Not too shabby at all.  Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele — stars of Comedy Central’s Key & Peele — have earned the number 18 spot on Fast Company‘s annual list of the 100 Most Creative People in Business.  Regardless of what you think of listicles, reporter Joe Berkowitz’s cover story on  the duo contains some pretty awesome insights into their creative process.

This sense of co-conspiracy extends to Key & Peele’s creation process, a rigorous winnowing down of more than 330 sketches to the 82 slots for the upcoming season. A giant whiteboard in the creators’ office is awash with notecards bearing neatly scrawled words such as “honest bully.” Many represent “dooks”–half-baked scenes unloaded at the writers’ meeting. Everyone dog-piles on these ideas, trying to figure out the comedic engine that will make them work as sketches. Once that’s thought through, the dook originator writes a draft. Then come notes from Key and Peele, an internal table read, and more than three presentations to the network before Key and Peele decide which sketches get on air. “Anyone who’s really utilized collaboration,” says Peele, citing Pixar and the Muppets, “has a philosophy like, ‘Let’s throw it all against the wall and see what sticks.’ That’s how we do it. At a certain point, we’re cutting scripts that we love.” Key adds, “When it gets heart wrenching is when it gets exciting. And that’s where we are with the third season right now.”

If you’re an aspiring comic studying Key and Peele the way they’ve studied Chaplin and Chappelle, the article also includes Jordan Peele’s tips on “How to Create a Catchphrase.”  But, perhaps most encouragingly, Fast Company reports that season 3 of Key & Peele — premiering September 25 — will see the return of Samuel and LaShawn (WE’RE HAVING A BAAAAAABY!!!!) and a “spiritual sequel” to the East-West College Bowl sketch.  Cannot wait.

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If you ever wanted to learn about going vegan without missing the pleasure of cage-free eggs and mussels, or how to break your cheekbone and lose seven teeth at once – this was the conversation to hear. Steve-O walked into the Berlin press conference with flip flops, and introduced journalists not only to his new show, but also gave deep insights into his career, future plans and how to make this world a better place. He touched on a range of topics like traveling with “a passport thick as a sandwich” to the thrill of naked wrestling, keeping the audience enthralled and comfortably amused.

 In a Killer Karaoke live performance, a man was waxed while singing and he proceeded to wax his body long after the karaoke song ended. But you will never see Steve-O singing karaoke on his quirky talent show. If he did flex his vocal cords, the songs would probably be from Iron Maiden or Mötley Crüe, as he points out. He is – surprisingly – just not that singing guy and is more into real action.

Thanks Steve, for some words of wisdom and the guarantee to never be mean to our German symbol of freedom – David Hasselhoff.

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“Onstage Ms. Schumer’s jokes are lean, her delivery precise and her control of the audience commanding. Comedy is not a science, but she makes it look like one.”

And, she’s so self-assured and forceful on stage, Zinoman points out, that it’s easy to miss that much of her humor is self-deprecating.

“Amy can represent confidence and vulnerability at the same time, which is why she’s so interesting to watch,” head writer Jessi Klein told the Times. “She takes you to stuff that isn’t O.K., but you sense that you don’t have to worry about her.”

Inside Amy Shumer premieres Monday, April 30 on Comedy Central.

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Workaholics‘ Anders Holm — only 10 years the senior of the graduating class — is returning to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to deliver the commencement address for his alma mater this May 17, 18 and 19. Fittingly, the show for which he writes and acts addresses and sheds a hilarious light on the post-college transition to adulthood (and is as relatable to the college set as it is outrageous).  Chosen by the senior class, the writer/actor should have some interesting/inspiring insights about his path from Madison to breakout success… and some very funny anecdotes, at the least. Looking forward to watching video of this speech next month!

On social media — where Holm is very active, both during and in between seasons of Workaholics — the sentiment is that UW Class of 2013 is “one lucky class.” The announcement sparked commencement speaker-envy among the students/grads who just missed him at UW, or who wish their school had such an awesome speaker.

As one 2011 UW alum put it most simply…

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Key Findings

Comedy is EVERYWHERE. Comedy appeals to all ages and is the #1 interest among 18-34 year olds (78%), ahead of music (66%), sports (49%) and style (45%).

73% of adults saying that they can find humor in pretty much any situation.

