Comedian, activist, and podcast host W. Kamau Bell told The Verge that his smartphone is the one piece of technology he considers indispensable, citing its practical role in his daily routine. Bell, who has hosted shows including United Shades of America and We Need to Talk About Cosby, said he would quickly install YouTube on any new phone, as he relies on constant audio and video content. He also expressed a preference for phones that come with a screen protector already applied, saying he does not want to handle the installation himself.
Bell credited Elon Musk with breaking his addiction to Twitter, which he described as unhealthy. He said he has since moved to Instagram and Threads, noting that while he does not consider Mark Zuckerberg significantly better than Musk, he needs social platforms as a public-facing person. Bell added that his generation is willing to leave platforms, citing past departures from MySpace and Friendster.
In the interview, Bell discussed his current media habits, including watching Japanese videos on YouTube and viewing Lionfield videos with his eight-year-old child. He mentioned a regretful purchase of a brush from Shark Tank that claimed to comb Afros, saying it did not work for his hair. He also recalled buying X-ray specs advertised in comic books as a child, which did not live up to their promise.
Bell named Civilization on the PC and NBA Live on Sega Genesis, specifically the 1995 edition, as his favorite games from his past. He said he would not have removed Flappy Bird from app stores, suggesting it could have spawned a successful movie franchise. He offered career advice he received from Kevin Kataoka, who told him not to rely solely on stand-up comedy and to learn to write other material.
The podcast host said the NBA off-season is more interesting to him than the regular season. His ideal work environment involves coffee and extreme quiet, with a preference for working in the middle of the night, though he noted his three children and wife prefer him to be awake at more standard hours. He said he passes time by changing songs or playing free games available on YouTube.
Bell described himself as a middle-aged dad who buys records, mentioning that the staff at Mars Records in Oakland holds items for him. He recently purchased Fishbone’s first EP and acknowledged that he still needs to buy a record player. The interview was part of The Verge’s weekend questionnaire series, which has also featured musician Tom Vek and podcast hosts Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding in recent weeks.
More technology news from TechManNews.
