The film features an impressive roster of comedians, including Iranian-American Maz Jobrani, African-American Tommy Davidson, German-Welsh-American Whitney Cummings and Egyptian-American Eman Morgan, among others. With such a diverse set of perspectives and backgrounds, the jokes not only keep you laughing, but will keep you curious as to how each audience will react. For instance, Beirut, Lebanon was open to just about any joke about any topic, while in Dubai — politics, the royal family and religion are off limits.

Along with the footage from performances and interviews with the comedians, the film also gives us a personal look at Ahmed’s life and career. I won’t reveal too much, but his father alone is worth spending the time to watch the film.

We are left with a sense that comedy is pushing boundaries in the Middle East and allowing for otherwise uncomfortable conversations to take place. Together with its informative documentary structure, graphics, cinematography, and beautiful still imagery, Just Like Us is definitely a satisfying film to see.

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About the Author: Negin is a producer and fundraiser dedicated to using art and media to engage, interact, and influence broader change. Currently, she is focused on the production and distribution of film about and from the Middle East.

STATS
Sonic or Mario: Mario, ’cause I look like him
Now playing: Drake – “Forever”
Train, plane or automobile: Automobile

1. Why comedy?
I actually decided that this was something I wanted to do at a Eid party. There were about 60-70 people there, and I didn’t prepare any notes or anything but they said, “Why don’t you get up there and crack a few jokes on people?” It ended up turning into a freestyle 45 minute set. When I went back and watched a tape recording I heard all the people laughing and I heard laughs that I didn’t recognize, loudly. So I thought maybe I could give it a chance. And one of Dean’s [Obeidallah] relatives happened to be there at the time. And that family was like, “You need to get into this.”

Whenever anybody approaches me, or walks by me or I see anything, I automatically think of like 20 things that are funny to the point where I will smile. And they’ll look at me and smile — but little do they know, I just thought of about 10 jokes about this person.

2. What makes you laugh?
What makes me laugh is people who are willing to laugh at themselves. Rather than be embarrassed, they have the ability to make fun of themselves. I also love when people impersonate others.

3. Your favorite comedians?
My favorites are Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Chris Rock and Eddie Murphy. But just to make it interesting, I’d put Bill Cosby at the table instead of Eddie Murphy. Because I just want to see Bill sit cross from Richard. And Chris Rock there making commentary. And Robin would be the mediator.

4. What’s your biggest challenge with Arab crowds?
Personally, with Arab crowds — often times you have to show them that you’re laughing with them and not at them. And I think that’s the biggest challenge for me because no matter what I’m talking about, I want them to know that I’m son of these hills too, and I’m not just here ’cause there’s some tickets being sold.

I don’t want to get up there and make fun of things that I wouldn’t be able to stand by. That’s probably my biggest challenge because after the show they respect that.

5. What about non-Arab crowds?
It’s a similar challenge, except it’s flipped inside-out. I don’t want to get up in front of a non-Arab crowd and make them laugh at my culture. Whatever I’m gonna say, even though it’s comedy, they’re gonna take it to heart. So my biggest challenge is being an ambassador to my culture and staying true.

6. So who’s your ideal crowd?
I prefer any crowd who doesn’t know me very well. At the Big Brown Comedy Hour in New York, there were two girls standing there as I walked in, and one said, “Do you mind if we sit here? Cause it’s just a little bit dirty, do you think you could get someone to wipe this off?” So I walked over and I was like, “Here let me wipe that off for you.” Then at the end of the show, those same girls wanted a photo and an autograph. I said “I’m actually surprised you want to be photographed with the bus boy.” Out of the five major shows I’ve done, four of them I’ve been asked where my ticket was, and I love it.

Some people want to be that Arab comedian. I want to be that comedian that’s Arab.

I walked up the short set of stairs of The Complex in Hollywood’s Theater District, into the narrow hallways lined with people leaning against walls as they waited for their casting call. It is a small building containing several theatres and studios under one roof. I opened the door to my destination, where a set of bleachers were filled with serious, but welcoming students with their eyes set on the stage, ready to absorb some comic knowledge.

