goodCRIMETHINK

Note: Baratunde is now officially listed in the Comedy Central comedian directory and has a Wikipedia entry.

Bio

Baratunde Thurston is conscious comic and vigilante pundit who has successfully merged his interests in technology, politics and comedy. He has written as Jack Turner for the popular black political blog, Jack & Jill Politics, since its founding in the summer of 2006. He also a writes at The Huffington Post, DailyKos and his own site www.baratunde.com. He contributed to blackpeopleloveus.com

Baratunde has often used art as an expression of his activism. He has authored three books, including Keep Jerry Falwell Away From My Oreo Cookies, was nominated for the Bill Hicks Award for Thought Provoking Comedy, declared a Champion of the First Amendment by Iowa State University, and called “someone I need to know” by Barack Obama. He was an early member of Laughing Liberally and The Black Comedy Project, and his stage presence has earned him emcee duties at the National Conference for Media Reform, Netroots Nation and South by Southwest. He has been featured in various media outlets including NPR, the BBC, CNN, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, C-SPAN and ComedyCentral.com.

Baratunde speaks at colleges and conferences around the country and performs regularly in New York City, where he lives and works by day as an editor for The Onion. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Harvard and before that, he graduated from high school.

If you are a fan of Jon Stewart or the Bill of Rights, you will love Baratunde Thurston. He is not just an alternative to mainstream media. He’s an antidote.

Quotes

Barack Obama, US Senator & presidential candidate

Apparently, you’re somebody I need to know.

Barry Crimmins, political satirist

Baratunde Thurston is a gracious and humble man. The grace comes naturally but the humility has got to be difficult for someone of his enormous talents. A sharp, insightful and important performer and writer, Baratunde has exactly the kind of curiosity, energy and wit that makes great political satirists.

Catherine Orland, Student Activities Coordinator, Hampshire College

…I nearly died laughing. I agreed with his critiques of American racism, but what I was most impressed by was his successful blending of the sadness of those realities with comedy.

Rick Jenkins, Owner, The Comedy Studio

Baratunde is one of a few comic voices that is able to take a sharp, intelligent point of view and make it hysterically funny to all audiences.

Orson Scott Card, Author

We don’t necessarily see eye to eye politically, but when you’re that funny, I laugh even when it’s against my side.

mooospot (a YouTube viewer)

dumbass libral crackhead welfare sucker

Resume Stuff

awards, festivals and honors

• 2008 DC Comedy Festival
• 2007 New York Underground Comedy Festival
• Regional Finalist, 2007 Comedy Central Open Mic Fight
• Recipient, “Champion of the First Amendment” from Iowa State University’s School of Journalism
• Featured comedian, 2006 New York Underground Comedy Festival
• Nominated, 2005 Bill Hicks Spirit Award for Thought Provoking Comedy
• Contestant in 2004 & 2007 Boston Comedy Festival
• Finalist in 2002 HBO Comedy Festival Talent Search

media appearances

• Quoted in NY Times
• Recurring talking head, CNN
• Featured guest on Sirius INDIE Talk’s Blog Bunker
• Featured guest on BBC World Service’s World Have Your Say
• Regular guest on NPR’s News & Notes
• Regular guest on Christopher Lydon’s Radio Open Source
• Featured guest and commentator on Fox News Boston
• Quoted or featured in The New York Times, C-SPAN, The Boston Globe, The Washington Times, The Boston Phoenix, The Harvard Crimson, Somerville News and more

special events
• Speaker, MLK Commemoration Series, The Claremont College Consortium
• Opener for DNC Chair Gov. Howard Dean at the 2007 Yearly Kos Convention
• Master of Ceremonies, Media that Matters Film Festival at HBO Headquarters
• Performer/host, fundraiser and writer for Mass. governor’s candidate Deval Patrick
• Political Debate Moderator, Massachusetts 34th & 27th District State Rep contests
• Panelist on the artist/activist path, Eastern ACE Conference @ Yale University
• Performer, First Nights Boston for 4,000 people
• Former Co-Host, Cambridge chapter of Drinking Liberally
• Keynote Speaker, Higher Achievement Program graduation
• Master of Ceremonies, Harvard Black Men’s Forum Celebration of Black Women
• Master of Ceremonies, Harvard Black Arts Festival
• Panelist, discussing role of podcasting for the Publicity Club of New England

writing

• Opinion Contributor, The Independent of London
• Blogger, Huffington Post
• Blogger, Jack & Jill Politics, a black bourgeois perspective on American politics
• Former Columnist, Boston’s Weekly Dig
• Author of political humor books Better Than Crying, Keep Jerry Falwell Away from My Oreo Cookies and Thank You, Congressional Pages for Being So Damn Sexy
• Featured in author series alongside Howard Zinn and Cornel West
• Published in ModernHumorist.com, BlackPeopleLoveUs.com, The Boston Metro newspaper

other comedy-related

• Graduate, Chicago’s Improv Olympic Summer Intensive
• Regular performer, Laughing Liberally (incl. NYC’s Town Hall and the YearlyKos convention in Las Vegas)
• Worked with comics such as Gary Gulman, Louis CK, Greg Giraldo, Jonathan Katz, Brian Kiley, Bob Wiltfong, Lizz Winstead, Dwayne Perkins, Sarah Silverman, Brendon Small, Jimmy Tingle, Tony V, Barry Crimmins, and The Whitest Kids U Know

About the Blog

More on the name, “goodCRIMETHINK”…

It was inspired by the book, 1984

from the Wikipedia,

The term crimethink was coined by George Orwell and used in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. It described the act of having committed “thoughtcrime“; having thoughts that were unorthodox, or were outside the official government platform. Goodthink, which is approved by the Party, is the opposite of crimethink.

Thus I chose goodCRIMETHINK just to mess with the man.