River Buddy Butcher (born Rhea Harriett Butcher; August 12, 1982) is an American

stand-up comedian Stand-up comedy is a comedy, comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up. Stand-up comedy consists of One-line joke ...

, actor, writer, producer, and

podcast A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...

host. Butcher is best known for personal, observational comedy focused on his

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism may ...

feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

, love of

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

, and experiences as a queer person.

Early life

Butcher was raised in the Kenmore neighborhood of

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County, Ohio, Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 C ...

, an only child whose parents divorced when Butcher was one month old.Bigley II, James (November 16, 2016).
Comedian Rhea Butcher is the Real Deal
. ''Cleveland Magazine''. Retrieved May 31, 2017. He attended

Our Lady of the Elms High School Our Lady of the Elms School is a private, all-girls independent Catholic college preparatory high school in Akron, Ohio, United States. Our Lady of the Elms School was founded by the Sisters of St. Dominic (now Dominican Sisters of Peace) in 1923. ...

and graduated from

Archbishop Hoban High School Archbishop Hoban High School is a Catholic college-preparatory school in Akron, Ohio. It is sponsored by the Catholic religious order Brothers of Holy Cross. History In the early 1950s, Archbishop Edward F. Hoban invited the Brothers of Holy Cros ...

in 2001.Heldenfels, Rich (October 12, 2014). "Akron Native to Perform at Musica: Rhea Butcher Returning Home with Stand-up Act". ''Akron Beacon Journal'' (Akron, Ohio). p. B1. While attending the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

, Butcher worked at a

skateboard A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks. The skateboarde ...

shop named Summer Squall and an indoor skating facility called Joe's Skate Park,Wallace, Julie (September 14, 2001). "Park for Skaters Ready to Roll Out Mayor, Councilman to Unveil Akron Site Tomorrow". ''Akron Beacon Journal'' (Akron, Ohio). p. D1. and helped design a

skatepark A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, wheelchairs, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, q ...

that opened in Akron in 2001. He graduated from the University of Akron with a degree in

printmaking Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed techniq ...

in 2005. Butcher attended graduate school at

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...

. In 2006, Butcher had an

exhibit Exhibit may refer to: *Exhibit (legal), evidence in physical form brought before the court **Demonstrative evidence, exhibits and other physical forms of evidence used in court to demonstrate, show, depict, inform or teach relevant information to ...

at a

printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating work of art, artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand proce ...

’s show called "Prints at an Exposition".Shinn, Dorothy (February 5, 2006). "Stellar Printmakers Put Stamp on Exhibit: Summit Artspace Has Local Artists Showcasing Fresh Approaches to Art". ''Akron Beacon Journal":(Akron, Ohio). p. E4. This exhibit, which was a series of prints on

muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured. Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...

showing the body's organs, was inspired by his own

appendectomy An appendectomy, also termed appendicectomy, is a Surgery, surgical operation in which the vermiform appendix (a portion of the intestine) is removed. Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedure to treat complicated acu ...

Comedy career

Early years

Butcher began his comedy career performing improv in Chicago at

The Second City The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise and is the oldest ongoing improvisational theater troupe to be continually based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and Los Angeles. The Second City Theatre op ...

and has since performed stand-up at clubs including Zanies, the Jukebox, and Flappers, as well as Chicago Underground Comedy, The Hideout, The Lincoln Lodge, UCB, Cole's, and Meltdown. He made his late night debut on '' Conan'' in June 2016.Rhea Butcher Stand-Up
. '' Conan''. June 30, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.

2014–present

In the fall of 2014, Butcher appeared alongside

Cameron Esposito Cameron Anne Young Anastasia Esposito (born October 17, 1981) is an American actor, comedian, and podcaster known for her show ''Take My Wife (2016 TV series), Take My Wife'', as well as her stand-up comedy and her podcast, ''Queery''. Esposito s ...

in a series of videos for

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...

Motion Pictures titled "Ask a Lesbian". Butcher and Esposito also co-hosted the web series "She Said" for

Amy Poehler's Smart Girls Amy Poehler's Smart Girls is an organization and website aimed at helping young women with life's problems in a funny but informative way. It was founded by actress Amy Poehler, Executive Director Meredith Walker, who was the former senior producer ...

Network. The two wrote and starred together again in '' Take My Wife,'' on the comedy streaming service

Seeso Seeso was an over-the-top subscription streaming service owned by Comcast through NBCUniversal, launched on January 7, 2016, and closed on November 8, 2017. It provided comedy content such as original and broadcast television shows. History O ...

. Butcher also co-hosted the stand-up comedy podcast ''Put Your Hands Together'' with Cameron Esposito, which was recorded weekly in front of a live audience at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles until it ended in July 2019. His first comedy album ''Butcher'' was released in August 2016 by the independent record label

Kill Rock Stars Kill Rock Stars is an independent record label founded in 1991 by Slim Moon and Tinuviel Sampson, and based in both Olympia, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The label has released a variety of work in different genres, but was originally known ...

