Moshe Kasher is a successful comic, podcaster, and author. He’s doing fine, thanks for asking. Oh, and he’d like you to pay his rent.
“About a year ago, I moved into a larger house and my rent went up by a factor of nearly double,” Kasher explained on his GoFundMe page. “At the time I felt that that would be ok, as my income had gone up enough to be able to afford my rent. I was right. My income has only increased since then and each month I am easily able to make my rent payment.”
And here’s where Kasher lays it all out on the line, in a way Lena Dunham and Amanda Palmer neglected to do.
HOWEVER, I do not want to pay. It seems frivolous for me to spend my own money again and again, each month, essentially shoveling money into an incinerator for “shelter” when I can turn to the kindness and support of my friends, family and most especially, my FANS, to help me pay my rent.
So, Kasher would like $11,000 from you, “fans.” No, his rent is not $11,000. Come on. He’s not Kevin Hart.
You have my word that any amount I receive that EXCEEDS my rent, I will apply to other expenses in my life: clothes, gasoline (premium), soy candles, perfumes, meringues, and macarons (the colorful French, almond layer cookies not “macaroons”, the pile of coconut shreds. Blech!)
So that should make you feel better about contributing. Well, you’d think so, but as of today, he’s gotten less than $300.
Part of that showing might be due to the top level reward having been unjustly cancelled by GoFundMe. Apparently offering to have sex with you (or your partner) is against this Amish-run startup’s terms of service. How’s that for injustice?
A more cynical person might see Kasher’s campaign as satire, a slap at filmmakers, TV producers, successful singers, actors, and producers who realized they could leverage their popularity, success, and financial security into more success and financial security because as fans, what have you done for them lately?
There are some folks who apparently feel pretty significantly at sea when they come crashing into irony, as some of the GoFundMe commenters testify.
Jason and Brad think Moshe’s a douche. Others are outraged—outraged I say—because, you know. The children. Won’t somebody think about the children?
Not Moshe. He’s going to be spending next month in Rome. But hey, rent’s rent.
Screengrab via The Laugh Factory/YouTube
