Jamie Masada: Difference between revisions

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954|}}

'''Jamie Masada''' ({{lang-fa|جمی ماسادا }}; born in [[Iran]]) is ana [[Persian American]] businessman and comedian. He is the founder of the [[Laugh Factory]], a chain of [[comedy clubs]] in [[several]] states.

In 1979, Masada used a loan from [[Neal Israel]] to open the Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web|title=A Drink With Jamie Masada|url=http://adrinkwith.com/jamie-masada/|publisher=''A Drink With''|accessdateaccess-date=18 March 2014 |date=16 January 2013}}</ref> While other comedy club owners in Los Angeles were not paying the comedians,<ref>{{cite webmagazine|last=Zoglin|first=Richard|title=The First Comedy Strike|url=http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1709866,00.html| workmagazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |accessdateaccess-date=18 March 2014}}</ref> his goal was to create a venue where comedians could perform and earn money by "splitting the door".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-masada/searching-for-richard-pryor_b_5592549.html|title=Searching for Richard Pryor|date=19 July 2014|work=The Huffington Post|accessdateaccess-date=8 April 2016}}</ref>

===''The Laugh Factory Presents''===

''The Laugh Factory Presents'' is an online [[stand-up comedy]] series, which Masada created for up-and-coming comedians to spread their material to a wider audience via YouTube and Amazon.com. Masada's plan is to film comedians' shows on the Laugh Factory stage and allow them to keep 80% of the profits made from the specials. With the help of Laugh Factory New Media, Masada produced two [[Laugh Factory#The Laugh Factory Presents Comedy Specials|The Laugh Factory Presents]] specials, ''The Laugh Factory Presents Tim Gaither Live from Las Vegas''<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt3575528/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1|title=Laugh Factory Presents Tim Gaither Live from Las Vegas (Video 2014)|date=17 February 2014|work=IMDb|accessdateaccess-date=8 April 2016}}</ref> and ''The Laugh Factory Presents [[Raj Sharma]] Live from Las Vegas''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jarvey|first=Natalie|title=Laugh Factory Releases Online Comedy Special|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/laugh-factory-releases-online-comedy-680868| work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] |accessdatedate=17 February 2014 |access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt3575540/|title=Laugh Factory Presents Raj Sharma Live in Las Vegas (Video 2014)|date=17 February 2014|work=IMDb|accessdateaccess-date=8 April 2016}}</ref>

In recognition of all his hard work, Masada is the recipient of the [[Ellis Island Medal of Honor]], the [[ACLU]] Freedom of Speech Award and the [[NAACP]] Freedom Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Leadership|url=http://www.laughfactory.com/leadership|publisher=Laugh Factory|accessdateaccess-date=18 March 2014}}</ref> In 2011, Masada received an award from Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services for being a Comedy Innovator and Humanitarian and for offering comics a listening ear to deal with their personal demons.<ref>{{cite webmagazine|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/features/2014/the_humor_code/are_comedians_really_depressed_or_is_sadness_just_funny.html|title=Are comedians really depressed? Or is sadness just funny?|workmagazine=Slate Magazine|accessdatedate=3 April 2014 |access-date=8 April 2016 |last1=McGraw |first1=Peter |last2=Warner |first2=Joel }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/02/14/stand-comedians-receive-free-psychological-treatment-hollywoods-laugh-factory/|title=Stand-Up Comedians to Receive Free Psychological Treatment at Hollywood's Laugh Factory|author=Hollie McKay|work=Fox News|accessdatedate=26 March 2015 |access-date=8 April 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-comic-psychologist-20140825-story.html|title=This psychologist helps comedians keep laughing|author=Los Angeles Times|date=27 August 2014|work=latimes.com|accessdate=8[[Los AprilAngeles 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite webTimes]]|url=http://vlclip.xyz/video/view/xnB03kyW66w|title=Erasing the Stigma Awards 2011 access- part 3 - Leadership Award to Jamie Masada|publisher=|accessdatedate=8 April 2016}}</ref>

