Tag: I’m not a terrorist but I’ve played one on tv

I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV: Memoirs of a Middle Eastern Funny Man by Maz Jobrani

I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV: Memoirs of a Middle Eastern Funny Man by Maz Jobrani

Humor is an interesting concept. It varies from person to person and even day to day. Something that you find funny today might not even make you crack a smile tomorrow.

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But what I’ve discovered through watching a variety of stand-up comics is that the most successful ones tend to bring their own lives into the act in a powerful way. They distill what makes them unique and apply a humorous lens to it, making you feel like laughing or crying. It’s almost like storytelling through jokes. I feel like you have to be a brave person to even attempt it. Because what if you fail?

Have you ever watched Maz Jobrani‘s stand up? He does some storytelling and it’s rather funny. But he also has a back-and-forth with his audience, highlighting the differences between everyone but, beneath that, our essential humanness.

It is that unique voice that comes through in his memoir. He describes growing up Iranian in America and it wasn’t an easy ride. But even through his difficulties, Maz makes it amusing.

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He helped me to understand what it is like to be an Iranian in America and also a successful, stand up comic.

In addition to his life story, Maz’s detailed descriptions of other countries makes the reader want to travel to all sorts of exotic locales. This book made me want to visit Petra. 🙂 Some day, perhaps.

If you enjoyed I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV, you may want to read Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia, Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me by Bryan Bishop or I’m Just a Person by Tig Notaro.

In similar ways to this book, Birbiglia, Bishop and Notaro take their lives and share them with us, the readers. They make you laugh, and like Maz, you can’t help but appreciate the brilliance and bravery of comedians. Life isn’t always funny, but it can be. It just depends on what you focus on.

Thanks for reading!