HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE EVERYWHERE (HOPE)

The Challenge: The media landscape is hyper-saturated with political comedy. But in terms of impact, even the most trenchant satire often falls flat. Local groups like HOPE, an organization advocating for the homeless population Rhode Island, have the most to gain from funny, yet thoughtful media content that can mobilize local audiences to tackle targeted policy goals. In 2018, they needed a way to get Brown students down to the State House to show visible support for a housing discrimination bill being voted on in the state Senate.

The Solution: After identifying and partnering with HOPE, I chose a widely-known — and at Brown, widely-despised — media figure to parody. I gave real Brown students the space to speak up, and called attention to common conservative talking points that would unite them around a shared identity and motivate them to action. The point was to get students laughing, sharing, thinking about the forces confronting them, and getting their Birkenstock-clad feet on the State House floor.