Comedy is the only interest to appeal to both men and women equally – 83% of men and 84% of women say they’re interested in comedy.

3 in 4 adults consume at least one piece of comedy content every week. The preferred way to consume comedy is on TV with full-length shows.

Adults are also accessing comedy content on the Internet.

• 84% have experienced joke/humor sites.
• Over half experience comedy through pages/feeds of comedians every month.
• 9 in 10 have experienced funny clips on YouTube.

Comedy is GLOBAL. Sharing comedy content digitally has eliminated borders and facilitated mass reach while also bringing more niche forms of content to new audiences.

• Most people outside the U.S. prefer U.S. comedy to local.
• Comedy “celebrities” like Jim Carey, Charlie Sheen or Homer Simpson have global appeal.

Comedy is IDENTITY FORMING. Sense of humor is the #1 definer of personality.

• 8 in 10 say comedy/humor has helped them identify what they value in a boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Comedy enables personal creativity, with 4 in 10 having created some form of comedy clip.

Comedy is SOCIALLY CONNECTING. It is the #1 social connector above personal style, music tastes, sports fanship and political views.

• 9 in 10 agree their sense of humor helps them connect with others.
• Across all regions, 82% of men and women agree that they like humor that brings people together.
• Friend recommendations are the #1 way to find out about comedy content.
• Comedy inspires second-screening, with 7 in 10 searching online sources, visiting official program websites or posting on Twitter or Facebook at least once a week.

Comedy is SOCIAL FUEL. Comedy is the new social currency, with 2 in 3 having shared a funny clip in the last month.

• 7 in 10 agree “funny people tend to be more popular.”
• 61% agree that being funny helps them get what they want.
• 83% of those who post funny content on social media say getting comments from others on the posts is important to them.

Comedy is ESCAPISM.

• 7 in 10 say comedy helps them to escape the stresses of life, for all ages and everywhere from Mexico (75%) to the UK (68%) and Italy (62%).
• 2 in 3 watch a comedy show on TV each week.
• Of those who watch a comedy show on TV each week, 55% watch comedy cartoons; 53% watch sitcoms; 48% watch comedy drama; 37% watch stand-up comedy; and 34% watch sketch comedy.

Comedy is EMPOWERING.

Comedy is perceived as something that “makes you think,” “pushes boundaries” and “challenges assumptions.”

Implications:

• A good sense of humor sets a brand apart from its peers — 6 in 10 agree a brand’s sense of humor is important.
• People will share funny content and witty campaigns. Brands should make it about the “we” by helping consumers connect with each other through shared laughter.

The Methodology:

This study was based on more than 6,000 online interviews in 13 markets across Europe, Central/South America and Asia (the UK, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia), with participants ages 18-34.

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For the freshest commentary, Nikki and Sara stay up-to-date on the latest celebrity news through a selection of blogs and Twitter and an Us Weekly app (Nikki), as well as gossip blog aggregator “WeSmirch” (Sara). After watching the first few episodes, though, it’s clear that the show is more fun than gossip. Nikki and Sara are two smart, funny women and their show is a fun lighthearted addition to the late night circuit – honest and sharp, without being scathing. And as lame as it might sound, their friendship, which shines through on-screen, delivers a refreshing sense of female camaraderie.

Here’s what Nikki and Sara had to say about their new show, what topics they see as “off-limits,” how they’ll evolve their social media presence to meet the needs of a growing audience, and, of course, Justin Timberlake.

What about Nikki & Sara sets it apart from the rest of the Late Night scene?

Sara: I think that because it’s two of us, and because it’s live, that makes it different. We’re also for MTV’s audience, which is a young but very pop culture savvy audience. When you combine all these factors together, we’re bringing something you’re not going to see anywhere else. Plus, we want it to be a fun show, not necessarily a biting, scathing celebrity tear-down show.  You’re not tuning in for that. You’re tuning in to talk about the things you’ve seen this week and hear what Sara and Nikki have to say about it.

Are any topics off-limits to you? How does your standup compare to what we might see on the show?

Nikki: One topic we want to completely stay away from is Chris Brown – that’s sort of like a mission statement over here for ourselves and our writing staffs. In terms of edginess, we’re trying to be as funny as possible – we’re not going to push the envelope for the sake of pushing the envelope.

