W. Kamau Bell is one of those people who has always just seemed to be there. From Totally Biased, to Politically Re-Active, United Shades of America, and We Need to Talk About Cosby, his blend of comedy, social commentary, and political activism has helped him stand out. He’s won a Peabody and four Emmys, been a Celebrity Jeopardy! champion, received honors from the ACLU, and been crowned the Ambassador of Fishbone by founding member Chris Dowd. Bell is, if nothing else, a busy man.
So we’re very grateful that he took time between episodes of his podcast Who’s With Me, his comedy tour, and Substack of the same name, promoting his upcoming children’s book Rock Paper Scissors Cheese (out October 27th), and, of course, being a dad, to answer our weekly questionnaire.
What is your most indispensable tool?
A charger. All of this is just shiny paperweights without a charger.
Which app is the most underappreciated?
I probably use the map app every day. I wish MapQuest’s app was better, so I didn’t have to use the Trump Billionaire guys’ apps. You know who I’m talking about. The map apps that have the Gulf of Mexico listed as the Gulf of America. SOOOOOOOOO EMBARRASSING!!!
What is the first app you install on a new phone or computer?
It’s been a long, loooong time since I had a phone that didn’t just transfer my old apps over, but I would guess that if I had a clean phone with only the basic apps on it, I would quickly install YouTube. What do you expect me to do? Just think my own thoughts all day? I need somebody constantly telling me something about something. Or singing me something about something.
What is one thing you wish you could change about your phone?
Just come in a hard case with that piece of plastic that claims it stops your screen from cracking already on the phone. I just bought it. I don’t need a project, and I’m not comfortable asking the person at the cellphone place to do it for me. Also, I’m sure it is a scam, but I just put it on there anyway.
How many tabs do you have open right now?
I have 17 windows open across two different browser windows. That’s light work. When I’m writing a Substack article, I can get to 30 windows… easy. I only close them when I hit “publish” on an article. I have to earn the right to close a window.
Which social media platform do you use the most (if any)?
I really want to thank Elon Musk for breaking my addiction to Twitter. It wasn’t healthy, so I can say that he really improved my life by ruining Twitter. These days, I’m an Instagram and Threads guy. Not that Zuckerberg is significantly better than Elon, but as a public-facing person, I do need these platforms. But Zuckerberg better be careful. My generation isn’t afraid to leave social media platforms. We left MySpace and Friendster, just like I left Twitter.
What is your happy place online?
Watching the latest Japanese video on YouTube or watching Lionfield videos with my 8-year-old on Instagram
What is your favorite gadget you’ve ever owned?
Afro pick with extra-long metal teeth with a fist as the handle.
Which was the most disappointing?
A brush that claimed it could effectively comb Afros. I bought it because of Shark Tank. But I think my hair is just too long. Or the X-ray specs they used to sell in comic books.
What game do you have the fondest memories of?
It is a tie between Civilization on the PC and NBA Live on Sega Genesis. I’m talking like NBA Live ‘95. I’M SOOOOO OLD!
Which tech trend do you wish would go away?
What is one thing you wish you had created?
Flappy Bird. But I would have let it rock instead of deleting it. Maybe because I have three kids, I can’t look a gift app in the mouth like that. You all would have had at least eight Flappy Bird movies by now. It would have out-Minioned the Minion movies.
What creation are you most proud of?
My three daughters. It was a collab project.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Don’t think you are going to make it just by doing stand-up comedy. You need to learn how to write other things,” – Kevin Kataoka.
What is your current obsession?
The NBA off-season. It is way better than the actual season, even with the Knicks winning.
What do you do when you need to focus?
Coffee and extreme quiet… like leave me the eff alone… so I can listen to YouTube while I work. Middle of the night is the best time to work, but I can’t do that as often as I like… those three kids like it when both their parents are awake at the same time. My wife likes that better, too.
What do you do when you’re feeling stuck?
Change the song or play a silly cellphone game for four hours. Do you know YouTube has games now for free???
When was the last time you went somewhere without your phone?
Excuse me? EXCUSE ME??? WHY WOULD I DO THAT?
What’s the last piece of physical media you bought?
I’m a middle-aged-dad-who-buys-records-years-old. The guy at the shop (Mars Records in Oakland) holds things for me. I bought Fishbone’s first EP recently. I should really buy a record player.
What do you think is worth splurging on?
If you need a new computer, GET A NEW COMPUTER!
What would the tagline for your biopic be?
What’s the last GIF or meme you used?
