A Conversation with Comedy Central’s ‘Opposition’ Leader: Jordan Klepper
Description
A conversation with
Jordan Klepper
Host, The Opposition with Jordan Klepper
Correspondent, The Daily Show
Jesse Shelburne
President, Institute of Politics Student Advisory Committee
Sharon Yang
Vice President, Institute of Politics Student Advisory Committee
Jordan Klepper, host of "Opposition with Jordan Klepper" and correspondent for "The Daily Show," spoke in a conversation style forum with Jesse Shelburne, President of the Institute of Politics Student Advisory Committee, and Sharon Yang, Vice President of the Institute of Politics Student Advisory Committee. In addition to speaking about his new television program "Opposition with Jordan Klepper," and Mr. Klepper spoke about how he got involved in comedy after college. The audience was full of laughs when Mr. Klepper played the game “Support, Interview, Banish,” as well as when he answered audience questions ranging from his pet peeves (people chewing ice and being asked the same question) to how people react to his tall stature. When asked what advice he would give to college students attending the forum, Mr. Klepper said knowing what you know and what you don’t know is incredibly important, as it having the confidence to go with your instincts.
Jordan Klepper is host and executive producer of The Opposition w/ Jordan Klepper. Previously, he had been best known for his memorable appearances as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, which he joined in 2014 under Jon Stewart and continued after Trevor Noah took over as host in 2015. In his time at The Daily Show, Klepper defined himself with both his studio work and segments in the field, ranging from his multi-part series exploring the reality of being a “Good Guy with a Gun“ to his field pieces at Trump rallies which have garnered millions of views.
In June of 2017, his one-hour special Jordan Klepper Solves Guns premiered on Comedy Central and focused on the alarming legal obstacles and enlightening personal testimony surrounding the issue of gun violence in America. The special featured Klepper becoming increasingly aware that legislative red tape and special interests – much more than any cultural or partisan divide – are keeping the nation from simple safety reforms.
Prior to The Daily Show, Klepper spent years as a performer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York City. During this time, he co-created and co-starred in the UCB Comedy-produced pilot Engaged which was featured at the New York Television Festival. Klepper worked as a writer and contributor on the Big Ten Network show Friday Night Tailgate, MTV2’s Charlamagne & Friends and as a contributing writer on HBO’s Ferrell Takes the Field. Together with his collaborator and wife, Laura Grey (“Klepper & Grey”), he created Peepers (2014), which was featured at SXSW and the Tribeca Film Festival, and the short film TMI (2012), which was a featured short at Slamdance.
Jesse Shelburne is an Eliot House resident and a Government concentrator pursuing a secondary in Psychology. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Jesse found a second home at the IOP and is incredibly honored to serve as President this year. At the IOP, he previously served as chair of the National Campaign and has been a member of the Campaigns and Advocacy Program and the Harvard Political Union. Outside the Institute, he is a Peer Advising Fellow for freshmen and a member of both the Harvard College Democrats and the Harvard Sports Analysis Collective, and he previously worked in Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. His favorite pastime is obsessively following his beloved University of Kentucky Wildcats, but he also enjoys all kinds of sports, music, and food.
Sharon Yang is an economics concentrator with a government secondary. A senior originally from the great state of Texas, Sharon is a proud member of Eliot House. At the IOP, she has been involved with the National Campaign Committee, the Harvard Political Union through the 2016 Campaign Managers Conference, and moonlighted as Fall 2015 IOP Fellow Brent Colburn's biggest fan, in addition to chairing the Campaigns & Advocacy Program. Outside of the IOP, Sharon serves as the President of the Harvard College Democrats. You can find her most days either struggling with Stata, curating her Twitter presence, or restraining herself from purchasing yet another almond croissant at Tatte's.