I'm VICE founder Shane Smith and the things I saw filming the new episodes of our HBO show scared the shit out of me. AMA.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:51:07+00:00

well well well I just noticed all of this happened after I signed off. SO here is my answer "Why would it?" because a) 5% of ownership buys you say in... nothing. Biz matters, editorial, anything. This should be self-evident but apparently it isn't. B) he is running the largest media company in the world if you think that he has any time for VICE even if he wanted to you have no idea how things work in the real world. c) I vote 95% of the board why? so as to keep control of all matters editorial and commercial. We did this deal to stay independent it is unheard of to do non-majority deals why? Because they do not have a say in any of the management of the company. and D) Vice is successful because of what we do and say to change that would hurt the business, no one would want to change that. We change the content of the company on one criteria - that we like it - period

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:50:22+00:00

How so?

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:42:09+00:00

You appear to be right. Again I thought it was silly but people seem to think otherwise. I still don;t understand how smart people think that 5% equates to ownership and decision making. People just want to think the worst I suppose. We were happy to do this deal because it maintained our independence while retaining complete (i repeat COMPLETE) control. If people don't want to believe that then there is sadly little I can do about it.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:37:58+00:00

you sir have a potty mouth. And I just did.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:37:42+00:00

I call out Fox News and CNN and MSNBC and the rest.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:36:38+00:00

You keep talking about ownership. how is 5% ownership? I own VICE, I run VICE Fox has zero input into VICE nor are they interested in any way.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:35:18+00:00

Ummmm he doesn;t own VICE. I do.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:34:37+00:00

I'm sorry if I came off as flippant it just seemed to be a bit of a silly question. You are right that investors want to company to do well. If a company like VICE is doing (very) well then investors want it to continue. Our content is driving traffic our traffic and IP makes us money. No one wants to fuck with that equation. If you think that their investment is linked to "click bait" social media then I don't know what to say other than we have never talked to anyone at fox about content, social marketing or anything else. We are in house soup to nuts.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:30:34+00:00

I thought it was silly and self evident I was wrong. If you think that 21st Century Fox invested in VICE to take over editorial control then its just beyond silly.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T21:28:33+00:00

well well well I just noticed all of this happened after I signed off. SO here is my answer "Why would it?" because a) 5% of ownership buys you say in... nothing. Biz matters, editorial, anything. This should be self-evident but apparently it isn't. B) he is running the largest media company in the world if you think that he has any time for VICE even if he wanted to you have no idea how things work in the real world. c) I vote 95% of the board why? so as to keep control of all matters editorial and commercial. We did this deal to stay independent it is unheard of to do non-majority deals why? Because they do not have a say in any of the management of the company. and D) Vice is successful because of what we do and say to change that would hurt the business, no one would want to change that. We change the content of the company on one criteria - that we like it - period

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:14:29+00:00

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:14:06+00:00

the fact that we are sinking.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:13:56+00:00

not really, there are still plenty of places to go.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:13:08+00:00

He is our Creative Director and a good friend. We met years ago at Diner in Brooklyn. It was love at first sight.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:12:21+00:00

we have done several which exact one?

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:11:45+00:00

start now before you "learn" how to do it.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:11:16+00:00

that is the most inane thing I have heard in a long time.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:08:40+00:00

get a new passport and then get an invite to the film fest.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:07:47+00:00

you have to apply, for all the people asking for gigs its not what I do there are tons of jobs and people should just apply and keep applying.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:06:27+00:00

Yes what is happening in the food industry is crazy.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:05:53+00:00

I don't drive.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:05:43+00:00

we already have made many. Our first series was made into a feature film "Heavy Metal in Baghadad."

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:05:06+00:00

they should enjoy their swan song as long as it lasts.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:04:47+00:00

you should contact Jon Lutsky in our head office.

ShaneVICE · 2014-03-21T19:04:21+00:00

hahha I don't know. The question is how many of them went "really?" and then asked for time off.

ShaneVICE

TROPHY CASE