@baratunde

"Slight correction: I'm not an actor. I mostly just "play" myself, but I'm not out there auditioning for character roles and such, so I'm less directly affected by casting decisions and stereotypes, for example. That said, there's one thing that comes right to mind. U.S. media culture still has this idea that THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE! when it comes to representing certain types of minorities in media. It's what I'll call The Highlander Model. So if there's a latina with a TV show, the industry historically has been like, "CHECK THE BOX!! LATINA SHOW IS COVERED. NEXT!" and it's harder for the second latina to get a shot. I'm actually seeing that change for at least two reasons. 1) more media fragmentation and media-making power. Basically, folks can make their own stories and distribute them (waves at Issa Rae / Awkward Black Girl) 2) Traditional industry perspective is shifting to reveal that "diversity" isn't just some charity case, but it's also really good business. Like, there's money..." - @baratunde

"crunchy. no contest. creamy peanut butter makes me sad. it's like we just took everything wonderful about peanut butter and beat it into submission. #occupyPeanutButter" - @baratunde

"million dollar question! really. give cultivated wit one million dollars, and we will answer your question. it's not a "comedy consultant company," no. It's a company that believes that combining the power of humor, especially with tech and design, can make the world a better and more fun place. The two ways we do this are a) helping orgs and companies tell stories, primarily through video/animation, that are THOUGHTFUL and FUN/NY. (e.g. http://blowminds.org to help recruit more STEM teachers) b) creating a platform (through Comedy Hack Day) to encourage new forms of creativity at that tech/comedy intersection. So far that's through our public events, but it's also something we offer inside an organization or on a theme (FOR ONE MILLION DOLLARS ;)) http://comedyhackday.org Think about the Cultivated Wit formula as this. power of humor to tell the truth + power of design to empathize + power of technology to connect and amplify = Cultivated Wit's mission. this TEDxKC talk I did makes a..." - @baratunde

"I do NOT recommend "always being funny" because a) that's competition for the professionals ;) b) it's probably not genuine and c) it's like over-using a very powerful weapon. You shouldn't play an entire game using cheat codes the whole time! I also think there are soft ways of adding what you call "delight" without it having to feel like you're shoving jokes down people's throats. Hipmunk isn't LOL funny, but it's pretty delightful to sort your flight options by "agony." Even the way you bid a customer farewell can offer a chance to be real/kind/human. Super cheap way is to simply reference humor related to the topic at hand. One of the greatest highlights of working at The Onion was finding how many office places and other organizations cite Onion articles to relieve tension, including among deployed troops overseas. The tension relief humor can provide is valuable, and a "brand" doesn't have to start from zero. Someone's already done it most likely." - @baratunde

"I hadn't seen the monologue until just now, so thanks for bringing it up and sorry for the delay. Short version: everything in the human experience is available for comedic interpretation. Longer version: it depends on how you approach it, who the person is, what the context is. Specifically with Chris Rock, I haven't read any of the chatter about his monologue, but I laughed out loud, and thought he made a strong case while reminding us that it's a bit hypocritical (for example) to criticize a 9/11 joke while turning Jesus's birthday into the most commercial time ever. WHAT one is joking about makes a big difference. Who's the target of the joke? Is it 9//11 victims (shitty) or is it the overreaction of our security theatre apparatus (fair game)? There's no simple way to think of "joking about" a topic. The target. The presenter. The context. All those matter heavily." - @baratunde

"so glad you asked! Like children, I love all the hacks to come out of comedy hack day. But if I had to pick one (which every parent secretly does), it would be Truth For Humanity. http://www.comedyhackday.org/mit-201... It was so so funny in the room and still works at parties." - @baratunde

"Oh dang. also the free drinks!" - @baratunde

"That feeling of knowing you've connected with an audience, whether in the room or online or on a page, is really powerful. It's better when you know that those people don't know you at all. It's not like making your friends laugh. So yeah the best thing is that human connection that might not have been forged any other way, and though it may be fleeting, it's awesome." - @baratunde

"Haven't read the book yet (just found out from here!) but what have you learned about the conscious role has race has played in the creation of the Star Wars franchise?" - @baratunde