Center for Media & Social Impact

06/19/2024

Tomorrow! Join & to get in depth knowledge on how to use comedy for social change.

We’ll explore:

Research about how comedy works for social change

Examples/case studies of leveraging comedy for social change and human rights

How and why funders should support this work

Tips for integrating comedy and other cultural strategies into your work

Free and open to all // Registration link in stories!

06/18/2024

This summer, we’re on the road! Catch us as we tour The Great American Punchline around the country and ask the question: Is the solution to America’s divide…Jokes? This fun-filled, interactive event and exceptionally hilarious live comedy show is facilitated and performed by comedy giants , ,  , , , and . Prepare to hear heartfelt funny stories about America and learn about finding human connections, and tapping into our humanity, through comedy.

Check out the link in bio or story highlights for ticket information.

04/04/2024

Catch CMSI's Caty Borum talk about culture change and how laughter can change minds and public policy in the latest episode of MomsRising.org's Breaking Through podcast! https://www.momsrising.org/BT01Apr24

03/19/2024

Get your tickets for YALLfest, the first and only festival that celebrates the power of humor to change the world. -

01/23/2024

Introducing our MC, Gabe González!

Gabe González is a Puerto Rican comedian, writer and actor living in Brooklyn, NY. He was born and raised in Central Florida.

Gabe can be seen in Season 4 of The Last OG, the HBO Latino documentary Habla y Vota, and recently starred in Audible’s, The Comedians. He was featured in Brooklyn Magazine’s ’30 Under 30’ in 2017, Time Out New York’s ‘Comedians of Color You Should Know’ in 2018 and his pilot ‘Los Blancos’ was a winner at the Yes And Laughter Lab in 2019. His satirical sketch “Bootlickers” was an official selection at the LA Comedy Film Festival and Atlanta Comedy Festival in 2022.

He’s hosted and produced digital videos for places like MTV, GLAAD and Remezcla, and performed stand-up across the country including places like NYC, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.

Gabe also hosted the Queerty Podcast from Forever Dog, wrote for Seasons 7 & 8 of MTV’s ‘Decoded with Franchesca Ramsey’ and hosted Scruff’s comedic q***r trivia show ‘Hosting,’ where he wrote and co-produced weekly games focused on LGBTQ+ pop culture. His most recent projects include a monthly q***r history comedy show in NYC called ‘The Lavender Scare’ and working with Imagine Entertainment to pen the short film Alma.

Join us March 7-8 at Planet Word Museum in Washington D.C. for Story Movements 2024! 🔗 Get your tickets on Eventbrite today: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/story-movements-2024-tickets-782320931967?aff=oddtdtcreator

11/29/2023

🗓 STORY MOVEMENTS 2024 UPDATE! Save the date, spread the word, and get ready to be part of the Story Movements convening and growing community in March 2024!

Supported generously by the MacArthur Foundation, this biennial conference brings together artists, storytellers, comedians, journalists, philanthropies, and media companies to learn about and celebrate the power of culture and narrative in building a just future. Through captivating performances, panels, and thought-provoking discussions, Story Movements seeks to unravel the intricacies of civic, justice-oriented storytelling, posing fundamental questions: What works? How can different storytelling genres collaborate effectively?

We're unbelievably excited that Planet Word, the only museum in the country dedicated to renewing and inspiring a love of words and language, will now play host to Story Movements in March 2024.

Stay tuned for additional details, including speakers and registration information in the coming weeks! We can't wait to share more about what promises to be an extraordinary event!

11/02/2023

NYC CLIMATE COMEDY EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT!

There’s a climate crisis and the town of Greenville, USA is on the case! Get your tickets for The Climate Comedy Cohort’s Live Variety Show: The Most Urgent Town Hall That Has Ever Happened! We've been cooking up this event for months with our partners at Generation180, and it's going to be a riot.

🗓 Saturday November 4th
⏱ Doors 6:30 PM, Show 7:00 PM
📍 Caveat, New York City

Town Halls are usually a bore, but this one has everything: concerned citizens! Erotic fanfic readings! Mixtapes! A full standup comedy show! Join us and the Climate Comedy Cohort as we rally together to save the planet. Get your tickets today!

