Recent years have seen comic Mo’Nique speak up and out about the injustices she feels she’s experienced in her career.
And she’s not turning the volume down anytime soon.
Moments ago, the actress/stand-up comedienne took aim at Netflix over what she insists is race and gender bias.
Full story below…
In a short but detailed video, she explains that she recently took a meeting with the streaming giant about an original comedy special for the platform.
However, things took a turn for the worse when money was discussed. Because, according to Mo, she was being shortchanged.
In the clip, she details the lack of viable explanation provided as to why she was offered $500,000 while caucasian comic Amy Schumer netted over $11 million for her deal. She also highlighted Chris Rock and Dave Chapelle, who commanded even more.
All of this, she says, warrants a boycott of Netflix. Her words below…
Oh Mo.
On the surface, the contrast in zeros does raise an eyebrow. And, at a time when famous females are coming forth full throttle to discuss pay discrepancies and demand more, she’s not off-tone when it comes to that conversation.
However, it’s crucial to scratch beyond the surface here.
The reality is that Mo’Nique, perhaps by way of her very public battles with the likes of Tyler Perry and Oprah, hasn’t been the most enticing casting prospect. At least not to the level one would expect after ‘Precious’ and her Oscar win. That in turn seems to have dimmed the intensity of her star and thus her ability to command the type of checks she feels she’s entitled to.
So, while there may be some unavoidable issues when comparing her proposed pay packet to others, the reality is that “present day relevance” is one of the strongest bargaining tools one could place on the table. Because, in today’s world, historic achievements can only carry so far. It’s all about optics.
If were to give Mo some friendly advice at the time, it’d have been to negotiate for more – even if it only meant securing slightly more than offered. And then simply slay the hell out of the special, promote it to the heavens, and then negotiate a higher fee for the next one. Again, it’s all about optics. Because, had she done exactly this, no one would even be enquiring about her pay-packet. They’d be applauding her for “winning” in the eye of the storm.
Now, by going against Netflix, she’s continues to have fewer and fewer platforms to showcase her undeniable talent.
Moral of the story? Yes, ish can be unfair. But sometimes just be humble, understand your current predicament, and establish a strategy to get what you want in the long run.
girl, sorry, but you are not in demand. Next caaaaaaaase!
Kiii
LOLOL!!
LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Right!
lol love you Mo but no… agreed…Next caaaaaase lmao
But she’s an Academy Award winning actress. Why my she constantly fight to prove herself?
I think she is worth a few million (maybe not $11 milly, but certainly in the million range). This bothers me.
***Why must
Maybe because no one really wants to work with her? At least that what it seems. I mean, you can‘t put anything how you want it. „It‘s gender bias“ – „but Amy Schumer…“ – „then it‘s race bias!“ -„but Chris rock and so on“ – „so it is gender bias!“ – „girl, bye“
Who cares anymore she needs to go away people are tired of her complaining too much girl bye I will never get rid of my Netflix for her ass
Joy No one is forcing Monique to accept the check. If Monique were really worth more money then another company would pay her more for the project. Netflix is not the only company out there.
on one hand, that number seems low compared to others. but on the other hand, her star power is also not as strong. to paraphrase janet jackson, what have you done for us lately?
Monique truly is her own worst nightmare. She blocks her own blessings TIME & TIME again! It’s so very unfortunate.
She isn’t the STAR she thinks she is as far as DEMAND is concerned. Talent, yes… but not demand.
She could have used this opportunity as a Segway back into the forefront. The numbers in viewership & ratings alone would have secured a higher pay scale for her follow up project.
Well said Brent Christopher…totally agree, her mouth is getting her in a lot of trouble. I understand & agree with principles and all that but when you are dealing with Hollywood & A-Lister’s, you may just have to hold your tongue & ride it out until you reach a level of demand honey….. & that’s enough said about that.
