Remember KCTV reporter Shaun Broyls?
He was the guy who left the station (maybe “pushed out” would be a better way to explain it) after a few years to embark on a career as a stand-up comedian.
It now looks as if he might have been better off focusing on his TV career.
He now has started a petition and created a YouTube video (below) that has fewer than 200 views that comes across as a tad desperate (and not terribly funny). Some of the language is harsh and he obviously is reading from a Teleprompter.
In his ads he says he compares himself to Bill Cosby and Martin Lawrence. Good luck with that.
To:
ALL TV NETWORKS! Let this INSANELY FUNNY & OPENLY BLACK man in the door:
STOP ignoring Shaun Broyls. The prejudice against actual talent must end.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
“Because Shaun Broyls can do to television programming what cheese does to anything- MAKE IT AWESOME,” he noted with the petition. “Let’s help Shaun Broyls get the shot he’s sacrificed three marriages and his family’s well-being to reach!”
Broyls returned to KC in April 2011 to do a comedy routine at the Mission Theatre. At the time he promised Pitch readers that he would be poking his former employer.
“Life hasn’t been particularly easy on the 37-year-old since (leaving KCTV),” he told the Pitch. “He tells the Star that, after moving his family to Los Angeles to start his showbiz career, he was working overnights at a Toys “R” Us, cashed in his 401 (k) and was on unemployment.”
“But he says he’s been working on scripts and shooting comedy videos, and he’s been cast in an upcoming Ford commercial (playing a TV reporter).”
He even appeared on “Wheel of Fortune” with his current wife (#3).
Broyls is a 1995 Iowa State graduate who did stand-up comedy before briefly being a sports talk host for Citadel Broadcasting before joining KCTV in 2008.
UNFAIR TO PICK ON HIM
John, I think you’re being tremendously unfair in your assessment. Shaun is a friend, and is working hard to chase his dream. I think you’re mistaking creativity for desperation - who hasn’t heard the stories of how hard it is for someone to get a break in Hollywood? I think his approach is creative and in line with the times (i.e. - the Kickstarter/Veronica Mars project).
How about some well-wishes his way instead of what comes off as judgmental scolding? Shaun’s one of the good guys…he really is.
CRASH A SPEECH
I understand that the best way to get attention is to crash a Mayor’s speech.
JOURNALISM
Ha!!!
Some journalism. You quote The Pitch, who quotes The Star, who quotes Shaun. Bottom Feeder Communications.
The only way I get drawn to your website is when someone posts on Facebook another one of your ridiculous stories, and I’m drawn to it like rubber-neckers at a fatal motorcycle accident.
I don’t understand your purpose. Find something that you’re good at, and stop wasting my time.
Hey, feel free to stop reading this site if it offends you so much. You won’t be missed.
AQUAMAN OFFENDED
Your site doesn’t offend. (Sorry if my lack of offense offends you). I just feel stupider every time I click onto it.
We should do an accuracy survey on your stories. I’ve heard of some major flubs you’ve had in the last month or so. Why don’t you leave the journalsim to those who know what they’re doing? You won’t be missed.
(What? No comeback for my pointing out that you quoted The Pitch, quoting The Star, who quoted the Broyls)??? Way to go after the source.
My goal is to try and keep someone who calls himself “aquaman” happy. I feel stupider every time you respond to a story.
DRIVE-BY POSTERS
Eric on accuracy? Anonymously? With use of great grammar like “stupider” and can’t spell journalism correctly?
Just another day in the drive-by Internet “Everybody can be an editorial writer” sweepstakes.
KOOKBURGER
Crashing the mayor’s speech may get you a little publicity, but buddying up with anti-Semites like the current kookburger probably won’t serve him very well in the entertainment industry.
BROYLS RESPONDS
Hey John…sorry to disappoint you but some of your facts are wrong:
I worked at Toys R Us for 19 days in Olathe a year BEFORE moving to LA, to raise money to self-publish my book. Earned the money, published the book. Sorry it couldn’t be more glamourous, but in that case I WAS desperate for being let go from KCTV5 at Christmas time for what they told me was being “too funny”. Then I made some money from the book and paid some bills.
Since moving to LA I’ve been cast in Ford, Honda, and BING ads. I made more money in 2011 from over 30 Ford commercials than I made all 3 years in KC. Currently my Honda ad can be seen all over the country.
I wasn’t reading from a teleprompter. The last scene I was reading a script, and chose to do so because I knew the joke focused away from my eyes on the graphics below, so I figured it’d be best to get the words right since it was a minute long monologue. I hear SNL uses cue cards but then again, they’re professionals.
The Onion is doing a write up on me today. The guy personally emailed me to tell me how funny the video was and to thank me for putting it up. And finally I’m happy with the views! I just put the video up. It takes hard work to make noise in this industry, and doing the same-old, same-old isn’t going to get you noticed. It’s clearly a tongue-in-cheek video that I never found to be desperate, just a different way of going about getting myself noticed instead of making a sex-tape, beating Rhianna or getting DUI’s every other week.
That being said, thanks for watching the video.
JERK
If making a comedic video to get a comedy job is desperate, what is running a condescending article about an unemployed actor? Jerk.
P.S. Your web design is great. I like how you’re trying to bring the 80′s back. Your content sounds desperate though.
COMEDY NEWS
Wow, John. You sure have generated a lot of responses from people who profess to hate you and your site.
What I don’t get is why this story has generated the heat. Shaun Broyls? Seriously?
Look folks, he was doing comedy when he was on the “news”. He was silly, sloppy, and over-the-top. Just what the tv industry wants in local news personalities.
I love your site, John!
SATIRE
You don’t really get satire do you, John?
Guess not. I obviously don’t understand his humor.
HIS HUMOR
Booking agents also don’t understand his humor.
CLASSY
How classy of you!
ONION ARTICLE
In case you wanted to see it, here’s that Onion article I was telling you about. It came out today.
http://www.avclub.com/articles/watch-the-lengths-to-which-a-determined-young-man,94055/