🔗 https://lnkd.in/euknxBsH

10/16/2023

⏰⌛ Happy Monday y'all! We can't lie, we aren't too happy that it's Monday again, but what's getting us through is that we're one day closer to COMEDY SAVES DEMOCRACY at the Kennedy Center THIS SATURDAY!

As our 5-day marker, we’d like to introduce you to our final comedian, Corey Ryan Forrester!

Corey is a comedian, author, and actor from Chickamauga, Ga! Corey started standup at 16 (because he is a deeply broken man) and in his 20 years in the business he has performed at nearly every venue imaginable, written pilots for major networks like ABC and Disney as well as two books (one a best seller, and the other one just came out this Fall!). Corey also performed at the MTV Movie Awards and has hosted many successful podcasts.

You can find Corey on social media where he posts daily videos and writing across platforms. He makes viral character videos, political satire sketches, and videos to destigmatize mental health. Go give him a follow and make sure to check out his latest book: "Round Here and Over Yonder" - a laugh-out-loud travel guide for visiting "round here" (the South) and "over yonder" (not the South). 🚀📖

10/15/2023

⏰⌛The countdown continues! 6 days to go!

Introducing our next comedian, Maggie Crane! Maggie is a stand-up, writer and actress based in New York City. She has been featured in The New York Comedy Festival, High Mud Comedy Festival and has just returned from debuting her hit solo show Side by Side at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She can be seen on HBO, Comedy Central, and in dive bars all over Brooklyn.

10/14/2023

⏰⌛Happy Saturday everyone! ONE week to go until COMEDY SAVES DEMOCRACY at The Kennedy Center!

We'd like to introduce you to our next comedian, Chris Gethard! Chris is a comedian, actor, author and podcaster from New Jersey. You might recognize him from hosting the hit podcasts Beautiful Anonymous and New Jersey Is The World, or maybe the cable show, The Chris Gethard show. He also performed his one man show Career Su***de on HBO in 2017.

He's the author of five books and has been heard on This American Life several times. As an actor, he's been seen in shows like The Office, The Other Guys and The Heat.

We could go on, but why read about it when you can experience the magic of Chris yourself next Saturday? 🎉

10/12/2023

⏰⌛The countdown continues to COMEDY SAVES DEMOCRACY at The Kennedy Center next Saturday! Next up on our list is Dylan Adler!

Dylan is a comedian, actor, writer, and musician based in NYC and LA. He's currently a writer on the Late Late Show with James Corden, where he also performed stand up and was a Sports Correspondent.

Dylan was recently named a “Comic You Should and Will Know” by Vulture Magazine. He's also performed for Comedy Central and the New York Comedy Festival as a “Comic To Watch.” His show with Kelly Bachman, R**e Victims are H***y Too, was written up by Paste Magazine and ranked #2 in Paste Magazine's “12 Best Comedy Albums of 2022.

10/11/2023

⏰⌛10 days to go till our show at the Kennedy Center, Comedy Saves Democracy!

Ooh boy we’re excited about this one. Meet the next comedian taking the stage at the event, Yasmin Elhady! 🔥

Yasmin is not your ordinary comedian. She’s a touring comedian AND an attorney. You might’ve caught her on NBC’s True Story with Ed Helms and Randall Park or, more locally in DC, on WUSA9 with Reese Waters, NPR Netflix is a Joke Radio on Sirius XM, and the Washington Post. Yasmin is also one of our very own 2022 Yes, And...Laughter Lab Finalists.

Stay tuned for more introductions this week as we get ready for the big event next Saturday!

10/10/2023

Happy Tuesday y’all! COMEDY SAVES DEMOCRACY IS NEXT WEEK! Tickets are currently SOLD OUT online, but free tickets will also be available at the Hall of States Box Office on the day of the performance, beginning at 4:30pm.

This week, we’re introducing you to the incredible comedians taking us through our show “Comedy Saves Democracy” next Saturday at The Kennedy Center. First, we want to introduce you to the fantastic MC for the evening, Negin Farsad!

