On August 20th HBO Max will premiere three solo comedy specials: Rose Matafeo: Horndog, Beth Stelling: Girl Daddy, James Veitch: Straight to VHS, as well as a multi-act special from the HA Comedy Festival: The Art of Comedy, hosted by Anjelah Johnson, and featuring a lineup of America’s funniest Latinx comics.
We got a sneak peek of the specials last night at a virtual comedy event called 2 Drink Minimum hosted by HBO Max and Team Coco LIVE. Actor/Comedian Moses storm MC’d the evening interviewing/bantering with each of the comedians. Beth Stelling spoke about the misogyny that exists in comedy and whether her mom is a fan of some of her raunchier jokes. Anjelah Johnson spoke about doing comedy with Amy Schumer back in the day. Rose Matafeo and SNL cast member Chris Redd were also on the scene.
A VIP guest list was curated to attend the virtual event in lieu of a traditional red carpet. Support from celebrities and influencers on social media has been a cornerstone of the virtual event model, including confirmed names such as Madeleine Arthur, Brian Baumgartner, Doug Benson, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Lorraine Bracco, Wayne Brady, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cara Buono, Lana Condor, Bryan Craig, Dexter Darden, Bryan Dechart, Dana Delaney, Fran Drescher, Bradley Everett Young, Corinne Fisher, Kate Flannery, Kathryn Gallagher, Chris Gorham, Mollee Gray, Ashley Hesseltine, Poorna Jagannathan, Jim Jeffries, Penn Jillette, Joel McHale, Heather Morris, Oscar Nunez, Matt Rife, Natasha Rothwell, Hannah Simone, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Kulap Vilaysack, and more.
Prior to the virtual event, VIP guests and press received a curated package containing two drinks and snacks designed to bring the comedy club experience to the living room. The kit assembled by LA-based BTL SVC included two specialty cocktails: The Ginger Buck (a nod to Team Coco’s very own Conan O’Brien) and an HBO MAXarita. Bada Bean Bada Boom Chips were among the comedy-themed snacks. Tucked neatly inside the box was a comedy club ticket and menu listing the “specials”.
In support of the virtual comedy event, HBO Max will make a donation to SOUL (Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation) to aid its efforts in providing social justice. 2 Drink Minimum will be available to the general public on Team Coco’s IGTV, Facebook, and YouTube channel on Aug. 21.
