Thaddaeus McKee is a stand-up comedian based in Indianapolis. After working in a non-profit in Haiti, he started doing comedy in 2016. In addition to his stand up, he’s involved in three podcasts: Harder Brunch, IDK IT, and The Drunk Dial Podcast. You can also catch him in the Youtube comedy channel, Urgent Comedy. McKee was the featured lecture speaker this month for CreativeMornings. He spoke on his past and how connecting with his roots changed his perspective. We caught up with him afterwards to talk about his background and his interaction with the local Indy community.
CreativeMornings is a monthly breakfast lecture which is held around the world. The Indianapolis chapter is held on the last Friday of each month. The event is free of charge and gives an opportunity for creatives to gather and connect each month for breakfast and a lecture on various topics. The theme for September 2022 was Depth, a vague concept in which we can delve into topics and encourage going deeper rather than leaving things at surface level.
Photography by Jes Nijjer
Astrid Buquer: How do you think your speech fits the theme of Depth?
Thaddaeus McKee: I went over the theme of Depth in the sense of how I told my life story and if someone gets something out of that—great. I talked about some things that some might feel are uncomfortable to talk about, whether it was adoption or white and Black issues. I feel that instead of shying away from things that make people uncomfortable, it’s okay to talk about them. I grew up in an age where everybody wants to keep things quiet, but right now we live in an era where people want to turn over those stones. Sometimes that can be rough, but I feel like I’m someone who wants to embrace that.
AB: You’ve been doing comedy for years now. What led you to comedy?
TM: In high school, I was always in theater and show choir. We had announcements at the end of the school day, and I was able to do some comedy sketches. After the announcements, people came up to me and said they liked it, even people that I didn’t get along with. They would end up coming up and saying it was hilarious. That’s where I found my medium to be able to speak to people and connect.
AB: Being an artist, you have to be ready for change. How did learning to overcome your fears translate into your comedy, if at all?
TM:I always like to joke with people and I always wanted to have that levity. Comedy wasn’t something I had to break a fear in. Fear wasn’t getting up in front of people. It wasn’t telling jokes. Fear was making comedy my life goal because it was such a transition from a non-profit in Haiti to telling jokes. One may seem to have more depth than the other, but comedy was literally my way to connect—it’s what I’m the best at.
AB: You said you loved Indianapolis and you’ve spoken to many people on your podcast, Harder Brunch. Have you noticed something in the community, particularly among creatives?
TM: People are more supportive, especially in comedy. I’m seeing a lot of my friends [that I started with five years ago] get a lot of great opportunities. Reaching those goals isn’t so far between; some of my friends are on TV and getting new specials. The entertainment industry becomes smaller the more you practice. I’ve seen celebrities come to Indianapolis and really like it. For example, Natalie Cuomo from New York came and she started hanging out with us. We were taking her around different spots in Indianapolis. By the end of the night, she’s like “I absolutely love Indianapolis.” What I found interesting was she was only hanging around with us so I realized, “Wait, we were the ambassadors for Indianapolis to her.” I think that goes for everybody. You are the ambassador for your space. That’s a perspective that people should have—you represent your own space.
AB: Is there anything you’re obsessed with lately?
TM: Harder Brunch. Every Sunday, I meet new people. I eat with them. I get to meet a different person from the community. As we open up from the pandemic, more people are gonna be able to comment on what we missed out on in terms of experience. We should try to at least every other week try to meet someone new and find their story because that is what that’s what our human experience is. I’m obsessed with being able to meet new people and find out what they’re doing in life.