Sara: We want to say smart, intelligent things layered in with what we’re joking about. If you think about what we’re saying, we’re either making a point about how we treat celebrities, how Hollywood treats people – we’re not trying to hit people over the head with it. Over time, as Nikki and I get more comfortable, we’re going to reveal more about ourselves. Compared to our stand-up, I think both of our standup material is very personal. It’s about our lives. We’re not doing the same jokes we’d do in standup, but I think our voice comes through regardless.

Nikki: The same filter we put our lives through when we’re doing standup, we’re doing with celebrities.

The two of you obviously have a relationship that goes deeper than work. How does your friendship and dynamic inform your comedy on the show?

Nikki: We’re best friends and co-hosts – we have a professional relationship. We treat ourselves like we treat celebrities – we call each other out when it’s deserved, but we’re not mean to each other because we love each other. We have senses of humor about each other.

Sarah: We support each other. You can see that on the show. We like to laugh about what’s cute about each other. We’re not those girls that go, like, “Hey B*tch!” We don’t call each other bitches. We have a sweet friendship. And I think that comes through and that makes us a little different than what you might expect from two very honest, strong female standup comedians. I think that’s the surprise that you get when you watch the show – that we’re hugging each other and enthusiastic about each other.

Being women – how does that inform your comedy? Do you consider yourself female comediennes or are you past that?

Sarah: I think we’re past it, but I think we’re not ashamed to say I am female and I am a comedian – and that that makes me different. We’re proud of it. To generalize, I think women tend to be more authentic in expressing their emotions and being open. I think that that adds to our appeal and our comedy because we’re not afraid to say what we think and express ourselves – and it’s not like it’s to be “cool” or to impress anyone. When you sign up to be a comedian and you’re a girl, it’s not to get laid. Somehow I think a lot of guys want to be the in the center of the spotlight to get the girl. Girls want to be in the spotlight because they want to say something, and they want to be heard. Again, I’m making generalizations – this isn’t true across the board for everybody.

Do you have favorite comedians, comedians that inspire you?

Sara: I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and Louis CK. Growing up, Rosie O’Donnell and Ellen DeGeneres were very influential.

Nikki: I would also say Ellen and Tina Fey, but also, just in terms of late night influences, Jimmy Kimmel – his show I want to watch because he seems more off-the-cuff than other hosts. His interviews seem like free form conversation. There’s a genuine interest in joking around, and there seems to be a friendship there with everyone he talks to. Plus his monologue is fun. I think the same for Conan. Conan is my hero. I will always look toward him for comedic guidance. His silliness is something that I truly admire.

How are you guys going to leverage your online presence with the show?

Nikki: We don’t have a Twitter account for our show because we both want to feel connected to our fans, so we’re keeping our personal accounts. I enjoy tweeting up until the moment I walk on stage. I have my phone in my hand, not my assistant tweeting for me. We want to give our followers a behind the scenes perspective – feeling like they really know us and are friends with us – because we’re open to that.

Sara: We’re doing live aftershow online after each episode so people can immediately ask us questions about what they saw on the show, right in the moment. I think that’s a great way to connect directly with people. This [engaging online] is just something I’ve been doing for a long time, working for an online TV show. It’s great to have my own show to take everything I learned from the past and really apply it. We’re going to do special web features – and treat that with the same quality and attention as we’d treat the TV material. I think sometimes people look at the web stuff as an afterthought, and it doesn’t turn out as great, but why would anyone want that? We’re still doing our podcasts and will continue to do those – those, through our fans, helped get us here.

So far you’ve brought Ke$ha, Jenny McCarthy, Shane Mitchell of Pretty Little Liars – who would you love to bring on the show?

Sara: I would love to try and get Justin Timberlake to come on the show since we’re such huge fans and it makes total sense to us that he would do our show… but who knows.

Do you feel responsible for his comeback [through your video]?

Nikki: If you noticed, the Grammy ads all touted “Justin Timberlake’s return to music,” and I don’t know if it would have been presented this way if we hadn’t done our part.

Sara: We put a voice to a feeling that a lot of people had about this particular situation. He had his plans the whole time, but maybe we helped him realize how much people wanted this and how he could capitalize on that and make a really big deal out of it, which is what he’s doing and I love it.

Did his return disappoint? How do you feel about “Suit & Tie”?

