(part of a series of April Fools profiles of comedians worth your attention)
Who are you? Baratunde Thurston
How old are you? 29
Where do you live? Somerville, Mass.
What’s your story? Originally from Washington, D.C., Baratunde Thurston is a Harvard grad who bills himself as a vigilante pundit. His book of jokes and political musings, "Keep Jerry Falwell Away From My Oreo Cookies," is available online as a free download, as are his regular audio blogs, "The Front Porch Podcast." He’s also recently become part of the Laughing Liberally show in New York City. On April 25, he’ll perform for a fund-raiser for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick. He also has appeared on panels for SXSW’s interactive portion of the festival. Baratunde started doing stand-up four years ago.
What’s your foolosophy? "Make ’em laugh. Make ’em think. It’s somewhat covert. I feel like some of my jokes are spies, a Trojan horse. Some of my jokes are silly, too."
What’s your niche? "I’m a young, hip, brown Jon Stewart."
What are your goals? "Take over the world! Jokes are a really good cover for that."