CULTURE

What Ever Happened to Sam Hyde?

After losing his show on Adult Swim and getting banned from every major platform, what is Sam Hyde doing now?

In 2015, comedian Sam Hyde's career was booming.

The sketch writer/performance artist had just sold a show to Adult Swim and his off-brand indie comedy, which had been incredibly influential in niche Internet communities like 4chan, was starting to gain wider appeal. Three years later, he's been almost entirely dethroned––his show canceled, his YouTube and Reddit communities removed, and his Twitter banned. His rise and fall offer a unique case study on the topic of censoring artists with disagreeable views. So what happened?

Sam Hyde is the most prominent member of the three-man sketch comedy troupe Million Dollar Extreme (MDE). The Rhode Island-based group gained recognition in niche Internet circles during the early 2010s. Their most popular videos, like "MDE WHYPZ : New Bedford Street Heat," involved publicly screwing with unassuming people. Their videos usually featured bizarre language and absurd graphics and were likely influenced by the stylings of their contemporary YouTuber, Cboyardee, along with other sketch groups like Tim and Eric. Unlike their influences, however, much of MDE's appeal revolved around their confrontational style, especially the way they interacted with their subjects who weren't in on the joke. It felt alternative, gritty, and most importantly, very funny.

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