Scott Budnick, Kim Kardashian Discussion On Criminal Law And Procedure

Among the notable attendees at Thursday’s second annual A Day of Unreasonable Conversation event held by social impact firm Propper Daley were Kim Kardashian , Uzo Aduba, Chrissy Teigen, B.J. Novak, and director/producer Scott Budnick.

A full day of programming was designed to bring together television writers, producers, and executives with cultural changemakers, and it occurred at Beverly Hills’ The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in close cooperation with culture change agency Invisible Hand and The Hollywood Reporter.

The day’s discussions aimed to inspire future screenplays and aid in maintaining narrative authenticity, touching on topics such as intellectual humility, psychological health, social and financial division, criminal justice, reproductive choice, global warming, ethical tech, and more.

After realizing how flawed the system is, especially for people of color, Kardashian and Budnick sat down with host Baratunde Thurston for a How to Get Sh!t Done in a Divided America panel to talk about their years-long crusade for prison reform.

After a successful career as the producer of several of Todd Phillips’ films, Budnick stepped away from the business for five years to head the organization The Anti-Recidivism Coalition, which is dedicated to ending the state of California’s mass incarceration.

It was the best five years of my life, said Budnick, even though he had taken a 90 percent pay cut, resigned from his position of authority, and been unable to cast or recruit anyone. After five years of leading that organization, I came to the realization that the key to helping the men, women, and children with whom I’ve worked to humanize them was to tell their experiences.

Due to the universal nature of the question “How can you help?” I believe narrating stories to be crucial. You’re just like, ‘What can you do?’ Kardashian continued. Someone once asked me why I was just working on one case. Take action on the policy. And I told them, Look, people just want to feel comfortable in the community; they don’t care if you have a rap sheet or a face.