Action Bronson Vs VICE: The Beef I Didn't Know I Needed

So yesterday VICE posted this meme…..annnnd Action Bronson promptly LOST HIS SHIT

At first I thought Action’s response may have been a joke but then VICELAND deleted the tweet and Bronson posted another angry tweet which led me to believe he was serious.

Now if Action Bronson got this triggered just because Vice posted a harmless (albeit unfunny) meme comparing him to salt bae, that would be a bad look. It would pretty much be the equivalent of Barstool having fun with the “Big Cat Big House” memes a few years ago

and Dan freaking out being like “ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS GUYS? DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH MONEY I BRING IN TO THIS COMPANY? HOW DARE YOU FAT SHAME ME!!!”

However, I like Action Bronson more than I like VICE so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and after doing a little research, found that there has been growing animosity between Bronsilinio and VICE for a while now. Almost all of what I learned came from an article published back in February of this year by SPIN titled “VICE’s Action Bronson Problem”. I found the article pretty interesting as despite VICE being much larger than Barstool and appealing to a slightly more “hipster” demographic, both companies are in the content business and have “non-traditional workplaces.” Also, Action’s second tweet about not getting enough promotion (see above) reminded me a bit of Pat McAfee’s own qualms with Barstool. However, that’s where the similarities end. Let’s take a closer look shall we?

(SPIN)” According to at least ten staffers at the New York office, Bronson has used the creative latitude awarded to him for his nightly show to treat the office, including its main lobby, as what one described as a playhouse. Another staffer described the office as being “held hostage by his nightly show.” Employees recounted incidents in which Bronson brought goats into the office, as well as a marching band. Sometimes the nuisances were more routine, such as Bronson and his crew sprinting through the office with fitness trainer Troy Brooks. According to multiple sources, Bronson recently rode a bike into an editorial meeting being held by Vice’s music website Noisey with a camera crew in tow, interrupting it for several minutes by yelling at gathered staffers, in the role of a mock manager, about raising their productivity.

Oh cry me a river Vice. Your staffers must make this guy look like an absolute party animal.
Now don’t me wrong, everyone at Barstool complains from time to time about how our own office shenanigans aren’t the most conducive for getting work done. Do you think I actually wanted to listen to the Plain White Tees sing “Hey Delilah” at the latest Nate at Nite(that was actually filmed in the afternoon). Not a chance.  However, until we move into an office with separate film studios(possibly next April), the majority of our shows and video segments need to be filmed directly in the middle of the office. That’s just the way she goes. Every Tuesday afternoon/evening the office turns into an actual construction site as they build the set for Barstool Sports Advisors. Then on Wednesday, Stu Feiner comes in and screams at the top of his lungs for hours. However, at Barstool, I feel there is a mutual understanding that these shows and theatrics are helping our bottom line and the situation gets dealt with in one of two ways.

1. People throw on soundproof headphones and just ignore the chaos. It’s really not too tough and sure beats working a cube monkey job.
2. Someone actually complains to the person making all the noise TO THEIR FACE and it becomes solid content for Stool Scenes. Not behind their back to a magazine trying to write a hit piece about how dysfunctional our company is.

Keep in mind Action Bronson is one of the biggest stars VICELAND has. Actually, HE IS their biggest star since Desus and Mero left for Showtime. Imagine if someone at Barstool went up to Erika to complain that Barstool Sports Advisors was making too much noise during their skits or that Big Cat driving a scooter around the office is distracting.

She’d be like “ehh sorry, but that shit is how we can afford to cut you a paycheck, deal with it!”

Here’s another tidbit from the article.

“The issue came to a head last week, though, when, according to multiple sources, a rumor began circulating among employees on both coasts that Bronson had used the n-word while in the New York office. Because Bronson’s presence there is tied to his nightly show, he was wearing a mic and on camera when the alleged incident occurred. A complaint was filed to HR, and on February 1 Vice executives reviewed the tape and determined that Bronson did not use the slur, and instead had been misheard. In order to satiate employees who were skeptical of the ruling, Ciel Hunter, Vice’s head of content, allowed individual staffers to come into a conference room and hear the audio for themselves. According to one person who listened to the recording, Bronson had used the name “Nick” in a sentence, and not the offending word. All sources who spoke to Spin for this story believe the matter to have been adequately resolved.

I can understand being upset thinking he said a racial slur. However, VICE executives reviewed the tape, determined that he didn’t say it, and employees still weren’t satisfied. The audio had to be played for every person individually before they were willing to put the issue to bed.  Employees actively trying to get their biggest talent fired for something he didn’t even do! Sounds like a pretty fun place to work.

“Bronson is said to leave parts of the office, including large, shared areas, reeking of weed smoke daily—a mild and even comical annoyance, especially at a largely millennial workplace like Vice, but one that staffers believe erodes the professionalism the company should be growing into. “

I smelled weed at Barstool once. Thought I was gonna cry. Too many potheads at this company to determine who it was but the moment I find out I’m going straight to Chernin.

This below paragraph is just hilarious and I have no idea why it was included in the article.

“At least one incident was more serious. According to multiple sources, during filming on January 22, an ambulance was required to remove an employee, who was visiting from a different Vice office, from the roof deck where Bronson shoots. “They brought this guy into the lobby off the roof deck on a stretcher,” one source who witnessed the incident tells Spin. “He was strapped down.” Rumors have abounded regarding what exactly necessitated the call to authorities, but senior sources at Vice say that the employee was treated for dehydration and is fine. “

Hey buddy! MIX IN A WATAH!!!!! Don’t really see how this is Action’s fault unless he’s the company’s official hydration officer. I mean maybe the guy just got too high but he’s an adult, next time Bronson offers you a dab just say NO. It’s not rocket science.

“The staffers who spoke with Spin characterized Action Bronson as a general manifestation of what they are seeking to eradicate from the company.”

Hmmm, interesting business strategy.
Step 1. Determine what attracts most people to VICE and is the only reason that people even watch VICELAND.
Step 2. Eradicate it from the company.
Bold strategy cotton, let’s see how that works out for you.

You’re welcome at Barstool anytime Action. We don’t have a TV channel at the moment but feel free to bring goats into our office whenever you want.

P.S. White Bronco drops November 1st.

P.P.S. This Vice style mockumentary made me chuckle.