I question the phrase “undeniable talent” as it pertains to Monique. Yes, she had a decent stand up routine with borrowed jokes but she was repetitive with the recylced jokes because I already heard them come out of other comedian’s mouths before Monique was using them. Monique has been fired numerous times and I think at this point the entitlement she feels she deserves is not justified. She won an Oscar for playing a role close to her natural personality (lucky break) but stupidly blacklisted herself from people that could help her career. Monique is not willing to put in the hard work it takes to sustain. I don’t see Octavia Spenser turning down checks or blacklisting herself. Octavia is out there working very hard to sustain.
500,000 is not alot of money! I don’t agree with Moniques approach to handling this situation but I understand where she is coming from because black women is often underpaid amongst our peers. She should have been atleast offered 2 to 3 million nothing less. Monique first has to get her face back out there and do her own stand up comedy tours and put them on dvd. She also needs to take those low paying acting jobs until she gets back to the public being on her side.
What for? Why should they throw money after her? She is not in demand and can be lucky that anybody wants to give her a check. She should redeem herself and then can ask for more. But the level she is right now, she can be lucky to get an offer in the first place
Your logic makes on sense. Netflix just closed a HUGE deal with Shonda Rhimes. Companies care about money and Shonda brings in that money AND happens to be Black. I don’t personally find Amy Schumer funny but she is a draw, as is Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle. Nobody has seen Monique do anything funny in a long time. They just know her now for her rants on periscope or snapchat or wherever she goes to cry about Oprah/Tyler Perry/Lee Daniels
Ispeakfacts what ever happened to negotiation? It is not illegal for a company make her an offer. Monique can accept the offer, negotiate for more, or not accept the offer. Simple as that. Netflix is headquarted in CA. CA is NOT a right to work state. Thus, you can be hired or fired for no reason. People should recognize their own worth and negotiate for more money or set themselves up to be the employer instead of the employee.
She digging her own grave, making too many enemies
So, if they were going to offer her a half-mill deal, then she wasn’t exactly blackballed, was she? Mo’Nique’s profile has been too low in recent years except for the drama she stirred up with Oprah, Tyler Perry, and Lee Daniels. She should’ve taken the deal for one season, maybe tried to negotiate a little higher, and then demanded more for the next season if the show ended up being a hit. This woman simply will not stop shooting herself in the foot.
She talks too much. Sometimes you have to STFU.
NOBODY is boycotting NETFLIX on the count of Monique’s call.
FORGET IT!
I completely agree with this post!!! She’s burning bridges everywhere she goes, before long nobody gonna want to work with her. At this point she should be just happy to have a job.
Oh hell nah! Entitled AF! She’s not on Amy’s level anymore.
Monique is a legend. She has classic tv shows under her belt that still gets play years later. She is an original black queen of comedy, she’s won awards people say she couldn’t. U do believe she is being black balked however she is starting to taint her legacy. U would have took the 500,000 and did a show worth more. Therefore when time for negotiations they would have had to put some respect on her nsmeband brand. In life you can’t always have what you want ,but if you try hard enough eventually your dreams will be your reality. I do think she needs to leave that husband of hers. She’s needs to go in hibernation. Come back in a year or two swinging so hard out the gate. Idk my opinion.
She has what I’m still convinced is her bisexual husband in her ear gassing up with “get them coins gurl” and she hasn’t forgotten the basics of supply and demand. YOU ARE NOT IN DEMAND. Fat Vs. Skinny comedy is not funny anymore. We’ve moved on. What’s the last funny thing she has actually done? All she is known for now is her livestream rants with her sister-husband about how the industry is out to get her. Sashay away!
This type of behavior is exactly why they offered her 500k. Monique is a liability and honestly 500k is a lot of money gamble with when’s you’re not sure if your going to get.
Other comedians get 11mill because investors know they are going to get returns. There is not much gambling there.
Sorry but she’s an OSCAR WINNER. Not nominee, WINNER. That should guarantee her $1 million AT LEAST out the starting gate, I don’t care how “low” her profile has been recently.