During a break, Khalil and Shrime exchanged a witty repartee as they discussed the premise of the workshop.  Their collaborative spirit, intent to create, and an apparent interest in paying their experience forward leave me inclined to coin them the Arab Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

Did this develop out of a lack of opportunity?
Ryan: It developed because of the process of getting good roles.  We want to have at our hands a plethora of material, and in order for that to happen we have to be the ones to produce it.
Ronnie: We have to create for ourselves if we’re going to move into the position we want.
Ryan: [Middle Easterners] complain about stereotyping, but we can’t expect someone who grew up in Middle America to understand our experience.  We have to start doing our part.

What kind of advice do you have for people trying to get their foot in the door, either on or off stage?
Ryan: Keep moving,
Ronnie: If you’re a writer, keep writing. If you’re an actor, keep acting.
Ryan: Get a job that barely pays the bills so that you can stay hungry. Yea, stay thirsty.
Ronnie: Stay hungry, but not literally. (chuckling)
Ronnie: This business is not, and never will be easy.
Ryan: Don’t ever give yourself a time limit, which is actually something comedian, David Zucker, said that stays with me.
Ronnie (bantering): I’ve got an idea, but I’ll just wait a year to write it down.
Ryan: Also, everyone should be on actorsaccess.com. Networks do something called Diversity Showcase for their own casting, to promote a commitment to diversity.

Can people use their own material to audition?
Ryan: Some networks, like CBS for example, will allow your own material. But most give you the material for an audition. We actually had some people get representation after the ME Comedy Festival through this showcase, and one girl ended up testing for a pilot.

Ronnie and Ryan invited two sketch comedy pros, Jodi Miller and Kimberly Lewis, to lead the workshops — they were high energy, and hilarious to watch. Their crash course crammed all the comedic formulas and set-ups, providing insight into the genius behind the laughs. I had the opportunity to pick the two comic brains…

What do you consider the most challenging part of writing comedy?
Kim: The tendency to get in your own way by over-thinking things, getting stuck in your head, and critiquing or blocking yourself and your creativity as you go. I encourage my students to cultivate a sense of playfulness when they are going to write and perform comedy. One of my favorite quotes is, “Genius is the ability to call up childhood at will.” We all spend years putting on all kinds of armor to protect ourselves in the world, and then we have to try to strip that away as performers and writers to get back to that childlike sense of play. If you think about it, the comedians we love and admire the most are the ones having the most fun.
Jodi: Focusing on one main thing in the sketch. Many times people try to fit too many elements into a scene, which makes it somewhat confusing for the audience.  Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best.

You crammed a lot into two days! Was it fun giving a crash course?
Kim: Yes, it was very fun. Learning comedy is really in the doing, not in the talking about it– writing, performing, and throwing material against the wall to see what sticks.
Jodi: It was a lot of fun teaching this class…I wish we had more time.  Still, I was very impressed with the work everyone did.  Some really funny sketches came out of this and I really hope they all continue to write more material.

They have undoubtedly been inspired to do exactly that.

The sketch workshop attracted, as the title suggests, “Middle Eastern” applicants. For all intents and purposes, the term here is applied culturally as opposed to geographically. About twenty participants made the cut, including Rachid Sabitri, an English actor of Morroccan origin who has done theatre, television, and film work for high-ranking networks such as HBO and the BBC. He is interested in pursuing Arab-Israeli relations in his writing — this workshop serves as a step forward in his work.

The first day wraps up with some reminders. Students are expected to write their own sketches by the next session. In an effort to quell their nerves, Khalil heeds a reminder that the goal of the experience is “to get to know each other, and be able to bounce ideas off one another. You are going to attract your kind of funny, so just write what you want.” Shrime emphasizes, “even if it sucks.”

If you’re in NYC, the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival is sponsoring a similar workshop this Sunday, March 14. Details here>>

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About the Author: Born and raised in Southern CA, Lana Daoud can find herself at home just about anywhere. She has a degree in History with a minor in Middle East Studies, and is currently a fellow of NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership For Change based in Los Angeles. Home is where the next great experience lies, heart belongs to her nieces, roots are in Palestine.

Comedian Baha Khalil is back at it again – this time giving us a taste of his guest segment on Dandana TV’s “3ala Zo2ak” show with Liza Elturk. “She approached me after one of my stand-up gigs and thought comedy would be a great addition to their already popular channel.” Apparently we weren’t the only ones who loved Baha’s live set.