In an effort to support under-privileged children, Masada created the [[Laugh Factory#Comedy Camp|Laugh Factory's Comedy Camp]] for children in 1985. Through this camp, he has worked with over a thousand children, using comedy as a way to build their self confidence.<ref>{{cite web|last=Banks|first=Sandy|title=Comedy Camp participants learn to 'wring laughs from my tears'|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/2011local/la-xpm-2011-jul/-19/local/-la-me-banks-20110719-story.html| work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdatedate=19 July 2011 |access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buzzfocus.com/2007/06/13/kids-comedy-camp-at-the-laugh-factory/|title=» Kids Comedy Camp at the Laugh Factory|publisher=|accessdateaccess-date=8 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416223659/http://www.buzzfocus.com/2007/06/13/kids-comedy-camp-at-the-laugh-factory/|archive-date=16 April 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Since 1979, Masada has hosted free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners at The Laugh Factory for the homeless, the poor, or anyone who doesn't want to be alone for the holidays, with over 5000 attending in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|last=Olivarez-Giles|first=Nathan|title=Laugh Factory owner is serious about comedy|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/2009archives/la-xpm-2009-apr/-05/business/-fi-himi5-story.html| work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |accessdatedate=5 April 2009 |access-date=18 March 2014}}</ref>

The Laugh Factory also hosts free services during the [[High Holy Days]] of [[Judaism]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Free High Holiday Services 2012|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/high_holy_days/article/free_high_holiday_services_2012_20120824/| work=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]] |accessdateaccess-date=18 March 2014}}</ref>

{{-Clear}}

* {{cite web|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/2009archives/la-xpm-2009-apr/-05/business/-fi-himi5-story.html|title=Laugh Factory owner is serious about comedy|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=5 April 2009 }}

* {{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/voices/columns/laugh-factory-jamie-masada-funniest-person-competition-1201330070/|title=Laugh Factory’sFactory's Jamie Masada Looks for Funniest Person in the World - Variety|author=Brian Lowry|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=16 October 2014 }}

* {{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2014/scene/lifestyle/jamie-masada-continues-delivering-thanksgiving-alms-at-the-laugh-factory-1201362300/|title=Jamie Masada Continues Delivering Thanksgiving Alms at the Laugh Factory|author=Kevin Noonan|work=Variety|date=25 November 2014 }}

* [https://books.google.com/books?id=Gi2gZQ7XygwC&pg=PA46 ''Variety's "The Movie That Changed My Life"'']. pp.  46–48.

* [https://books.google.com/books?id=1XQ6xt25aREC&pg=PA296 ''Vintage Tomorrows'']. pp. &nbsp;296–. {{paywallsubscription required}}

* [https://books.google.com/books?id=KKqk3l2N6ZQC&q=%22Jamie+Masada%22&dq=%22Jamie+Masada%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi939Tl4P3LAhUEjJQKHVj1CwQQ6AEIOjAF ''Comic Insights'']. pp. &nbsp;264–269. {{paywallsubscription required}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160503143253/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-161022244.html "Masada goes into spin tale"]. ''Variety''. {{paywallsubscription required}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160503141146/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-158152748.html "Jamie Masada"]. ''Variety''. {{paywallsubscription required}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160504191831/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-388827370.html "Stand-Up Guy"]. ''[[Los Angeles Magazine]]''. {{paywallsubscription required}}

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160505103825/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-37047366.html "Laugh Factory Founder Hopes to Unite Countries through Search for 'Funniest Person in the World'"]. ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]''. {{paywallsubscription required}}

* {{cite web | last=Engelberg | first=Keren | title=Profile: Jamie Masada | website=Hadassah Magazine | date=June 11, 2006 | url=http://www.hadassahmagazine.org/2006/06/11/profile-jamie-masada/ | ref=harv | accessdateaccess-date=April 12, 2016}}

[[Category:20th-century1954 births]]

[[Category:EntertainersComedians from California]]

[[Category:MagazineAmerican magazine founders]]

[[Category:MaleAmerican male comedians]]