like it. I want Sydney Sweeney to sell me the denim. She's making the art on the side. Everyone has a hobby. Everyone has a hobby. She's making more money doing commercials than she is doing the art, but then it's like fueling the art. So then I can't get a job because I'm not selling you.
Damn it. You're right. Actors are supposed to be actors.
But every time they start a hobby, like David Beckham's like, "I'm going to make wine," and then guess what he does? He sells it like me. I'm going to launch something.
What are you going to launch? I don't know yet. But you want thinking about it. Cat food.
Nobody likes cats.
Wait, what? Hot take.
What? You're such a cat like kind of person. What?
You're Arab of some sort. We don't like animals in the house.
Every Arab person likes cats. I don't believe in domesticating animals.
You believe in freedom. Yeah, I do. I'm like, let him be wild. He's an animal.
You want to free the cats? Why am I going to put a sweater on it?
I think it's crazy. So, you get a commercial opportunity, you go, "I'm out."
Bill Hicks said, "If you do a commercial, you're off the artist roll call forever." I would love to be paid to just do what I do,
but then I wouldn't have any money. So, I like commercials. I know. If you're listening to this, y'all, uh, I still want to do a commercial.
We do sponsored Subway takes all the time. So, if you're a big brand, sorry to use you. No, no, no. Money is money. We need it. Use me. I'm not going to help.
Put us both on. We can both do it. Yeah. We're Arab. We're cats. We're celebrities.
This is an accessible Is this it?