charlie berens
Charlie Berens is a comedian, New York Times Best Selling Author, Emmy-winning journalist, musician and creator of the Manitowoc Minute. He currently resides in Milwaukee and is a Wisconsin native who has been featured on Comedy Central, Fox, CBS, Funny or Die, TBS, Variety, MTV News and more. He creates weekly content for his various social platforms and has amassed over 5 million followers.
In 2017, Charlie began hosting his weekly comedic online news show, the Manitowoc Minute. In 2020, he paired up with Horseshoes & Hand Grenades alum Adam Greul to release the music/comedy album, Unthawed. His first book, The Midwest Survival Guide, was released in November of 2021 and immediately became a New York Times Best Seller. Charlie hosts the Cripescast podcast where he interviews musicians, artists, comedians, creators and more to talk about their story and connections to the Midwest.
Portfolio
Fun Facts by State
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Vermont
Montpelier, Vermont, with just under 8,000 residents, is the smallest state capital in the United States. The popular ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s is located in this city. It also is the only state capital without a McDonald's restaurant.
Montana
Despite being completely landlocked, Missoula, Montana, attracts surfers from far and wide. They come to ride the waves of the gentle Clark Fork River. The man-made waves are right in the heart of downtown.
Pennsylvania
In 1943, due to the call of duty for military service during World War II, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles were combined under the unofficial name “Steagles.” The official name was the Phil-Pitt Combine.
North Dakota
More than one-quarter of the nation’s honey comes from North Dakota. The No. 1 honey-producing state in the nation, 38.6 million pounds of honey – valued at more than $61 million – was produced in 2020 alone. The summer climate is conducive to flower nectar production, which bees use to make honey.
Nebraska
Kool-Aid, the popular powdered drink mix, was developed by Edwin Perkins in Hastings, Nebraska. Originally developed as a bottled soft drink concentrate called Fruit Smack, Perkins removed the liquid to better ship the powder for sale. He then renamed the drink Kool-Aid.
Wisconsin
The popular children's toy, Barbie, hails from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin. Originally, Barbie (and Ken) grew up win Willows, where they attended Willow High School. In 2015, Barbie’s history was changed, moving her to Malibu, California at the age of eight.
New Mexico
From the Capulin Volcano National Monument, an elevation of about 8,200 feet, five states can be seen: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and, of course, New Mexico. The extinct cinder cone volcano also offers one of the best nighttime sky views around.
North Carolina
On December 17, 1903, at 10:35 am, Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first powered, controlled flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The brothers designed and built their flying machine, simply called the Flyer. The flight lasted only 12 seconds.
Oregon
Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state. To date, 200 ghost towns have been identified, many of which were part of either the gold rush or the industrial age economic booms.
Michigan
Battle Creek, Michigan, is the birthplace of the cereal industry. In 1906 W.K. Kellogg formed the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. To this day, Battle Creek remains the cereal capital as Kellogg, Ralston and Post products are breakfast staples around the world.
Alabama
The courthouse in Monroeville, Alabama, has a museum dedicated to To Kill a Mockingbird, which Harper Lee was inspired to write while watching her father practice law in the same building.
Kentucky
The state is known for its bourbon, and it takes it very seriously. There are more barrels of bourbon being aged in Kentucky — about 10 million — than there are residents — 4.51 million in the 2020 census.
Colorado
The world’s largest natural hot springs swimming pool resides in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The source of the Glenwood Springs mineral water is the Yampah spring, which produces more than 3.5 million gallons of water per day at a temperature of 122°F.
Kansas
Chicago may be known as the windy city, but Dodge City, Kansas, is the windiest city in America. The city’s average wind speed is 15 mph. The not-so-windy November month experiences 44 mph gusts. April is the windiest month, when gusts reach 63 mph.
Iowa
The small town of Riverside, Iowa, is the future birthplace of Star Trek captain James T. Kirk, who will be born March 22, 2228. The town features a statue commemorating the birth and hosts an annual summer festival called Trek Fest.