Owen Benjamin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Owen Benjamin |
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Benjamin in 2017
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| Birth name | Owen Benjamin Kares Troy-Smith |
| Born | May 24, 1980 Oswego, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film, internet |
| Education | State University of New York, Plattsburgh (BA) |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Notable works and roles | Sullivan & Son The House Bunny |
Owen Benjamin Kares Troy-Smith (born May 24, 1980), known professionally as Owen Benjamin, is an American conspiracy theorist and internet personality. He was a stand-up comedian and actor who had minor roles in mainstream film and television between 2008 and 2015.
In the late 2010s, Benjamin began expressing more extreme political views. In 2019, he was banned from several mainstream social media platforms for violations of their policies, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. .....
Early life
Benjamin was born to John Kares Smith and Jean Troy-Smith, both professors at Oswego State University. He attended Plattsburgh State College, where he worked at the student-run TV station.
Career
Acting and stand-up comedy (2004–2018)
Benjamin starred in several web-only video series, including in the role of Owen on C-SPOT's 2008 Gaytown and the role of Chance Stevens on CBS Interactive's 2009 Heckle U. He also hosted Owen Benjamin Presents, a 2008 C-SPOT production.
In 2008, Benjamin had a supporting role in the comedy film The House Bunny. In 2009, he played the lead role in the romantic comedy film All's Faire in Love, co-starring with Christina Ricci. From 2012 to 2014, he portrayed Owen Walsh on the TBS original sitcom Sullivan & Son. He also appeared on the MTV show Punk'd, and twice as a correspondent on The Jay Leno Show. Benjamin hosted the annual ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards from 2014 to 2016. He hosted Esquire Network's The Next Great Burger in 2015.
Towards the end of the decade, Benjamin had established himself as what conservative commentator Bethany Mandel described as an "up-and-coming conservative comedian", booking comedy shows at university campuses. He hosted a podcast, Why Didn't They Laugh, on Sideshow Network.
Views
Benjamin is part of the alt-right, and has espoused views rooted in white nationalism that are racist and antisemitic. Bethany Mandel has said that Benjamin, who was once a mainstream conservative comedian, became increasingly radicalized towards the end of the 2010s.
According to Insider, Benjamin supports antisemitic conspiracy theories. In October 2018, The Atlantic reported that Benjamin had a history of posting antisemitic memes on Instagram. In 2019, Right Wing Watch reported on Benjamin's statement that Adolf Hitler was trying to "clean Germany, clean it of the parasites, of the fleas", and his claims that Jews control the media. Right Wing Watch also reported on one of Benjamin's livestreams, where he said, "gays and Jews were considered the worst of the worst. Why? Because if they get power, they will destroy your entire civilization." Mandel has said that Benjamin has posted fabricated writing from the Talmud and spread antisemitic conspiracy theories, including Holocaust denial.
Right Wing Watch has reported that Benjamin believes in several other conspiracy theories, such as that the transgender rights movement is part of a eugenics program to reduce the world population, that the moon landing did not occur, and that the existence of dinosaurs was fabricated by the Smithsonian. In November 2019, he spoke at the Flat Earth International Conference in Dallas, Texas.
Personal life
In March 2008, he and Christina Ricci announced they were engaged, but they ended their engagement two months later. He later married and had children.
In 2021, after Benjamin began working on a project to create a compound on property he owns in Boundary County, Idaho, county residents filed a complaint with the county commissioners over allegations that he had violated zoning provisions while also expressing concerns that he was forming a "Ruby Ridge style" compound on the property.
See also
In Spanish: Owen Benjamin para niños
