Mike Polk

Michael G Polk Jr

Michael G Polk Jr
Born Warren, Ohio, US
Residence Cleveland, Ohio, US
Nationality American
Alma mater Kent State University
Occupation Actor
Comedian
Newspaper columnist
Website http://www.mikepolkjr.com/

Michael G Polk Jr is an American comedian, actor, and newspaper columnist, known primarily for his sketch comedy and viral videos.

Early life and education

Polk was born in Warren, Ohio. He attended Kent State University as an undergraduate and earned a degree in communications and psychology in 2002.[1]

Career

Polk created HBO's Runaway Box / Man in the Box.[2] His work has also appeared on Cinemax and broadcasts of the basketball show "Inside the NBA" on the TNT (TV channel).[3]

He sang his YouTube song "One Semester of Spanish - Love Song"[4] for Kim Kardashian on Spanish television channel Telemundo.[5][6] That video has received over 9.4 million views on YouTube. He thanked his viewers as "Spanish Mike" when the video hit 2 Million views. [7]

Some of his other work includes "Ooh Girl!" - An Honest R&B Song".,[8] "The Great Office War",[9] "The Factory of Sadness"[10] and two different versions of a "Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video"[11][12] all of which have about 20 million views combined on YouTube. The tourism spoof video actually prompted Cleveland's convention and tourism bureau to solicit other videos in a 'counterattack' to Polk's not-so-flattering work.[13] Segments of the Cleveland tourism videos were also featured in the Michael Moore documentary film Capitalism: A Love Story.[14][15]

In 2012, Polk became a weekly contributor on The Rizzo Show - a Sunday night sports/comedy program airing WJW channel 8 in Cleveland (the local FOX affiliate).[16]

Polk has also worked for Funny or Die and his current comedy troupe Last Call Cleveland.

In 2016, Polk became a writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, doing periodic columns about pop culture and humor.[17]

Awards

Polk was named as one of Cleveland Magazine's Most Interesting People of 2010.[18]

In 2013 readers of Scene Magazine voted him to be Cleveland's Best Local Comedian and Best Local Author for his book Damn Right I'm From Cleveland.[19]

Bibliography

Damn Right I'm From Cleveland (2012 ISBN 978-1-938441-07-3)

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Kent State 'down' with entertainment this weekend". KentWired.com.
  2. ↑ "Mike Polk : Actor : Biography". Symfonee.com.
  3. ↑ "Video Mike Polk's tribute to TNT's coverage of the NBA playoffs". Sports.Yahoo.com.
  4. ↑ "One Semester of Spanish - Love Song". YouTube. September 10, 2007.
  5. ↑ "Spanish Mike at Telemundo". YouTube. January 14, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Spanish Mike en Mas Vale Tarde". YouTube. February 12, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Spanish Mike-2 Million Viewers". YouTube. January 28, 2008.
  8. ↑ "Ooh Girl!" - An Honest R&B Song". YouTube. March 14, 2008.
  9. ↑ "The Great Office War". YouTube. June 16, 2008.
  10. ↑ "The Factory Of Sadness (A Cleveland Browns Fan's Reaction To Today's Game Against Houston)". YouTube. November 6, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video". YouTube. April 14, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video: 2nd Attempt". YouTube. April 30, 2009.
  13. ↑ "A counterattack on Mike Polk's Cleveland 'tourism' videos Regina Brett Regina Brett". Cleveland.com.
  14. ↑ "'Capitalism: A Love Story' is classic Michael Moore, but he should have trimmed his target list". Cleveland.com.
  15. ↑ "Moore's Legacy of Visual Protest in Capitalism a Love Story". HASTAC.org.
  16. ↑ http://fox8.com/category/sports/the-rizzo-show/
  17. ↑ Polk's debut column - Cleveland.com
  18. ↑ "Most Interesting People 2010 - Mike Polk". ClevelandMagazine.com.
  19. ↑ "Best Local Author 2013 - Mike Polk". CleveScene.com.
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