Joe Randazzo (comedian)
Encyclopedia
Joe Randazzo is an American comedy writer, stand-up comedian, and improvisational comedian. He is currently the editor
of the satirical newspaper, The Onion
. In addition to performing stand-up, Randazzo has been a guest host of the improv comedy show ASSSSCAT 3000 at New York City
's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
. An avid user of Twitter
and a critic of Internet memes, Randazzo was nominated for a 2009 ECNY Award
for Outstanding Performance in the Field of Tweeting. Randazzo has appeared on NPR
's This American Life
, PBS's Charlie Rose
, and MSNBC
's Morning Joe
.
from Emerson College
, and worked for NPR
in Boston
shortly thereafter. After moving to New York, Randazzo met Carol Kolb
of The Onion while performing improv comedy at the Magnet Theater
.
. Randazzo, who lives in Brooklyn
, will reportedly leave The Onion when they move their editorial offices to Chicago
.
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
of the satirical newspaper, The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
. In addition to performing stand-up, Randazzo has been a guest host of the improv comedy show ASSSSCAT 3000 at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre or UCB Theatre is an improvisational theatre and associated UCB Training Center with locations in Chelsea, New York, the EEast Village, New York and Hollywood, California.....
. An avid user of Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and a critic of Internet memes, Randazzo was nominated for a 2009 ECNY Award
ECNY Awards
The ECNY Awards were created in 2003 by Derek Gordon to honor rising stars in the New York Comedy world in various genres, including sketch, stand up, improv, musical comedy acts, and video...
for Outstanding Performance in the Field of Tweeting. Randazzo has appeared on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
, PBS's Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
, and MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
's Morning Joe
Morning Joe
Morning Joe is a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC, with Joe Scarborough discussing the news of the day in a panel format with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. It was created as the replacement for Imus in the Morning, which was canceled in April 2007 after simulcasting on MSNBC since 1996...
.
Early life
Randazzo earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalismBroadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
from Emerson College
Emerson College
Emerson College is a private coeducational university located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as a "school of oratory," Emerson is "the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts...
, and worked for NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
shortly thereafter. After moving to New York, Randazzo met Carol Kolb
Carol Kolb
Carol Kolb is an American comedy writer. She is a former managing editor and, later, editor-in-chief of The Onion and the current head writer for the Onion News Network.-External links:* , The Onion* , Charlie Rose...
of The Onion while performing improv comedy at the Magnet Theater
Magnet Theater
The Magnet Theater is an improvisational comedy theater and improv school in New York City. It has shows seven nights a week, many of which are consistently selected as editor's pick of the week in Time Out New York and The Onion....
.
The Onion
Randazzo left his job as a fruitier in March 2006 to join the editorial staff of The Onion. He was a writer and section editor of The Onions 2007 book Our Dumb World, a parody of the standard desk atlas, and was promoted to editor in 2008. In Randazzo's tenure, The Onion published the compilation Our Front Pages, was fictitiously sold to a Chinese conglomerate, and openly campaigned for a Pulitzer PrizePulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
. Randazzo, who lives in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, will reportedly leave The Onion when they move their editorial offices to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Books
- Our Front Pages: 21 Years of Greatness, Virtue, and Moral Rectitude from America's Finest News Source (Onion Presents). The Onion, Scribner, 2009. ISBN 1439156921
- Our Dumb World. The Onion, Little, Brown and Company, 2008. ISBN 0316018430