Maybe in your dreams, but winning an “supporting actress” oscar 10 years ago does not guaranty you s*** today!
Epecially when you have not have a hit ever since….
Regardless of her temper and attitude, any other Oscar award winner would take a half a mill offer as a slap in the face. I don’t see why Mo’Nique should have to ‘humble herself and take the check’. They throw millions per episode on productions with unknown faces and newcomers which aren’t exactly rating winners (Sense8, Marco Polo) so they could definitely have offfered more.
I don’t plan on boycotting Netflix for this but I think this debate is more current and urgent than ever – people are still willing to forgive any crap coming from male stars but let a female be less than perfect and suddenly she deserves all sorts of hell in her career.
An oscar doesn’t necessitate a particular pay rate? Where is this notion coming from? win an oscar and whatever you do un life afterwards automatically pay a minimum million dollars? Lol what? Her oscar wasn’t even in a comedic role, so it’s even less relevant to her dollar figure on a stand up comedy special.
plus, on another not so related note, why did they take down Queens of Comedy from Netflix?
Mo’Nique is authentically funny tho. The parkers was a staple in her career. Her stand up is hilariously. She has starred in some food movies. She is definitely worth a couple million. Idk why they keep trying to treat her like that.
Girl, go sit down!
In Showbiz, you’re as big as your lastest project.
Moniq has not been relevant since precious.
She whines over gender bias, and then points out to females who are paid $11Million.
Then, she whines over racial bias but points out to black artists who are paid $20Million.
WTF?
I can’t believe she has the nerves to whine over getting paid $500,000 for 90min of work.
smh!
HONEY, ALL THOSE PEOPLE YOU HAVE CITED CAN SELL UT ARENA TOURS.
YOU CAN’T EVEN SELL OUT A THEATER TOUR ON UR OWN…
You are a “Friday” legendary honey, you are not “Training Day”legendary.
Get it together.
#Deal
This was a read ???
Monique put it on tidal babe. #blackowned
to e honest I don’t agree the way she went at it but I understand her frustration, and she definitely has an audience I was just saying she get a comedy show on Netflix!! any movie she’s in for me she steals the show, I love in soul plan
always combative at every turn if its not right with her demands, then she pulls us into this mess. She has not been right since BET cancelled her show unexpected which was a successful. She needs to just get out of the business and move on. Be normal and Be happy. Bye Felicia I,m keeping my damn Netflex
Dear Monique,
I am a big fan. I get into arguments about how I love the fact that you stand tall for your principles. I am not in the industry. I sit behind a desk. There will never be a need for Netflix to offer me a job/deal. This boycott should be for your industry friends. You always speak up for other black women in the business but they do not risk their job for you. Sorry Monique. I understand your plight. But I will not give up Netflix. Honestly, I think you should have taken the offer and then blew the show out of the waters. Then, you should’ve pimped into their office and demanded more. And I am concerned about the way your eyes look in this video. You are allowing anger to fester your soul. Do you think I get treated fairly on my job? White people in the same position are paid more but I gotta eat and pay bills. That doesn’t mean that I am a fool. I miss you on the big screen. You were fierce in Almost Christmas. Please come back to your fans.
Sooooooo does she think she’s on the same level as Amy? Cmon now
If as many people supported Monique in real life as those that claim to care about her resume she’d have more to show for being a Legend. Moe barely got 200K Followers on IG compared to 6 MIL of corny Amy Schumer. Moe hasn’t had a major movie role or sold out comedy tour in years. Her last Stand Up Show got negative press and controversy.
Monique can’t even get a Half a Mil of her own people to follow her on social media so she wouldn’t bring comparable viewers to Netflix to match her salary demands. People ain’t behind her so therefore $500K is her best offer and a good one for a Comedian of her current stature. She isn’t in demand the same way Chris Rock or Dave Chapelle is. That’s facts and that is what Netflix is paying her for.