Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Neil Gaiman Will Read Us The Cheesecake Factory Menu, But Only If We're Good
Photo via Neil Gaiman's Facebook
()
Fantasy author Neil Gaiman performing a dramatic reading of the Cheesecake Factory menu out loud is the dream you never knew you had. On some primal level, doesn't your soul ache to hear the "American Gods" and "Coraline" author extolling the virtues of Loaded Baked Potato Tots and Skinnylicious® Chicken Pot Pie? Now that dream is close to becoming reality, thanks to the efforts of writer-comedian Sara Benincasa and the magic of Twitter.
It all started when Benincasa reached out to Gaiman directly in a May 19 tweet. “Last week I watched an episode of the sublime TV adaptation of American Gods, went on a goddamn elegant date to Cheesecake, woke up, drank coffee, and went into some kind of inspiration blackout," Benincasa told Eater. "When I came to, I discovered I'd asked Neil if he'd read the entire Cheesecake Factory menu onstage in exchange for a $500,000 donation to a charity of his choice.”
Much to everyone's surprise, Gaiman responded in the affirmative just a few hours after Benincasa first slid into his mentions, tweeting out a solemn vow to read the Beverly Hills-foundedchain's menu aloud if fans raised $500,000 for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) by World Refugee Day on June 20.
Support for LAist comes from
I have said Yes. If she makes it happen, for charity, I will do this thing. https://t.co/vkJWVDiYTJ
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) May 20, 2017
Benincasa quickly put together a CrowdRise page to fund the project, promising to make the dramatic reading available to the public via livestream or video. She also noted that, "The hashtag for this silliness is #neilcake. Why? Because it is silly and good." The #NeilCake campaign has attracted over $7,000 in donations in just a few days. Here's hoping Benincasa will be able to raise the rest of the money by June 20; after all, from the folios of Shakespeare to The Cheesecake Factory menu, great art is meant to be heard aloud.
LAist reached out to The Cheesecake Factory for comment, but did not immediately hear back. However, we did discover that the Cheesecake Factory website's FAQ page contains an entire section devoted to "Whole Cheesecake Questions," which also piqued our interest.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist