Eddie Brill, the stand-up comedian who has booked comics for “The Late Show with David Letterman” for the past 11 years, has been fired, Laughspin.com and the newMirth Magazine reported on Tuesday.
In a “ New York Times” profile published last Thursday, Brill caused controversy among the comedy community when he revealed that honesty and vulnerability are two of the most important qualities that he looks for in a comic. He went on to say: “There are a lot less female comics who are authentic. I see a lot of female comics who to please an audience will act like men.” Karen Rontowski was the only female comedian booked on “Letterman” in 2011.
“Mirth” reports that Brill was fired “for speaking to the press without authorization,” and not directly as a result of his offensive comments. Brill will continue to warm up Letterman’s studio audiences before tapings, but after booking two more comics, he will be replaced as the booker by what he described to an anonymous source as “a small group of 25-year-olds.”
