Photo of Baratunde Thurston

Baratunde Thurston

General Info

  • Genre:

    Political Humor / Stand-Up / Black

  • TV Shows

    C-SPAN, Fox News Boston, CNN’s Out In The Open - with Jesse Jackson, BBC Newsnight Review, CNN's Campbell Brown, ComedyCentral.com - Root Of All Evil

  • Website

    baratunde.com

  • Bio

    Baratunde Thurston is a comedian 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.

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Bio:

watch baratunde perform a reading live!
"I'll Be a Black Conservative for $240,000"
..

From the moment he greets the crowd, Baratunde is unforgettable. "My full name is Baratunde Rafiq Thurston. Baratunde is a Nigerian name meaning 'one with no nickname.' Rafiq is an Arabic name meaning 'really, no nickname.' And Thurston is a British name meaning 'property of Massa Thurston.' It's ok if you weren't expecting that last one. Neither were we."

From here, this Harvard Philosophy graduate takes his audiences on a journey through the absurd world of American politics, media and pop culture, having turned his astute political awareness into a rising career in sharp and entertaining comedy where nothing is sacred.

When so many Americans get their news from Fox, when the presidential campaign of 2004 is about a war fought in the 1960s, and when a black man with an afro still can't walk down the street without white people touching it, it's time to call on this 27-year-old comedian, author and self-described "vigilante pundit."

Rather than focus on least common denominator humor, Baratunde plays to his audience's intelligence. He takes the absurdities of the media and popular culture and twists them in clever, provocative ways. His standup has earned him honors and stage time across the country. His writing has found a home in his debut book, Better Than Crying: Poking Fun at Politics, the Press & Pop Culture.

His professionalism, personable style and political consciousness are at home in any setting, ranging from the academy to the nightclub to the local news. This year alone Baratunde was featured in author series that included Cornel West and Howard Zinn, shared the club stage from L.A. to New York with Dane Cook, Tony V and Gary Gulman and even became a political satire commentator on Boston's Fox25 News.

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

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Sounds Like:

teen spirit. oh wait, that's SMELLS like. nevermind

 

.... GET THE BOOKS!

MoJo Quarterly 2005: Keep Jerry Falwell away from my oreo cookies.
mojo quarterly
FREE BOOK

Better Than Crying: Poking Fun at the Press, Politics, and Pop Culture
better than crying
buy @ amazon.com

 

GET THE T-SHIRT!

VIVA LA EVOLUTION !
viva la evolution t-shirt
buy it at GoodStorm.com

 

Email List

Join Baratunde's email list - get weekly jokes, news, & show dates!

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Video Player

Blurbs

About me:

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ........Barackatunde's Inauguration Recap (funniest video ever)........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHd1NiUKrUk...... .. .. .. .. .... ..told via twitter and flickr..

Who I'd like to meet:

Details

  • Status: Single
  • Here for: Networking, Friends
  • Hometown: Chocolate City (D.C.)
  • Orientation: Straight
  • Body type: 5' 9" / Athletic
  • Ethnicity: Black / African descent
  • Zodiac Sign: Virgo
  • Children: Someday
  • Smoke / Drink: No / Yes
  • Education: College graduate
  • Occupation: Web Editor, The Onion

Schools

  • Harvard University

    • Cambridge,Massachusetts
    • Graduated: 1999
    • Student status: Alumni
    • Degree: Bachelor's Degree
    • Major: Philosophy
    • Clubs: Signet Society, Harvard Crimson, Black Men's Forum, Dorm Crew, Harvard Computer Society
    1995 to 1999

  • Sidwell Friends School

    • Washington,Washington DC
    • Graduated: 1995
    • Student status: Alumni
    • Degree: High School Diploma
    • Clubs: Black Student Union, Wrestling Team, Track Team
    1989 to 1995

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