#FunnyMoneyRock / #FunnyMoneyLive x Icon City: Elevating Queer Culture Through Entertainment Media

C. Aigner Ellis
1 day ago
2 min read

A Case Study in Branded Storytelling, Live Performance, and Digital Community Building (2019-2021*)

🧠 The Project

Launched pre-pandemic, #FunnyMoneyRock and its live counterpart #FunnyMoneyLive were bold, branded content series developed and fully funded by Icon City Entertainment to spotlight the intersection of queer culture, music, comedy, and economic empowerment.

Created as a dual-format project — a live podcast series and a live music showcase — the initiative provided a platform for emerging LGBTQ+ artists, while fostering conversations about identity, creativity, and self-sufficiency within marginalized communities.

🎯 Objectives

Provide visibility and performance space for Black and Brown queer artists
Position Icon City as a cultural tastemaker and content innovator
Create media content that both entertains and informs on issues like creative economics, digital monetization, and wellness in entertainment

🛠 Key Deliverables

🎙️ #FunnyMoneyRock (Podcast Series)

Hosted and produced numerous podcast episodes featuring LGBTQ+ creators, comedians, and change-makers
Covered topics ranging from gig economy survival to artistry in the age of social media
Built community through humor, honesty, and visibility

🎶 #FunnyMoneyLive (Live Showcase)

Produced one high-energy showcase event featuring emerging queer musicians and performers
Offered stage time, digital marketing, and A/V support to talent that is often underrepresented in mainstream lineups
Served as a prototype for intersectional, community-first nightlife production

📊 Results

Delivered original LGBTQ+ cultural content at a time when queer visibility in media was still underfunded
Fostered audience engagement across Icon City’s digital and live platforms
Laid the creative and strategic foundation for what is now IconCityNews.com, the media publishing arm of Icon City

💡 Why It Matters

“We didn’t wait for platforms to include us — we built our own.”

#FunnyMoneyRock represents Icon City’s commitment to not just talking about representation, but producing it — through live content, artist empowerment, and Black queer media ownership.

🧭 What’s Next

The project was placed on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since been folded into the broader editorial and cultural mission of IconCityNews.com, where new formats of community-centered storytelling are now thriving.