The Grasscast

In this hilariously insightful episode of "The Grasscast," hosts Chris and Laura join forces with Keith Flippen and Elliott Bales from SAG-AFTRA to unravel the mysteries of the recent actors' strike and the looming threat of A.I. takeover in creative fields. As they navigate the comedic minefield of fair employment and silicon adversaries, expect laughs aplenty and a few unexpected plot twists—bec...

In this episode of "The Grasscast," things are hilariously heating up as comedian Robert Mac returns as guest co-host to take on the serious topic of climate justice with special guest Marissa Vahlsing, the amazing (and very punk rock) Supervising Attorney from EarthRights International. As the laughs flow and the conversation deepens, Marissa shares her experiences fighting corporate power while...

In this uproarious episode of "The Grasscast," hosts Chris and Laura sit down with Grassroots Comedy's Production Director Dana Fleitman and the witty Rosalie Rubio, a graduate from the Grassroots Comedy Incubator for Women and Non-Binary Folks. Get ready for a rollicking rollercoaster of comedy and camaraderie as this dynamic quartet delves into the serious business of championing the voices of w...

In this side-splitting episode of "The Grasscast," hosts Chris, Scott, and Laura team up with the energetic Kevin Wu, representing the Sunrise Movement's DC hub team , to shed light on the importance of the Green New Deal in the fight against climate change. Brace yourselves for a rollercoaster ride of laughter and climate activism as this dynamic quartet explores the serious issue of fighting cli...

In this unique episode of "The Grasscast," hosts Chris, Scott, and Laura team up with the amazing Kat Shaub, Vice President of Development for Habitat for Humanity of Washington, DC & Norther Virginia , to tackle the serious issue of affordable housing in the DC area—armed with laughter! Join this hilarious trio as they ingeniously blend humor and insight, shedding light on the challenges of findi...

Housing is an issue that affects every city in the United States, and is especially challenging in Washington, DC. That's why Chris and his brand new co-hosts, comedians Scott Bendure & Laura Franzese , sat down with Ashley Domm of Bread for the City to talk about ways her organization is working to help the citizens of our nation's capitol who are struggling to find a place to live. They also dis...

It's because of episodes like this one that Grassroots Comedy does what it does. Taking on the super sensitive issue of gun violence prevention, host Chris Blackwood is joined by comedian Max Wolfson to interview JJ Janflone and Kelly Sampson of Brady . Together, they dissect the state of gun violence in the U.S., current efforts to reduce gun violence, why it's so darn hard to do that, and what l...

Grassroots Comedy (GC) turned five years old earlier this year, marking half a decade of supporting causes in a time of need through jokes. With comedy for so many causes under our belts, it can be hard to summarize what those causes have been in a succinct way. For those who missed the GC five year anniversary show back in Feb 2022, here is the song from that show (written and performed on a whim...

In this long awaited Ukraine episode, host Chris Blackwood is joined by Ukrainian comedian Anna Tirat-Gefen and John Kun, Vice President of the U.S. – Ukraine Foundation. Together, they discuss not only about the war in Ukraine, its implications, and how to support its victims, but also the role of COMEDY in Ukraine, why Ukrainians are funnier than Russians, and how humor is being used as an effec...

In this episode, we do a deep dive into abortion and the current state of abortion policy in the U.S. We're joined by Grassroots Comedy's own Dana Fleitman as Co-host and interview Cassidy Clark from Pro-Choice Virginia who answers all of our serious and silly questions.  It is sad, terrifying, and also a great time! Like crying while also laughing in the fetal position (that's right - fetal).  To...

This episode does a deep dive into the very important cause of supporting Afghan refugees, and is somehow also very fun. Chris Blackwood and guest Co-host, comedian Yasmin Elhady, interview Merritt Groschel – the Founder and Director of Solutions in Hometown Connections (SHC) . SHC is an organization that supports immigrants and refugees in the DC Metropolitan area through connecting them to mento...

This final episode of 2021 has it all. Hosts Chris Blackwood and Robert Mac dive into the issue of voting rights in an effort to understand and solve ongoing voter suppression in the USA. They interview Damon Hewitt, the President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law , and discuss why they don't have a shorter name, the origin and current state of American vo...

After a long hiatus we're finally back! In this long-awaited episode, we dig into youth empowerment in the Nation's Capital in an interview with Leigh Player from Horton's Kids. In addition, Chris and Robert offer advice to teenagers, because they are like, really smart and good at it. They also advise you to listen to this episode for your own good. Because education and laughter are good for the...

Hosts Chris Blackwood and Robert Mac dig into the issue of climate change through interviews with Mike Tidwell from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), Charley Silverman from Orchard City, Colorado, and another special guest that Chris met as a gas station. Featuring comedy clips from comedians Brittany Carney, Violet Gray, and Robert Mac, this episode is as funny as it is informative. 

In this pilot episode of the Grasscast, we dive into the issue of immigrant rights, with a special guest from Ayuda- a Washington, DC based organization that provides legal, social, and language services to help low-income immigrants access justice and transform their lives. Chris and Robert discuss silver linings of harmful immigration policies (spoiler alert- there are none), we hear from a real...