Kevin Bleyer

Kevin Bleyer is an American television writer and producer. He has won multiple Emmy, Peabody, and Writers Guild Awards{{Not verified in body|date=November 2019}} He was a former writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, a contributor to President Barack Obama's speeches, the author of the best-selling Me the People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution, a co-author of the #1 NY Times Bestseller Earth: The Book, and the co-author, with Governor Bill Richardson, of How to Sweet-Talk a Shark. In 2008, he became a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2014, he served as a Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.{{cite press release |last=Huang |first=Wen |title=Institute of Politics announces fellows for fall 2014 |url=http://news.uchicago.edu/article/2014/07/21/institute-politics-announces-fellows-fall-2014 |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Office of Communications |date=21 July 2014 |access-date=30 November 2019}}

Television writing

After doing commentaries and freelance reporting for NPR's "All Things Considered" and American Public Media's "Marketplace", Bleyer began his television writing career as a writer and producer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher from 1996 to 2002.{{cite web |last=Whitty |first=Stephen |title=Seriously Funny: Does Daily Show writer Kevin Bleyer think comedy news promotes cynicism? Not so much. |url=https://stanfordmag.org/contents/seriously-funny |work=Stanford Magazine |date=November–December 2006 |access-date=30 November 2019}} He then wrote for the critically acclaimed Bravo series Significant Others and created and executive produced the Showtime pilot Nightly, in which he was also featured as an on-air correspondent.{{Cite web |title=Kevin Bleyer |url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088354/ |access-date=2022-03-06 |website=IMDb}}{{Better source needed|reason=WP:CITINGIMDB.|date=November 2019}} In 2003, Bleyer became a writer and producer on Dennis Miller, a position he held until the show's cancellation in 2005.

From 2005 to 2013, Bleyer was a member of the writing staff of The Daily Show, where he worked on over 1000 episodes and several specials, earning four Emmys in the process.{{Better source needed|reason=WP:CITINGIMDB.|date=November 2019}} He also won a WGA Award in 2010 for his work on the show in 2009.{{Better source needed|reason=WP:CITINGIMDB.|date=November 2019}} Bleyer was also one of several Daily Show writers to write for the 80th Annual Academy Awards in 2008, when Jon Stewart served as host.{{Citation |last=Horvitz |first=Louis J. |title=The 80th Annual Academy Awards |date=2008-02-24 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103965/ |type=Comedy, Music |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) |access-date=2022-03-06 |last2=Takats |first2=Joseph}}{{Better source needed|reason=WP:CITINGIMDB.|date=November 2019}}

After his tenure at The Daily Show, he was a writer for the first two seasons of the Fox supernatural dramedy Sleepy Hollow.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

In 2013, as a USAID consultant, Bleyer produced "Studio 7" in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the first topical news political satire program in Central Asia.{{cite news |last=Rickleton |first=Chris |title=Kyrgyzstan: Comedy Troupe Holds Up Mirror to Society |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/66954 |work=Eurasianet |location=Kyrgyzstan |date=15 May 2013 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{Cite news |last=Chen |first=Adrian |date=2018-01-15 |title=Using Comedy to Strengthen Nigeria’s Democracy |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/01/22/using-comedy-to-strengthen-nigerias-democracy |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}