.Heldenfels, Rich (August 21, 2016). "New Album, Show for Comedian Rhea Butcher: Akron Native Returns to Area for Local Appearance, CD Signing". ''Akron Beacon Journal'' (Akron, Ohio). p. E1. The set was performed at

Mississippi Studios Mississippi Studios is a music venue and recording studio in Portland, Oregon's Boise neighborhood, United States. The studio opened in 2003. Jim Brunberg and Kevin Cradock are owners. The venue was formerly a Baptist church, but has since been com ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. It debuted at number one on

iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...

. In 2016, he appeared in 8 episodes of the first season of ''

Adam Ruins Everything ''Adam Ruins Everything'' is an American educational comedy television series starring Adam Conover that ran from 2015 through 2019 on TruTV. The series endeavors to debunk common misconceptions held by the public on a variety of topics. Premise ...

''. He returned in 2017 for one additional appearance. In 2018, he started hosting a baseball-focused

called ''Three Swings''. In 2021, he appeared on Comedy Central Stand Up Presenting called ''A Different Kind of Dude'.'' As stated in an interview, Butcher said his strongest comedy influences are

Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American comedian, television producer, actress, author, and television personality. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' ...

Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...

, Brett Butler,

Elayne Boosler {{Orphan, date=July 2021 Elayne is a female given name of French origin, which means "light". The name can be a variant of Elaine or Elena. Elayne may refer to: People *Elayne Angel * Elayne Arrington *Elayne Boosler (born 1952), American comed ...

Maria Bamford Maria Bamford (born September 3, 1970) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work has drawn critical acclaim and controversy because her humor often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression ...

, and Paul F. Tompkins.Shapiro, Gregg (2016).
Rhea Butcher: Butcher than all of you: An interview with lesbian comedian Rhea Butcher
". ''Chicago Pride''.

Voice acting

Butcher provided the voice for Asher, a fictional

nonbinary Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typicall ...

character in

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts ''Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts'' is an animated television series created by Radford Sechrist and developed by Bill Wolkoff, adapted from Rad's 2015 webcomic ''Kipo''. The series is produced by American company DreamWorks Animation Televisi ...

in three episodes of season two released in 2020.

Personal life

Butcher met fellow comedian

at an

open mic An open mic or open mike (shortened from "open microphone") is a live show at a venue such as a coffeehouse, nightclub, comedy club, strip club, or pub, usually taking place at night, in which audience members may perform on stage whether the ...

hosted by Esposito.Mason, Amelia (November 2, 2017).
Comedy Wives Cameron Esposito And Rhea Butcher Are Scripting Their Own Story
. ''

WBUR WBUR-FM (90.9 FM) is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Boston University. It is the largest of three NPR member stations in Boston, along with WGBH and WUMB-FM and produces several nationally distributed program ...

''. The two soon started collaborating and then began to date. On December 12, 2015, Butcher and Esposito married onstage at The Hideout in Esposito's hometown of

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. In August 2018, Butcher and Esposito announced their separation to "live individual lives." Their split was covered in a '' Vanity Fair'' article. In September 2019, Esposito wrote an article for the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' discussing the couple's pending divorce. Butcher is a

trans man A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that incl ...

and uses ''he'' and ''

they In Modern English, ''they'' is a third-person pronoun relating to a grammatical subject. Morphology In Standard Modern English, ''they'' has five distinct word forms: * ''they'': the nominative (subjective) form * ''them'': the accusat ...

'' pronouns. In November 2021, Butcher announced that he had changed his name to River. Butcher is dating musician Merle Roohan. Butcher is a member of the

Democratic Socialists of America The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a Left-wing politics, left-wing Democratic Socialists of America#Tendencies within the DSA, multi-tendency Socialism, socialist and Labour movement, labor-oriented political organization. Its roots ...

. He endorsed

Kenneth Mejia Kenneth Mejia (born November 7, 1990) is an American activist, accountant, and politician, serving as the controller of Los Angeles since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party and a former Green, Mejia was a three-time candidate for the Unite ...

and

Eunisses Hernandez Eunisses Hernandez (born 1990) is an American activist and politician, currently serving as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district since 2022. A member of the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists of America, Herna ...

during the 2022 Los Angeles elections.

Notable appearances

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Butcher, RB 1982 births Living people 21st-century American actors American stand-up comedians American television actors Actors from Akron, Ohio Feminist comedians Transgender comedians LGBT people from Ohio American non-binary actors 21st-century American comedians Members of the Democratic Socialists of America Non-binary writers Non-binary comedians Transgender male actors University of Akron alumni American LGBT comedians