Hey there,
I normally try to toss a little funny anecdote from my week up top. But this week, I was... still inside. Very few anecdotes to share when the biggest event of my week was that one night, while cooking veggie burgers, I set off the smoke alarm. And actually the alarm didn't even go off. It just got a little smoky. Oh god, this might be the most boring story I have ever typed. Let's get into the list ASAP.
Upcoming Events
LIVESTREAMS:
- TODAY Saturday, July 25th at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET
COME ON DOWN, YOU'RE ALREADY HERE! Once again, my Zoom game show will feature games, comedian guests, and regular audience segments like where Sheena from Canada shows us her giant pet rabbit and then tells us a fact about bunnies. As always, we'll be raising some money for the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network. You can play along or just watch and laugh from the safety of your home. Link
-Wednesday, July 29th at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET
AMNH MARS FEST I'll be doing a bit on this Mars-themed comedy show that Karen Chee has put together for the American Museum of Natural History. I don't know quite what to tell you to expect but the lineup is great. Details here
This week’s list
GREAT:
Paul Chaat Smith is a Comanche author, essayist, and curator. His work focuses on "the contemporary landscape of American Indian politics and culture." As Washington's NFL team has finally decided to retire their blatantly racist name, Smith has a great interview about the long history of Native American imagery in popular culture. Seeing Native Americans Nowhere, and Everywhere
FUNNY:
I was once on a flight back from a comedy festival where Desus and Mero were also performing. To be clear, I was performing at a small comedy club and they were performing at a huge theater. We did not cross paths at the festival. But we were booked on the same flight back to NYC. I ended up sitting right across from them in the waiting area. I didn't want to bother them so I didn't say anything, but I couldn't help but overhear their conversation. And I was shocked by how funny they were. They were just as funny sitting and waiting for the plane at 7 a.m. as they are on their TV show or in front of a huge crowd. These guys just have a natural well of comedic genius. It's unreal. And they're not just funny, they're a great example of how you can crush jokes, grow personally, and be kind all at the same time. Read all about it: Desus and Mero Have Conquered Comedy
INTERESTING:
When the video of Christopher David first went viral, it was because he seemed like some kind of Portland man of steel. He approaches federal officers, they strike him with batons. He does not react. They strike him again. He doesn't back down. Only when they fire pepper spray does he finally walk away, giving them the middle finger with both hands. What a badass, right? Of course, people were going to share that video. But in reality, David is not an invulnerable superhero. He is a peaceful law-abiding citizen who walked up to federal officers to ask them a simple question about what they were doing. He posed no threat and he was brutally attacked. Now he'll need surgery to recover the use of his hands. The federal response in Portland is terrifying and I hope we look beyond the memes to see what's really happening and fight back against it. A Navy Veteran Had a Question for the Feds in Portland. They Beat Him in Response.
That's all for this week. if you're enjoying these emails, please forward to a friend or spread the word. If someone forwarded you this email but you're not yet on the list, you can subscribe here.
Thanks for reading,
Chris