Watch as the one and only, Wonho Chung, fluidly alternates between Korean to Arabic to English, from song to jokes to impersonating a dubbed soap opera and…his mother. Now, THAT is an entertainer. If you agree, leave a comment below…

We learned of Said Durrah’s Louis Armstrong impersonation at the Big Brown Comedy Hour, but we didn’t know he also does quite the Smeagle impression. Audio coming soon?

Aaron Kader gets serious before closing the show with hilarity.

Special guest from Montreal — Eman warmed the crowd up. We look forward to seeing more of her.

A packed, mostly-on-time crowd of 1300+…

STATS:
Languages: Arabic, English, Vietnamese, French, and Korean
Laces or Velcro: Velcro, retro
Favorite seasoning: Anything that’s fatty

1. Who are you? Really.

I think deep down inside I’m a Jordanian, with a Korean face. I’m your normal everyday guy, who was given the opportunity to do stand-up, and I didn’t know that I had it in me.

The moment I started doing jokes and people took them warmly, I figured maybe I should give this a shot. And I did. And I was just in the right place at the right time, with the right amount of preparation when someone gave me an opportunity.

2. You were chosen by the Axis of Evil team to be the pseudo-North Korean even though you’re South Korean, what was that like?

It was a dream because I was, and still am a huge fan of the Axis of Evil so when I was approached to actually be part of their tour, it was surreal.

Pretending to be North Korean while I’m South Korean wasn’t a big deal to me because I was given an opportunity. Obviously for the Axis guys they couldn’t find a North Korean that was funny, so they settled for a South Korean that was funny (I hope) and who speaks Arabic.

3. There’s no doubt that people get surprised when they find out you speak Arabic. Any particularly funny situations you’ve been through as a result?
This one is not quite a surprise, but I was boarding a plane in Malaysia, heading to Dubai, and at the gate everybody looked Far East Asian. So there was this gentleman in front of me, sitting at the gate with his wife, he had the whole [traditional dress], she was wearing a veil, very, very conservative… They thought nobody understood what they were saying, so they were talking about their honeymoon which they spent in Malaysia, and ALL the details. Use your imagination. And I was sitting there thinking “Oh my God!” This is almost like voyeurism, you know.

4. Do you ever pretend that you don’t understand Arabic?
Many times. It depends. I use it to my advantage. Like if I go to buy a pair of shoes, and if I start speaking in Arabic, I know the guy is gonna stop me and be like, “How do you know Arabic? Where are you from? How?” It’s 15 – 20 minutes lost when I just want to buy shoes, so I would use English then. If I’m in Egypt and kids are running after me and saying [in Arabic] “Buy from me,” I just go, “What? I don’t speak Arabic.” So you just use it to your advantage, the more you have the more you can play with.

5. If you could put together an audience of your favorite people and/or comedians, who would be the top ten people on the list?
Russell Peters has been one of my favorite comedians for a very long time, so I feel very blessed that I get to share a stage with him. I would have loved to have met Ella Fitzgerald. I’m a huge jazz lover. Josh Groban is one of my favorite singers. I’m classically trained, vocally. But for an audience? Because I do stand-up comedy in Arabic…, my audience ideally would be anyone who speaks Arabic.

6. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Facial hair. I’ve always wanted to grow a goatee.

Check out this video of Wonho on the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour >>

(Interviewed by Lina Ejeilat in Amman, Jordan)

Last night was no exception, as a sold-out Broadway Comedy Club saw both new and old faces, and heard some hilarious jokes. Check out the shots below, and don’t miss the next one if you’re in NYC.

Dean kicked it off and MC’d. When you’re laughing right away, you know a show’s off to a good start…

Said Durrah was hilarious. Airplane jokes you don’t normally hear from Arab comics, a phenomenal Louis Armstrong impersonation — we already can’t wait to see him again at Arabs Gone Wild next week in DC.

One of Arab-American comedy’s OGs — Maysoon Zayid came with her usual hilarity and had the crowd laughing so hard at one point that Dean came running out of the back thinking he missed her last joke.

