by |

Joe Mande is up to something. From the looks of the comedian’s recently redesigned website, he’s refashioning himself as a makeshift L. Ron Hubbard. JoeMande.com features a brief teaser for something called ‘Achieve Omega’ that includes symbols akin to Scientology (the symbol appears to be Joe’s initials attached to an omega: Ω).

Mande is best known for his work as a writer on Parks and Recreation (he also played a character named Morris on the show). In 2014, he released the hilarious and inventive standup album Bitchface, which employed a pastiche of hip hop mixtape conventions. Joe is the funniest person on Twitter.

I emailed Mande and asked him some absurd questions about film and music for a new feature I’m calling ‘Culture Questions.’ Thanks Joe! I don’t know what Omega is yet but I look forward to achieving it.

CULTURE CREATURE: In 2014, you launched a Kickstarter project intending to raise $1M for a podcast. What entrepreneurial projects are you working on in 2016?

JOE MANDE: Oh yeah, I got big plans for 2016. I’m currently overhauling my website to make myself a legit cult leader/con man. Hopefully I can quickly make about 300-400 million dollars so I can buy the Minnesota Timberwolves.

If you could go back in time to 1905 and play one song on a boombox to people on the street, what song would you pick and why?

If I had to choose a song, I’d do David Banner’s ‘Play,’ because it’s filthy. But, ideally, I’d also be able to show all the 1905 people a DVD of Avatar. I’d tell them it’s a documentary.

What single piece of art (movie, standup, music, etc) made you laugh the hardest laughter of your life?

No film has affected me more than the first time I saw Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. I remember the cold open (where he’s dressed up like a UPS guy kicking a fragile package all over the place) almost making me throw up from laughing. Obviously, at this point I know the transphobic elements of that movie are now super #problematic, but 11 year-old me did not give a fuuuuuuck.