

By December, the show had already been canceled in spite of good ratings due to other Adult Swim-affiliated stars not wanting to work at a network that was supporting Hyde, especially when he had the power to instantly mobilize his small but rabid fanbase to brutalize any ideological dissenters. Million Dollar Extreme Presents: World Peace premiered on Adult Swim in August 2016. This toxicity, incited by Hyde and propagated by his fanbase, directly lead to his downfall. Is Sam Hyde a living "persona," like Andy Kaufman, who never breaks character to comment on the absurdity of society? Or is he a genuine homophobe? Or perhaps his intent really doesn't matter at all considering the damaging effect it had on LGBTQ viewers. Gauging the artistic merit of a performance piece like this is especially difficult, as it largely hinges on its creator's intent. The same could not be said for his other best-known 2013 performance, a "standup" routine at a Brooklyn venue that consisted entirely of Hyde reading ultra-conservative talking points against homosexuality with the intent of making everyone in the audience walk out. Sam hyde gives a ted talk: 2070 PARADIGM SHIFT While his fake panels were certainly aggressive performance pieces, they weren't cruel. These bits, especially the latter, made a splash in the underground comedy scene, giving Hyde clout as an edgy, alternative comedian.

Then in 2013, he pulled a similar stunt at a Drexel University TEDx Talk, delivering a satirical, jargon-filled tech speech titled "2070 Paradigm Shift" while wearing a maroon jumpsuit and a breastplate. In 2012 he hosted a fake panel titled " Samurai Swordplay in a Digital Age" using the pseudonym "Master Kenchiro Ichiimada" at an anime convention in Vermont, tasking a friend with blocking the door so trapped attendees couldn't leave. Hyde, in particular, gained wider notoriety for a number of public pranks. It felt alternative, gritty, and most importantly, very funny. Unlike their influences, however, much of MDE's appeal revolved around their confrontational style, especially the way they interacted with their subjects who weren't in on the joke. Their videos usually featured bizarre language and absurd graphics and were likely influenced by the stylings of their contemporary YouTuber, Cboyardee, along with other sketch groups like Tim and Eric. Their most popular videos, like "MDE WHYPZ : New Bedford Street Heat," involved publicly screwing with unassuming people. The Rhode Island-based group gained recognition in niche Internet circles during the early 2010s. Sam Hyde is the most prominent member of the three-man sketch comedy troupe Million Dollar Extreme (MDE). His rise and fall offer a unique case study on the topic of censoring artists with disagreeable views. Three years later, he's been almost entirely dethroned––his show canceled, his YouTube and Reddit communities removed, and his Twitter banned. The sketch writer/performance artist had just sold a show to Adult Swim and his off-brand indie comedy, which had been incredibly influential in niche Internet communities like 4chan, was starting to gain wider appeal. In 2015, comedian Sam Hyde's career was booming.