Baha Khalil comes to stage with an almost entirely new routine every time — we love him for it, and last night’s crowd certainly did, too. Click here for a taste of Baha’s style.

Half-Egyptian, half-Italian Joe Derosa proved why he belongs on Comedy Central’s roster.

When describing their show Amer says, “The Axis of Evil guys opened up doors for everybody, but their comedy was political, focusing on post 9/11 situations — our style is focused on Arab family life, things that happen every day that people relate to and get a kick out of.” But that isn’t the only thing that sets them apart.

FEN had the chance to sit in on a behind-the-scenes session in San Francisco, where the comedians recently performed. Because producer-comedian Amer believes it’s about more than just doing the show, he arranges to meet with local comedians in each city — recruiting them to join the show’s cast. He plants seeds for the Arab-American comedy scene to grow.

“Even if it is in small cafes or people’s houses, it’s important that [comedy] stays as an art form in every community we go to,” he says.

Each novice comedian takes a turn on a make-believe stage (the back area of a local Middle Eastern restaurant) — the gathering is part tryout, part workshop — Amer listens to each act, then critiques and suggests how these budding comedians can improve their material, their stage presence and finally, their punch lines.

“Stand-up can be very intimidating because you’re up there talking and the only response you get is laughter and it can be a little scary, so it’s important to get them to relax and be confident,” he says. “The real challenge for these comedians is to not sound too scripted.”

One local comedian, Bashar Zikoor, is proof that Amer’s formula works. He nailed his first show and had this to say afterwards: “My debut as a stand-up comedian at 1001 Laughs was a night that I will never forget. I have been watching comedians since I was six-years-old, but I never thought I would end up doing comedy myself…I really appreciate all the advice and pointers I got from the veteran comedians that performed that night. The 1001 Laughs show was my first, but it definitely will not be my last!”

Overall, the tour has been a great success, reaching large crowds all over the U.S. and Middle East. No doubt, 1001 Laughs’s humor hits home no matter where you are. The comedians are headed to Toronto this weekend, details and ticket information here >>

STATS:
Idea: A fest that includes all Middle Easterners
Time to produce fest: Seven months
Funnier material–Corporate America or Arabs: Arabs

1. How did the festival come about?
Ronnie and I started it together this year. We met in New York while performing in the Arab American Comedy Festival. We loved the concept, but wanted it to include all Middle Easterners; Jews, Persians, everyone.

2. Who comes up with the sketches?
The two of us and some friends in NY. There were a few others who submitted. We really relied on people we knew this time around. It’s much more efficient and effective to work with the network you know, but the goal is ultimately to branch that network out.

3. Who’s the audience you have in mind while writing, if at all?
Ryan: Our goal is to make the comedy as accessible as possible. There is cultural humor, but we really want to portray that the [Middle Eastern community] has mainstream comedy, so we actually do have the standard cross-section of America in mind when writing.

Ronnie: It’s really important to try getting culture and humor across, but we also want it to be as accessible as possible.
Ryan: While at the same time not white-washing ourselves…

4. How do you go about finding the comedians for the festival/ do they find you?
Ronnie: It’s a mix. I know a lot of the Middle Eastern comics. Still, there were a few, several dozen actually who heard about it, and sent in. That type of response is a great sign for years to come.

5. A lot of times parents freak out when they hear their kids are getting into the arts or want to perform, but you’ve been training professionally for a long time–did you have a lot of encouragement?
Ryan: I definitely did. Not to get sappy, but my dad passed when I was 18 years old. And I don’t know what his response would have been. My mom has been extremely supportive. She is my biggest fan. She makes it to every show. I know when I was on “The Unit,” she had a big party for the airing. I think for her, the big thing is that I’m supporting myself. It was probably scary for her in the beginning, but she’s pretty open-minded.

6. Is the festival traveling anywhere else?
Ryan: We know now that there’s a market, interest that’s not only coming from NY, LA, and Michigan

Ronnie: Our main goal right now is to be here in LA and work with studios and actively create networks and role opportunities that are not so one-dimensional and bring in the many various experiences that are closer to the reality of Middle Easterners.

