For a behind-the-scenes of how the talk came together, listen to Baratunde's soundcloud podcast. http://soundcloud.com/baratunde/baratundecast-cultivatedwit On 10 March 2012, Baratunde Thurston, author of How To Be Black and Director of Digital at The Onion delivered the opening keynote at the SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin TX. His main thesis is that comedy is a revolutionary art and language that can and does help advance the cause of freedom and understanding in an increasingly complicated world, whether it's the complexity of geo-politics or digital noise. Link to video of the presentation will come soon.

1. How To Read The World
@baratunde
#keynotunde at #SXSW

2. #ColdOpen
#keynotunde

3. #keynotunde

4. if you don’t
buy this
book, you’re
a racist
#keynotunde

5. #keynotunde

8. #keynotunde

9. #keynotunde

17. #keynotunde

18. o
#keynotunde

19. o
#keynotunde

20. o
#keynotunde

21. o
#keynotunde

22. o
#keynotunde

23. o
#keynotunde

24. o
#keynotunde

25. o

26. o

27. o

28. o

29. o

32. #SacredClowns
#keynotunde

33. #HelloWorld
#keynotunde

34. Change = Constant
#keynotunde

35. Everyone Can Create
#keynotunde

36. Every Thing Is Connected
#keynotunde

37. #InternetOfCrap
#keynotunde

38. Noise & Confusion
#keynotunde

39. Trust?
#keynotunde

40. Institutions
#keynotunde

42. Egypt
#keynotunde

43. #keynotunde

44. #keynotunde

45. #keynotunde

46. “We’ve just become so tense about
so many things. If people deal with
serious issues through laughter and
sarcasm, it would be a great thing.”
- Bassem Yousef
#keynotunde

47. Nigeria
#keynotunde

51. China
#keynotunde

52. o
#keynotunde

53. #keynotunde

54. #keynotunde

55. Venezuela
#keynotunde

58. Afghanistan
#keynotunde

59. #keynotunde

60. #keynotunde

61. Iran
#keynotunde

62. courtesy of
weaponsofmousedestruction.org

63. courtesy of
weaponsofmousedestruction.org

64. courtesy of
weaponsofmousedestruction.org

65. courtesy of
weaponsofmousedestruction.org

66. courtesy of
weaponsofmousedestruction.org

67. “When you can make fun of
yourself, people are more receptive
to what you have to say.”
@SamanArbabi #SXSW 9 Mar 2012
#keynotunde

70. #DigitalWorld
#keynotunde

71. #keynotunde

72. #keynotunde

73. Comedy In The Code
#keynotunde

74. “The code writer and screenwriter
have to work together.”
- Ben Silverman
#keynotunde

75. #SoWhat
#keynotunde

76. “A cultivated wit, one that badgers
less, can persuade all the more.
Artful ridicule can address
contentious issues more
competently and vigorously than
can severity alone.”
- Horace aka #RomanDude #keynotunde

77. CultivatedWit.com
#keynotunde

78. #ThankYou
.
#SXSW @SummitSeries
@TheOnion @JJPolitics
@RainaKumra @SamanArbabi @WMouseD
@PriyaParker @AnandWrites @Feleaks
.
#MyFamily @JustBYoga #TeamBaratunde #YouPeople
#AllBlackPeople
#UnpaidInterns