“Cripescast” podcast host Charlie Berens will team up with University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism professor Mike Wagner in a sold-out event to highlight the importance of voting this November and break down key ballot issues.
Berens will host a live episode of “Cripescast,” which focuses on the unique nature of the Midwest, at Comedy on State on Oct. 22. He will be joined by Wagner, who will break down key ballot issues while Berens offers witty Midwestern-based humor.
Berens, a comedian, journalist, New York Times bestselling author has been an ever-present figure in Wisconsin pop culture since his rise to popularity in 2017 after launching a YouTube series. Known as the “Manitowoc Minute,” the series is a short comedy sketch playing on classic Midwestern stereotypes such as the love of beer, “Midwestern goodbyes” and thick accents.
With Wisconsin positioned as a key swing state in the upcoming presidential election, both sides of the political spectrum have encouraged residents to vote. In 2020, 27% of Wisconsin’s registered voters chose not to vote, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission, leaving a margin for both major-party candidates to secure the votes needed to win Wisconsin.
Berens has advocated for voting as long as he’s been running the Manitowoc Minute. He is an alumnus of UW-Madison and served as the university’s winter commencement speaker in 2022.
Wagner has extensive experience covering and researching the political climate, and has worked as a journalist, political author and political campaign manager before becoming a tenured professor at UW-Madison.
The event will be presented by Civic Media’s local radio station 92.7 WMDX.
