“…before I became a standup comedian, I used to work with people with intellectual disabilities, and I worked with an autistic guy named Saeed whose parents were Pakistani Muslims. They invited me over for biryani and showed me a lot of hospitality and it really meant a lot, because I was kind of an angry lonely guy at the time.”
Standup comedy is a very recent phenomenon in Pakistan, but in other parts of the world like America it’s a huge business. Some of the big standup comedians tour all over the world and perform in massive venues in front of huge crowds of people. Some of these standup comedians become so famous that they end up becoming movie or TV stars. We had Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey in the past and in the recent years we have the likes of Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari, Louis CK and others who became movie stars after honing their craft doing standup comedy.
Jeremy McLellan is a standup comedian based in Charleston, South Carolina in America where he won the 2015 and 2016 Charleston Standup Comedy Competition and was named Best Local Comic in the Charleston City Paper. In addition to telling jokes all over the country he has also performed with TJ Miller, Todd Barry, Tig Notaro, Mark Normand and others. With more than 70,000 followers on Facebook, he is never one to shy away from controversy. His material covers a wide range of hot-button topics like politics, gender, race, disability and religion.
It’s on Facebook that Jeremy comes alive and has gained a huge following within the Muslims in a very short amount of time. DNA was fortunate enough to interview Jeremy to talk about different topics – including his love for biryani – in this exclusive interview, making it the first interview he’s given to any news agency in Pakistan.
DNA: On Facebook you are always seen standing up for Muslims and defending them. It is definitely a breath of fresh air in an otherwise very Islamophobic environment. Tell us about your first ever interaction with Muslims, and what shaped your current attitude towards them?
Jeremy McLellan: I was raised as a Christian in Charleston, South Carolina, so I didn’t really know any Muslims. I didn’t hate them. I just didn’t know any. But before I became a standup comedian, I used to work with people with intellectual disabilities, and I worked with an autistic guy named Saeed whose parents were Pakistani Muslims. They invited me over for biryani and showed me a lot of hospitality and it really meant a lot, because I was kind of an angry lonely guy at the time. So that was my first experience.
DNA: You are very popular in the Muslim community by now. On your posts we can see Muslims from all over the world commenting and appreciating what you do. How does that make you feel?
JM: It feels great. Because I’m not a Muslim, it sometimes feels strange to have so many Muslim fans, but looking back, it makes perfect sense. I do a lot of jokes about religion, culture, politics, immigration, foreign policy, and civil liberties, so it makes sense that Muslims would appreciate my comedy.
DNA: A little word on biryani won’t go amiss. Please tell us when was the first time you had biryani and what do you remember about that?
JM That was when I was invited by Saeed’s parents.
DNA: You are a comedian, so how about a funny question? If you ever had to end your friendship with a male friend, how would you do it?
JM: Honestly? I would probably just stop talking to him. I know that’s not the best way to do it, but I’m a busy guy and I don’t really have time to go through an emotional “falling out” with someone. One of my mentors told me that “the best friends are those who are willing to be forgotten.” A lot of times it doesn’t mean anything bad about either of you, but it’s just best to part ways and go about your lives.
DNA: Recently you did some shows with the Pakistani standup comedian Saad Haroon. What was it like working with Saad?
JM: Saad is awesome. One of the funniest guys I know.
“It’s on Facebook that Jeremy comes alive and has gained a huge following within the Muslims in a very short amount of time. DNA was fortunate enough to interview Jeremy to talk about different topics – including his love for biryani – in this exclusive interview, making it the first interview he’s given to any news agency in Pakistan.”
DNA: The world is rife with hate at the moment, but there are many individuals who are trying to send a message of peace, love and friendship. How can we spread this message?
JM: I think you just need to get to know people. In America it’s easy to have an opinion like “Muslims should be banned from the United States” if you don’t know any Muslims. But it’s much harder to say “Usman, my friend who comforts me when I am angry, should be banned from the United States.” So I think friendship is the path forward.
DNA: Thank you for your time Jeremy. Whenever you might come to Pakistan, biryani is ready for you.
JM: Thanks so much! Hopefully I’ll do a tour of Pakistan in the next few years.
Thanks for the interview. It was very informative. Good to know about such sensible and positive thoughts.
Stand up comedian isn't a recent phenomenon I would say – aren't you forgetting the likes of Moreno Akhtar (first came on the Zia Mohiyuddin show in the 70s), then Umar Shareef and the other stage comedians.
It isn't set as the same as in the west probably but humor has been around for awhile. 🙂
Moeen Akhtar*
These are surely the effective principles with regards to maintaining all those factors which are said to be so important and one must need to regard about the main features of it.
its bleh
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