A prominent comedian has been sued over a comedy show that was billed as being for women only. Rolling Stone reports that the suit was filed against Iliza Shlesinger over her “Girls Night In” show.
Shlesinger, the 2008 winner of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” hosts the Freeform late-night talk show “Truth & Iliza” and has hosted the syndicated dating show “Excused” and TBS’s “Separation Anxiety.”
“The defendant, George St. George, claims he and a friend bought $30 tickets to a ‘Girls Night In’ show November 13th at the Largo at the Coronet theater in Los Angeles,” Rolling Stone reports. “Upon arriving at the Largo, the pair were given tickets but allegedly told they would have to sit in the back. When they returned to the theater later for the start of the show, the suit alleges that a Largo employee told them that Shlesinger and the theater had decided that the two would not be allowed to enter and would be given refunds.”
The show is described on the Largo website as “a hybrid stand up show and interactive discussion between Iliza and the women in the audience aimed at giving women a place to vent in a supportive, fun and inclusive environment. She invites women of all walks of life to come, laugh with her and at her and be ready to share and feel safe for an awesome night of comedy and love.”
Rolling Stone reports that the lawsuit “argues that the show — and its full title, ‘Girls Night In With Iliza — No Boys Allowed’ — violates several California laws, including the Unruh Civil Rights Act. It also cites the 1985 Supreme Court case, Koire v. Metro Car Wash, which effectively banned so-called ‘ladies night’ promotions. It even claims the treatment of St. George and his friend is akin to the injustices perpetrated during the Civil Rights Movement.”
The report notes that St. George, 21, has previously filed other lawsuits challenging “ladies nights” promotions, and is reportedly seeking “only the statutory damages” for violations of the Unruh Act.
The biggest joke here is that St. George even dares compare this to the civil rights movement. What an asinine way to try and gain attention for a mediocre comic that couldn’t sellout a car wash.
Thanks for the laugh…your comment is fantastic. Everybody wants to leverage off the civil rights movement and she couldn’t sell out an apartment let alone a car wash.
^Pretty much
Your headline read “Prominent Comedian”; please, I follow media fairly intensely and I’ve never heard or seen of Iliza Shlesinger before. Then again, I’m a guy, so maybe she likes flying under the male radar.
You must not be following all that “intensely.” She won NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” has hosted three TV shows, including on TBS, currently has a late-night talk show on Freeform, has at least three stand-up specials on Netflix … not to mention starring in a string of short-form digital productions, appearing on radio, putting out her own comedy albums and videos, being a part of numerous documentaries, streaming projects, feature films, etc. In today’s media landscape, that qualifies as pretty fucking prominent — and it doesn’t sound to me like she’s trying to fly under anyone’s “male radar.” I’m a guy too, and she’s on mine.