Welcome to Clubhouse: Why Hollywood Insiders Are Joining This Exclusive Social Platform

8:10 AM PST 2/1/2021 by Natalie Jarvey The audio-only, invite-only hangout has been embraced by Hollywood, especially Black creatives: “The exclusiveness has given them that buzzy start.” After a year of no film premieres or in-person awards shows, Hollywood is turning to a new venue to have the kind of spontaneous conversations with strangers that they once had in line at the bar. Clubhouse, an app for audio-only conversations, has over the past few months become a popular hangout spot for a number of top filmmakers, actors and influencers. On a recent December evening, director Barry Jenkins was on Clubhouse talking about his work on 2018’s If Beale Street Could Talk. At the same time, in another virtual room, Ava DuVernay was listening to a live performance of the Lion King musical, while Tiffany Haddish was part of a conversation titled “I Love Black Unicorns,” an allusion to the title of her memoir. “Clubhouse is this perfectly timed outlet for creativity, and it’s new enough that it feels like there’s this opportunity,” says writer, comedian and podcaster Baratunde Thurston, who regularly hosts conversations on Clubhouse.  » Read More