Dropout Star Grant O’Brien Says “The Downfall Of Hollywood Has Been Greatly Exaggerated”
Dropout Star Grant O’Brien Says “The Downfall Of Hollywood Has Been Greatly Exaggerated”
Keegan KellyThu, March 19, 2026 at 8:30 PM UTC
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The most beloved and successful independent streaming service in comedy probably isn’t going to replace the struggling power players of the entertainment industry, but Hollywood will have to keep an eye on them.
There is no better example of comedians taking control of their destinies in the age of the democratized internet than the meteoric rise of Dropout. Under owner/CEO Sam Reich, the company formerly known as CollegeHumor transformed itself from a highly clickable but questionably profitable hub for hilarious web content into the foremost provider of long form, high production value and ethically sourced laughs on the internet.
At the South by Southwest Comedy Festival last weekend, Cracked got the chance to connect with a couple of founding Dropout stars, Lily Du and Grant O’Brien, two former CollegeHumor cast members who witnessed the company’s metamorphosis first-hand. The host and bartender of Dropout's casual game show Dirty Laundry shared their thoughts on how the comedy industry has changed and how Dropout continues to play a part in its evolution.
During the talk, O’Brien explained that, although the ongoing retraction in mainstream show business has led to consolidation, industry-wide job loss and the opportunity for brands like Dropout to offer an alternative to corporate comedy, the Hollywood machine isn’t going anywhere, and the massive, multi-billion dollar companies that dominate movies, TV and streaming will survive this slump.
But while O'Brien doesn't think Dropout will render the boardroom obsolete, they've certainly earned their seat at the table.
In our talk, Cracked's Michael Strauss asked Du and O'Brien, “If you were to give a State of the Union on comedy right now as it relates to Dropout, what would you be telling America?”
“I think the downfall of Hollywood has been greatly exaggerated,” O'Brien began, “I think that we might lose some studios, but as we do, we're going to see more cool indie brands start to come up like (Dropout). Those will be the new places to look for things.”
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O'Brien, who spent four years at CollegeHumor before the company laid him off and who returned for Reich's rebrand as a core Dropout cast member, speaks from experience on the topic of relative outsiders establishing themselves as legitimate competition for corporate streaming comedy. Said O'Brien of those burgeoning indie brands, “It's very exciting to be a part of one. It's really cool!”
Du, who, like O'Brien, fell victim to the infamous CollegeHumor layoffs before Reich recruited her for the company's reinvention, had some constructive criticism for the mainstream comedy-makers who haven't been able to match Dropout's growth over the last several years. “This is a condemnation of some other comedy studios, but, like, pay people more money!” Du advised.
“Don't just pay people less just because you can get away with paying people less because everybody is desperate for work,” Du told the corporate penny-pinchers of show business, “Pay people their value! Pay people so that they like working with you, so that, after they become successful, they actually want to return and continue working with you.
Du continued, "Have that relationship and be nice to your workers, because there are similar companies that do what Dropout does – or want to to what Dropout does – that pay pennies on the dollar!”
“Getting good people is the most important thing in comedy, (or) probably any enterprise at all,” O'Brien agreed. “Keep them!”
Dropout is one of the rare companies in comedy that practices profit sharing, and, because of that, Reich will never have a hard time hiring the best and brightest talents in the industry. Of course, the massive resources and prestige that Hollywood's largest studios command will always attract big-name artists, even if their paychecks pale in comparison to their producers' take-home.
Hollywood will never flunk out of the comedy business. But if Dropout continues its unprecedented growth while offering comedians an alternative to the usual corporate soul-selling, it could soon become the head of the class.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