Nikki: We love it. “Suit & Tie” is like the theme song – it’s what we listen to to get amped up for shows. It’s what we listen to at the office.

Nikki & Sara Live airs on Tuesday nights at 11 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.

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Key Findings

Comedy is the ultimate form of self-expression.

Millennials were not raised to be ‘seen not heard,’ but rather they were taught that their thoughts and opinions are truly valued. Young people today continue to hold on to this belief as they enter adulthood as a confident and empowered generation, and they see comedy as the best conduit for expressing their unique brand of Awesomeness.

• Humor – over music, gaming or sports – is this group’s #1 form of self-expression.
• Humor plays a critical role in self-identity: 9 in 10 guys say their sense of humor is instrumental in defining their personality.
• You Are What You Post: They express their sense of humor through social media avenues, choosing what to post on Facebook and YouTube not just because it’s funny, but more importantly, because it says something about who they are.

Comedy is the ultimate pathway to cool. 

Twenty years ago, young people dreamed of becoming rock stars, but today, they dream of becoming comedians. Given the chance to be stuck in an elevator with someone, the majority of guys (62%) want to be stranded with their favorite comedian (versus 15% with their favorite athlete or 23% with their favorite musician).

• 74% of Millennial males believe that “funny people are more popular.”
• 63% cite “being funny” as a top attribute for defining the “ideal man.”
• Millennial guys believe girls are attracted to a sense of humor.
• 58% have posted a funny video or comment on Facebook in hopes of getting noticed by someone they want to date.
• 1 in 4 who made a comedy clip did so to impress a crush.
• 53% believe that humor helps them identify what they value in someone they want to date.
• Comedy Natives are active in creating their own comedy experience: 4 in 10 have made online videos – more than twice the levels of Gen Xers.

Comedy is the ultimate connector.

Comedy helps this generation do what they do best: connect. As they seek ways to connect, share and become (real or virtual) “friends” with others, comedy serves as the ultimate icebreaker. In fact, male Millennials agree that a shared sense of humor is a key predictor of friendship.

• 73% say it is essential that their friends share their sense of humor (twice the rate of music and three times that of sports).
• 87% say just knowing that someone shares the same sense of humor is enough to tell whether they could be friends.
• 81% like humor that brings people together.

Comedy is the ultimate social currency.

From number of “likes” on Facebook to number of YouTube views, comedy holds real value as a means of social exchange. As monetary currency becomes all the more elusive, Millennial males view comedy as a path to fame and fortune.

• 6 in 10 Millennials believe they are just as funny as any professional comedian, posting funny content online at least once a week.
• Increased connectedness through social networks and mobile platforms allows Comedy Natives to take comedy sharing to new levels: 48% post to Facebook or a similar site, 39% send texts and 17% tweet.

Comedy is the ultimate agent for social change.

As the most civic-minded generation since the G.I. Generation, Millennials believe comedy has the power to change the world.

• 53% say that comedy “makes you think” and that it has given them perspective on what’s important in life.
• 38% say that it shines a light on social injustice and gives a voice to the voiceless.
• 1 in 4 say that comedy has helped shaped their political beliefs.
• 7 out of 10 agree that truth is funnier than fiction – and that the best humor cuts through the bombast of spin to get to the core of an issue, even when it’s uncomfortable.
• 7 out of 10 believe that no topic is off limits and that anything can be funny.

Implications:

Just as it is a litmus test for friendship, guys prefer brands that match their sense of humor, more so than matching their taste in music or sports.

• If comedy is the number one passion point of Millennial males, marketers can most effectively reach them by incorporating humor into their messaging.
• Brands can increase their appeal and relevance by leveraging comedy, no matter what they are selling.

The Methodology:

This study was based on a qualitative study of more than 100 male Millennials and an online quantitative survey with 2,000 respondents (two-thirds Millennial respondents; one-third Gen X respondents for context). For the qualitative portion of the study, in addition to meeting with respondents in their homes and hosting some participants at a live Workaholics show, Comedy Central gave respondents each a flip camera to continue to record their thoughts and examples of what makes them laugh.

Chanon Cook is vice president of Strategic Insights and Research for Comedy Central.

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With  18-29-year-olds constituting one-quarter of the electorate, their vote isn’t something to take lightly.