Political writing and activities

Bleyer contributed to many of President Obama's addresses, including his comedic speeches at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner, from the President's inauguration in 2008 to at least 2013.{{Clarify timeframe|date=November 2019}}{{cite news |last=Nichols |first=Hans |title=Obama Draws on Professional Help to Keep the Jokes Rolling |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/obama-draws-on-professional-help-to-keep-the-jokes-rolling.html |work=Bloomberg News |date=30 April 2012 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{cite news |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |title=Obama's Donald Trump Jokes Helped by 'Daily Show' Writer |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/obamas-donald-trump-jokes-helped-184319 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=3 May 2011 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{cite news |last=Angelo |first=Megan |title=Meet The "Daily Show" Writer Who Helped Obama Kill At The White House Correspondents' Dinner |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/obama-photo-watching-bin-laden-hillary-clinton-daily-show-2011-5 |work=Business Insider |date=3 May 2011 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{cite news |last=Grove |first=Lloyd |title=Obama Trounces Leno |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/obama-trounces-leno |work=The Daily Beast |date=2 May 2010 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{cite news |last=Grove |first=Lloyd |title=White House Correspondents' Dinner: Obama Nails It, Again |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-correspondents-dinner-obama-nails-it-again |work=The Daily Beast |date=28 April 2013 |access-date=30 November 2019}} After the speech in 2010, reporters from several outlets reported erroneously that The Daily Show staff worked on the President's remarks. The White House and Comedy Central clarified that Bleyer worked independently on the speech, in light of accusations of the show being too close to President Barack Obama.{{cite news |last=Roberts |first=Soraya |title=Jay Leno recycled White House Correspondent's Dinner jokes; 'Daily Show' staffer wrote for Obama |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/jay-leno-recycled-white-house-correspondent-dinner-jokes-daily-show-staffer-wrote-obama-article-1.447161 |work=New York Daily News |date=4 May 2010 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{cite web |last=MacNicol |first=Glynnis |title=Obama WHCD Funny Explained: Daily Show Writer Penned Jokes |url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/obama-whcd-funny-explained-daily-show-writers-penned-jokes/ |website=Mediaite |date=3 May 2010 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{cite web |last=Parnes |first=Amie |title=Jon Favreau on Obama's WHCD success |url=http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1005/favreau_on_obamas_whcd_success.html |website=Politico |date=3 May 2010 |access-date=30 November 2019}}

Among the first contributors chosen to launch The Huffington Post, Bleyer is a frequent commentator for National Public Radio.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}} He also reported from Iraq as part of The Daily Show's "Operation: Silent Thunder," featuring correspondent Rob Riggle, in 2007.{{cite news |last=Gough |first=Paul |title='Daily Show' in war zone |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/daily-show-war-zone-148318 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=20 August 2007 |access-date=30 November 2019}} That same year, he was profiled by Charlie Rose.{{citation needed|date=November 2019|reason=previous bare URL cited no longer works: http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2007/08/11/1/charlie-rose-tomorrow-kevin-bleyer}}

In 2008, Bleyer participated in a mock debate before the United States Congress based on the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which involved multiple sitting Congresspeople.{{citation needed|date=November 2019|reason=previous bare URL cited no longer works: http://www.campusprogress.org/fieldreport/2440/video-state-of-their-union}} He also spoke to NPR about his involvement in the strike.{{cite news |author= |title='Daily Show' Writer Notes News Ripe for Comedy |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16981155 |work=National Public Radio |series=All Things Considered |date=6 December 2007 |access-date=30 November 2019}}

Bleyer is the author of the book Me The People: One Man's Selfless Quest to Rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America, published by Random House in June 2012.{{cite news |last=Minzesheimer |first=Bob |title=Josh Lieb of 'Daily Show ' puts his wit to 'Unspeakable Evil' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-10-21-josh-lieb_N.htm |work=USA Today |date=2011 |access-date=30 November 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Gavin |first=Patrick |date=2012-05-29 |title=Bringing humor to the Constitution |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2012/05/bringing-humor-to-the-constitution-076832 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=POLITICO |language=en}} He is also the co-author, with former US Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, of "How to Sweet-Talk a Shark," detailing their humanitarian trip to North Korea in 2013 and their attempts to negotiate the release of Korean-American detainee Kenneth Bae.

Personal life

Bleyer is the younger brother of sports anchor Keith Bleyer.

Bleyer was raised in Washington and had a role in the movie Twice in a Lifetime as a teenager. He went on to attend Stanford University, where he sang with the Stanford Fleet Street Singers and studied both communications and computer engineering, earning a degree in the former in 1994. He also had an internship at New York's Public Theater, where he assisted playwright Anna Deavere Smith and performed dramaturgical duties with playwright Tony Kushner.

He lives in New York.{{clarify timeframe|date=December 2019}}

References

Category:Living people

Category:American comedy writers

Category:American television writers

Category:American male television writers

Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners

Category:Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences alumni

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)