Episode description

The laughter has stopped at the Just For Laughs festival, as ownership applies for creditor protection and cancels the Montreal and Toronto 2024 festivals. Toronto Comedian Sam Sferrazza explains how the Just For Laughs systems worked (and didn’t work) for Canadian comedy.

Is there anything behind the Katespiracy? As a manipulated photo of Princess Catherine and her kids goes viral worldwide, Jesse wonders if any photograph… ever should have ever been trusted. 

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: James Nicholson (Producer), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Guest: Sam Sferrazza

Further reading: 

• Comedians reflect on Just For Laughs’ cancellation and the future of comedy - Globe and Mail
• 2024 Just for Laughs comedy festival cancelled, company seeks creditor protection - CBC News
• The end of SaltWire: What happened and what happens next? - Halifax Examiner
• Canada’s foreign correspondents are almost extinct - The Hub
• Hot Docs president warns this year's festival could be its last without more financial support - CBC News
• QAnon for Wine Moms - The Atlantic
• What's wrong with this picture? Plenty, say experts - CBC News
• So Where’s Kate Middleton? - The Big Story - Frequency [podcast]
• Royal mystery: What’s going on with Kate Middleton? - Front Burner - CBC [podcast]

Sponsors: Douglas, oxio, Athletic Greens 

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