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About the Author: Born and raised in Southern CA, boarding airplanes since the womb–Lana Daoud can find herself at home just about anywhere. After earning her degree in History with a minor in Middle East Studies, she entered the world of nonprofits via grant writing and research. Lana is a Muslim-Jewish Text Study alumna, launched by the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement (CMJE) with NewGround in Los Angeles. She remains active with the project, and firmly believes in dialogue, education, and the arts as the key to progress. Home is where the next great experience lies, heart belongs to her nieces, roots will always be in Palestine.

STATS
Must have album or artist: Rolling Stones, anything blues
Extreme hobby: Deciding to be an actor/storyteller at 49
Hamburger or Kifta: Kifta. I love kifta.

1. How did you get into acting?I’ve been surrounded by creative people my whole life…I tried writing as a kid. Then later on, I wrote something with friend of mine.  We were told it was pretty good, then

it was recommended to take an acting class if I wanted to be a better writer, and I just fell in love with it–it’s all part of being a storyteller.

2. How did you hear about or get involved with the fest?
When the festival organizers got into town, they contacted the city of Los Angeles–a part that my niece works for. That’s how I originally heard about it. I submitted, but they did not respond. Didn’t think much of it, but then I saw a Facebook posting of an Israeli friend of mine. She had two auditions, and one was for the Middle East festival. That’s when I thought, “Alright I gotta be a part of this.” I didn’t want to play the nepotism card, but that’s how I got my foot in the door. They said, “fine, but you gotta audition and go through the motions, and be chosen like everyone else.” So I did, and I guess they something they liked.

3. What was the experience like to work with a diverse Middle Eastern cast?
They are some really dedicated people who are very into what they do. I’m really proud to be part of the cast.

4. You’re a pretty big guy, what was your first thought when you found out you’d have to wear very form fitting neon green unitard for one of the sketches?
I bought it! I asked my daughter, Kira, and she made the recommendation for where to get one. I had four different women tell me how brave I was to even be wearing it.  When I came out on the 7:30 show, I got laughs just by standing there. It’s embarrassing, weird, creepy, and it was fun.

5. What significance do you think a festival like this will have on Hollywood and the entertainment  business?
By virtue of the fact that the festival sold out all four performances, and it had such a great response at the Brown Carpet Gala opening–this is what the business looks for. They don’t care about s*%$ in this business except what succeeds.

When something like this succeeds and gets a lot of buzz, that’s when they take notice because they see there’s a market there.

6. Who are some actors and comedians you look up to?
Actors: Daniel Day Lewis, Robert De Niro, Chazz Palminteri, Danny Aiello, Gabriel Byrne. They’re truthful actors who have all succeeded, but started later in life. And comedians: Chris rock, Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison. They all tell stories that comes from a place of pain.

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About the Author: Born and raised in Southern CA, boarding airplanes since the womb–Lana Daoud can find herself at home just about anywhere. After earning her degree in History with a minor in Middle East Studies, she entered the world of nonprofits via grant writing and research. Lana is a Muslim-Jewish Text Study alumna, launched by the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement (CMJE) with NewGround in Los Angeles. She remains active with the project, and firmly believes in dialogue, education, and the arts as the key to progress. Home is where the next great experience lies, heart belongs to her nieces, roots will always be in Palestine.

STATS
Arab country with the best sense of humor: Every Arab country I’ve performed in the crowds have been great (don’t worry, we’ll get the non politically correct answer out of Dean in our next interview…)
Bet on in a fight: Nancy v. Haifaa: Haifaa
Book(s): It changes based on my life- right now I’d say “Blink” and “Tipping Point” both by Malcolm Gladwell.

6Qs
1. What would be funnier to work with in an impromptu piece: a uni-brow or a pair of Blublocker sunglasses?
A uni-brow.

2. Who are your favorite comedians?
Chris Rock, Jon Stewart and Richard Pryor

3. You used to be a lawyer. Do you miss it?
Not one second!

4. If you could make anyone (dead or alive) in the world laugh, who would it be?
My father who passed away 10 years ago.

5. Acting is a natural progression from comedy for many. Do you want to act?
I have done some acting but I prefer stand up because you write your own material.

6. How easy/hard is it to get booked at non-arab-centric shows?
Most of my shows are non-Arab. That is why I greatly look forward to the “Arab shows” here in the U.S. and in the Middle East.

