Baratunde Thurston

Illustration by Esra Roise

"There is no 'typical' day in my life," says Baratunde Thurston, the Onion's director of digital. He may be helping a video about horse masturbation go viral (the video promoted an Onion Sports Network segment about a horse breeder). Or he could be in Paris, working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. That mix of social activism and humor is what drives Thurston. "As I've submerged myself in news of the revolutions sweeping North Africa and the Middle East, I wanted desperately to feel part of what was going on," he says. "And then it hit me: This is what white people were doing to me after Obama was elected!" In addition to honing his comedic chops doing stand-up in New York, he's currently working on a book, How to Be Black, to be published by HarperCollins in February 2012.

Baratunde Thurston

The Onion

Jack and Jill Politics

I have a 5x5 whiteboard wall in my apartment made of "Idea Paint," and drawing big ideas on this big wall often helps spur or organize the creative juice. Here's a drawing that captures the basic process of coming up with and refining my standup comedy.

Watch Thurston at the 2010 MIMA Summit, Web 2.0 Expo NY and SxSW

Watch a sample of Thurston's standup comedy, and his acceptance video after becoming Fousquare's Mayor of the Year.

"SXSW Interactive is my mandatory annual pilgrimage. I always return fully fired up and ready to go."

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Director of Digital, The Onion | Greater New York City Area

Summary:

half comedian, half political beast, half tech strategist. yes, i am 1.5 people. i perform, write, blog and more. love my life. love my friends. love my job. definitely in the top five percent of luckiest, most satisfied people in the world. let's grab some popcorn and watch rome burn

Specialties:

Making people laugh and think at the same time, causing self-urination.

Connections:

500+

Positions:

Director of Digital at The Onion
Co-Founder at Jack and Jill Politics
Conscious Comic & Vigilante Pundit at Kingly Companion Media, LLC