Getty Hannibal Buress
Hannibal Buress, popular stand-up comedian and former star of Broad City, was heavily trolled on Twitter after dissing presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders and fighting against rent-controlled apartments. Many users online wondered why Buress would be such so staunchly against rent-controlled apartments, and while people on Twitter made comments on Twitter about him being a landlord, it was widely assumed that these comments were in jest.
However, it’s not a bit. Buress is a landlord.
When Sanders tweeted, “We need national rent control standard now,” which included a quote from union construction worker Grace Holly, Buress retweeted the statement writing, “Wrong,” which set off a firestorm of comments, especially, after the comedian urged his 1.1 million followers to donate to irpoa.org, which is the Illinois Rental Property Owners Association, where Buress owns property.
Part of Sanders’ housing plan suggests a national cap on rental price increases of 3 percent, 1.5 times the rate of inflation, or whichever is higher. However, Buress, who owns a three-unit building in Chicago, opposes such caps.
In an interview with The Chicago Tribune in 2016, Buress talked about how he became landlord, and how owning property in his hometown seemed to be a natural progression. “Lately, I’ve been in Chicago way more,” Buress said. “I just feel better being in Chicago than I do in New York lately.”
“I bought a building in Wicker Park, so I come back to handle stuff with that to just rent it out,” Buress said. “You gotta buy sh*t, man, I’m grown up. You get to a point where you have money and you’re like, ‘This is in checking? I can’t have this in checking! I need to smarten up and invest for the future.’
Buress has included jokes about being a landlord in some of his material. In his podcast, Hannibal Buress: Handsome Rambler, the comedian describes how he needed a friend to evict people staying at his Airbnb rentals while he was out of town because the renters were partying too hard.
While his friend felt uneasy laying down the law with rowdy tenants Buress said, “He’s ain’t got it in him. It ain’t his property so he don’t have the passion that I have.”
Buress Announced His Presidential Endorsement Goes to Andrew Yang
Drawing further ire online, the 36-year-old Chicago-based performer retweeted a photo that showed that U.S. Senator from Vermont was following him by announcing he was supporting Andrew Yang’s bid for the presidency. He tweeted, “Thanks man. It’s still #yanggang though. Maybe you can be the wise advisor and help him out on @zoom_us meetings.”
Other celebrity endorsements for Yang include Elon Musk, Nicholas Cage, Tommy Chong, and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. Yang is only sixth in the polls with 2.5 percent support, but has qualified for the democratic debate in November.
Buress Called To Be ‘Cancelled’ On Twitter
Buress was called a “pro-landlord activist” online and was widely panned for his views against rent-controlled apartments. The discussion online varied from offering up new jokes the comedian could use in his next stand-up special, to conversations about tenant’s rights.
Twitter user Kendall Brown wrote, “Since Hannibal Buress is promoting an Illinois landlord rights organization (seriously, dude?) here’s the website for the Illinois Tenants Union. They helped me escape a truly shitty/dangerous lease situation in Chicago. Support THEM. tenant.org.”
@hannibalburess Since Hannibal Buress is promoting an Illinois landlord rights organization (seriously, dude?) here’s the website for the Illinois Tenants Union.
They helped me escape a truly shitty/dangerous lease situation in Chicago. Support THEM. t.co/wmwbLkBdn8
Well now I know why Hannibal Buress always seems so tired. He’s been taking out his tenant’s garbage, fixing their garbage disposals, changing lightbulbs etc. Being a landlord is hard work.
calling my landlord, the popular comedian hannibal buress, to have someone come out and fix the sink
HANNIBAL BURESS: (rubbing eyes) I tell you, people these days. Yknow the other day I had a tenant come up to me? Like on the street? Like making eye contact with me? Saying something about the heating unit not working? Wack! I say “Do I look like I give a shit?” (AUDIENCE LAUGHS)
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