But the support from young people that surged for President Obama in 2008 seemed to wane this go-around. Indeed, less than half of the Millennial generation (48%) said they would definitely cast a vote this year – down from 63% at the same time four years ago, according to a Harvard poll taken last month.

In the end, though, their vote was there — and we think it may have had a little something to do with conducting some funny business on the campaign trail. On Monday, in a report on youth disengagement in the 2012 Election, the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams explained how Obama was reconnecting with youth voters by spending campaign time working the comedy circuit.

Humor, according to Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw, is the key to unlocking their vote, if it is applied smartly. To shed some light on the Millennial generation of voters, NBC brought in Comedy Central President Michele Gainless, armed with insights into what this demo — her network’s audience — does and does not want.

“They don’t want them to do schtick,” Gainless says, in the video above. “They don’t want them to make fun of the issues. But they do want them to be able to poke fun at themselves.”

Regardless of politics, Obama was good at all three. The video above also includes a clip of Obama joking wiht Jay Leno about Donald Trump’s beef with him “dat[ing] back to when we were growing up together in Kenya.” While making fun of the claims about his citizenship, he also shows that he can make fun of himself.

Incidentally, 18-29-year-olds wound up voting in similar numbers versus last election, despite concerns about decreased enthusiasm, according to the New York Times.

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Top stars gathered at the Beacon Theater in NYC last week for the taping of Comedy Central’s biennial Night of Too Many Stars emceed by Jon Stewart, which will air on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 8pm.This year’s theme is “America Comes Together,” to benefit educational autism programs across the country. A variety of celebrities including: Stephen Colbert, Sting, Ben Stiller, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, Hannibal Buress, J.B. Smoove and Bill Burr were on hand to use humor for a good cause were.  These are just five of the night’s memorable moments:

Most Emotional Moment: There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater when a young autistic girl named Jodi DiPiazza sang and played the piano to “Firework” with her favorite singer Katy Perry. Host Jon Stewart and many audience members had tears in their eyes during the standing ovation. The audience was so moved having viewed a pre-taped video of Dipiazza depicting her struggle with autism and how she found her voice through music.

A High Pitched Debate: In a moment that symbolized politically bringing America together, FOX News Commentator Bill O’Reilly faced off in a debate with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews while inhaling helium from blue and red balloons. The result is a quirky and squeaky exchange moderated by CNN’s John King.

This is Crazy: Carly Rae Jepsen paired with actor Harvey Keitel for a duet of her summer pop anthem “Call Me Maybe”. You might have heard this song a lot but never like this.

Butter and Broccoli Brawl: Celebrity chef Paula Deen who went public earlier this year about her diabetes diagnosis—performed a skit where a guy dressed up as a stick of butter and a guy in a broccoli outfit physically wrestle for her affection. It is only after the brawl that the dueling foods reveal their identities – Mr. Butter was Kevin Bacon  and Mr. Broccoli was Liev Schreiber.

Sold – A Pee with Seth Rogen: In the most unusual auction of the night, three lucky audience members hit the restrooms of the Beacon Theater with Seth Rogen. The cameras follow them and humorously discover Deen and Keitel leaving the stall after a staged tryst.

These are just five signature moments from Night of Too Many Stars – but when the show airs on October 21 check out Matthew Broderick, Anderson Cooper, Jimmy Kimmel, Jack McBrayer, Julianne Moore, Bob Saget, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Sudeikis, Meredith Vieira and many more celebs live and working the phone bank. Learn today how you can donate to support autism programs.

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There was definitely jocularity as Jon Stewart and President Obama chatted about the POTUS’s performance at the first debate (pulling up debate photos from the “election scrapbook” Stewart said he’s been keeping) and Joe Biden’s wet swimwear, but the two got pretty serious for most of their The Daily Show last night.

In his sixth appearance on the show and second since taking office, the President maintained good humor, keeping up with Stewart’s quick wit and political questions. He addressed issues ranging from the financial crisis, Guantánamo Bay and wiretapping to, speaking more broadly, the overall magnitude and importance of voting in this year’s election.

“The stakes on this could not be bigger,” Obama said. “War, peace, Supreme Court, women’s right to choose, whether we’re creating jobs in this country or whether they’re getting shipped overseas, whether our kids are getting the best education they can…there is no excuse not to vote.”

Check out this unedited, extended version of the first half of their interview above, and the rest below.

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