Negin is no stranger to the world of comedy and social justice. As a TEDFellow, she delivered a TEDTalk on social justice comedy that has inspired millions. 🎙️ You've likely heard her on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk. 📻

She's the author of the Thurber Prize-nominated book, "How to Make White People Laugh," and host of the podcast "Fake the Nation." 📚🎧

But that's not all! You can catch Negin on HBO’s High Maintenance, Hulu’s Not Okay, Hillary Clinton’s AppleTV+ show Gutsy, and as the star of HBOMax’s Birdgirl. 📺✨

She's written for publications such as the Guardian, Oprah Magazine, and The New York Times and she once sued the MTA for the right to put up funny posters about Muslims, and won.

Stay tuned this week as we introduce you to the comedians performing at Comedy Saves Democracy!

10/04/2023

🇺🇸 Registration is officially OPEN for Comedy Saves Democracy, our first community partnership event with The Kennedy Center! 🤩

🗓️ Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 21st at 5:00 PM because we're bringing the house down at The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage! 🏛️ Presented by CMSI’s GoodLaugh Initiative, this event is not your ordinary comedy show. Prepare for an evening of SHENANIGANS and thought-provoking humor as comedy giants take the stage to share their hilarious stories about America.

🌟 Featuring stand-up performances by Negin Farsad, Chris Gethard, Dylan Adler, Corey Ryan Forrester, Maggie Crane, and Yasmin Elhady.

🎟️ But here's the catch – tickets are LIMITED and going FAST! It's first-come, first-serve, so go get your tickets today. Click the link below to secure your spot. Don't miss out on Comedy Saves Democracy! It's going to be an evening to remember! 🎉🎊

🔗 Link: https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/2023/october/comedy-saves-democracy/

10/03/2023

LIVE SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Comedy Saves Democracy at The Kennedy Center

Is the solution to America’s polarization problem… jokes? Join us on October 21st at 5:00 PM EST for some interactive SHENANIGANS with superstar comedians Negin Farsad, Chris Gethard, Dylan Adler, Corey Ryan Forrester, Maggie Crane, and Yasmin Elhady as they share funny stories about America and teach us about finding human connections through humor. (Hint: They will save democracy, and so can you.)

📆 Date: Saturday, October 21
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
📍 Venue: The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage

🎟️ Registration for this event opens on Wednesday, October 4th @10:00 AM. Tickets are free but will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so mark your calendars for registration opening tomorrow at 10:00 AM EST to secure your spot!

Learn more: https://www.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/millennium-stage/2023/october/comedy-saves-democracy/

09/12/2023

🎭 Exciting News! 🌟

At the Center for Media & Social Impact, we believe in the transformative power of the arts to inspire, connect, and drive social change, so we are incredibly excited to announce that CMSI has been named as a Community Partner by the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts for its upcoming 2023-24 Social Impact Season.

The partnership between CMSI and the Kennedy Center reflects a commitment by both organizations to collaborate on presentation and community engagement opportunities that advance the Kennedy Center’s five social impact pillars: community empowerment, artist empowerment, impact performance, cultural leadership, and activation of the REACH, the Center’s newest cultural landmark and interactive events space. Together, we aim to empower communities and amplify voices through a diverse spectrum of co-created engagement initiatives.

🔗 Want to learn more about this exciting partnership? Check out our full blog post: https://cmsimpact.org/general/center-for-media-social-impact-selected-for-kennedy-center-community-partnership-program/

Stay tuned for upcoming announcements from CMSI as we gear up for our first Kennedy Center community partnership events later this Fall!

08/31/2023

If you haven't already, go check out this ABC News Nightline profile of the , co-created with our partners at Generation180! The profile features our incredibly talented 2023 Climate Fellows as well as speakers from our Comedy Think Tank hosted at American University. Thank you again to the speakers—Caty Borum, Anirudh Tiwathia, Marissa Ramirez, Stuart Gardner, David Roberts and Wendy Philleo—who came and taught us about , climate solutions and using for !

🔗 Watch the full story here:

At American University, the climate comedy cohort, consisting of a group of ten comedians, is meeting to workshop their message and their punchlines.