Read how the dean of comedy made the transition from attorney to comedian >>

Baha Khalil’s first time on stage? You wouldn’t believe it if you were there for this debut performance at the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival in May 2009, but trust: jokes were rapid-fire, laughs were loud and the vibe was right. Baha may be a newcomer, but if you ask us, he’s destined for comic-greatness. Check out our Six Questions with him after you watch this.

STATS:
ice cream or frozen yogurt: Ice Cream
favorite toy as a kid: Nintendo-Zelda
favorite comedian: Dave Chappelle

1. More fun to make fun of: Uggs or kids on leashes?
I really hate Uggs so I’d probably want to make fun of those. I just cant stand seeing people wearing them. There’s NOTHING that looks good with those Uggs.

2. You had the entire room at the Arab-American Comedy Festival laughing out loud your FIRST time on stage – what took you so long to try comedy?
I just wanted to make sure the first time i got up there I did a good job, so I just waited for the right moment to attack, and I did. I selected the best material I thought I had and auditioned. I always wanted to be in the Arab Festival, so fortunately I got chosen. It was a momentous occasion.

I always liked comedy ’cause I was always the class clown – I got a big red F in behavior all the time, but my grades were good so my teachers didn’t know what to do. I remember in my 8th grade class signature book, my teacher wrote, “you’re a very funny guy, you should pursue comedy in the future.” I don’t think that had any effect on me, but I guess other people saw it.

3. What’s the funniest movie you’ve EVER seen? Why?
I like Office Space, because I can relate to it working in an office day to day. Plus, it was based on a comic about the Milton character, which was basically inspired by my all-time favorite: Dilbert. They never made a Dilbert movie, so I can’t say that’s my favorite.

4. Who do you practice jokes on?
I never really practice them. When I’m around my friends and we say something funny and everyone starts laughing, I’ll write it down. I think jokes are of the moment – creating and practicing them doesn’t work for me.

5. Are you ready to take on a mainstream crowd?
I think I can do it, but I’m not ready at this point because I feel like I’ll sell myself short. I find making fun of [Arabs] with people that understand more enjoyable than with people that don’t, because they end up laughing at instead of with me, and I don’t want that to happen. I want to make sure that when I go to the non-Arab world people can relate.

6. Do you think comedy can actually solve problems, or does it just make us forget about them momentarily?
(He pauses). I don’t think it’ll solve problems, I think it’ll allow people to open up their eyes a little bit. You can bring up a lot of stereotypes within comedy and start to water them down. And over the years people will start to realize that what they think is just silly. For example, the idea of a guy wearing a turban is now funny, not scary to everyone. I think it’s something you can inject into society over time.

I just like to make people laugh, I’m not trying to save the world or anything. Hopefully it can have that positive effect on people, that would be great.

Check out this video of his debut performance at the 6th annual New York Arab American Comedy Festival.

What drove you to pursue comedy and to what extent have you left your job as an attorney?
When I went to law school it was because I had dreams of running for elected office. I believed a law degree was a good background for politics.  After a few years of being a lawyer though, I realized I was more creative than I previously thought and the law was too dry and confining. I started performing comedy at night because I always enjoyed making people laugh.  After doing comedy for a few years at night, I decided to take a chance on doing it full time.

I always believed it’s better to take a chance on something you really want to do than to look back later on your life and wonder what could’ve been. I haven’t practiced law in many years and I’m much happier!

What tips can you offer to aspiring comedians?
The best tip I can offer to anyone who wants to do comedy is to do it. Too many people are frozen by their own self-imposed barriers to take a chance on doing things out of the “normal.”  You don’t have to quit your job or school to try comedy–it’s a night time thing. In fact, you shouldn’t quit your day job for at least a few years so you can develop an act.

The key to succeeding is writing material and performing and then re-writing. You have to repeat this over and over again. It’s the same approach that all the comedians follow from the newer ones to the most famous.

I’d also recommend taking a stand up comedy class if you live in New York City or Los Angeles. They help teach you the basics of stand up and will help your development. But overall the number one thing is to get on stage as often as possible and perform!

For more on Dean, check out our 6Qs with him >>