Changing stereotypes and humanising people with comedy
Internationally renowned comedian Maziar “Maz” Jobrani was born on February 26, 1972 in Tehran in Iran. When he was six, his family moved to Northern California due to rising tensions leading up to the Islamic Revolution. Although Jobrani received his BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley, he eventually left his PhD program to pursue the life of a comedian. Throughout his career, he has appeared on numerous shows such as The Colbert Report and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and in movies such as The Interpreter (2005). Much of his work deals with satirising Middle Eastern stereotypes in order to create new understandings, as illustrated by his book I’m Not a Terrorist But I’ve Played One on TV and his role in the show Axis of Evil. He also sits on the board of the Persian American Cancer Institute and works with International Society for Children with Cancer.
After September 11, President George Bush made a speech about America’s enemies — Iran, Iraq and North Korea — in which he referred to them as the “Axis of Evil.” At first, that name worried Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani. But then he decided to do what he always does: laugh about it. He and some friends even started the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, which featured comedians of Middle Eastern descent like Ahmed Ahmed, Dean Obeidallah, Aron Kader and others.
DNA had the pleasure to talk to Maz for this exclusive interview
The more people meet Muslims and see that they are just ordinary people trying to live their lives the more that will fight Islamophobia.
Question: You moved to America from Iran at a very young age. How do you compare the Iran of that era to the Iran of now?
Maz Jobrani: Well I was six years old when I moved from Iran. As a kid, I just remember playing soccer and drinking orange soda. I was in Iran before the Islamic Revolution. It feels like even though there were some limitations on freedoms back then there are less freedoms these days. I don’t know what it’s like to be a kid in Iran now but I’m sure a lot has changed.
Q: Here in Pakistan the parents always tell their children to pursue medicine or engineering and arts is always looked down upon. How was it like for you?
MJ: My parents were the same. I don’t think a lot of parents think of the arts as an option for a career in life. However, I think people are starting to see that it is more important to pursue what you love rather than what your parents want you to do. If you go after what you love to do then chances are you will do it well and you will be happy.
Q: You have toured in Middle East and you have been to places like Jordan and Lebanon. Tell us how was it like?
MJ: It was great. I have done shows in the Middle East since 2007 and the crowds have always been great and very welcoming.
Q: In your comedy, you clear a lot of stereotypes and in a funny way try to humanise people. How important do you think is that?
MJ: My first goal is to be funny. My second goal is to say something with my comedy. So if I can help change stereotypes and humanise people with my comedy then I will.
Q: Whenever an attack in America happens which involves a Muslim, there’s always this wave of Islamophobia that engulfs the country. What can one do to counter that?
MJ: I think the best way to counter this Islamophobia is to humanise Muslims as much as you can. There aren’t that many Muslims in America when you look at how big the country is. The more people meet Muslims and see that they are just ordinary people trying to live their lives the more that will fight Islamophobia.
Most of the Pakistanis I’ve met have been nice people who have come to my shows and laughed.
Q: Besides being a stand-up comic you have also ventured into TV and movies as well. Tell us how different these mediums are and what project you enjoyed the most?
MJ: Film and TV is fun as well. I have been doing it my whole career. Live comedy is fun because you get immediate feedback. With film and TV, it takes more patience since you have to wait for your project to come out. Some of my favorite projects have been the Ice Cube movie ‘Friday After Next’, the TV show ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ and the movie that I co-wrote and co-produced recently called Jimmy Vestvood; Amerikan Hero.
Q: How important is ‘Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero’ to you and tell us about it?
MJ: It is very important to me. I co-wrote and co-produced it with my friend Amir Ohebsion. We describe it as the Persian Pink Panther meets Borat. I star as Jimmy Vestvood who is the first hero of Middle Eastern descent in an American comedy. We just wanted to have a fun movie where the guy who saves the day is from the Middle East. People can see the trailer atwww.jimmyvestvood.com.
Q: Your wife is an Indian and I’m sure by now you must be aware that Indians and Pakistanis always have this animosity with each other just like Saudi Arabia doesn’t get along well with Iran. What do you make of it?
MJ: I don’t pay much attention to all that stuff. I have friends from all over and they are good people. Every country has good people and bad people. It seems our politicians want to pit us against each other. I choose not to fall for that.
Q:The Middle East has become a hotbed for sectarianism lately. There’s this brutal war in Syria, Iraq is in turmoil, Egypt has an authoritarian leader, the ongoing tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia, etc. As a comedian, who has been to Middle East and interacted with people from there, how important does your role become in trying to somewhat pacify the tensions?
MJ: Well I don’t think I can really pacify the tensions as they are age old and there are actual wars being waged. I just try to do what I can by hoping that people from all backgrounds come to my shows and laugh. If we can laugh together, hopefully, that will bring us all closer together.
Q: As an outsider, what do you know about Pakistan and what has been your interaction like with Pakistanis?
MJ: I just know what I hear in the news in the US. There seems to be some conflict in Pakistan between groups and I’m not really aware of the history of why different groups are fighting each other. Most of the Pakistanis I’ve met have been nice people who have come to my shows and laughed.
Q: You were surprised when you found out that in Middle East many people speak English and understand the American culture well. Same is the case with Pakistan. Pakistan has more English speakers than the entire country of Australia. Would you ever be interested in touring here?
MJ: Yes, I’m aware that there are a lot of English speakers in Pakistan. I would love to do shows there. It has been a matter of managing my schedule and also trying to not be away from home too long. I have young kids so it is hard for me to get away for too long. However, one day soon I hope to get out there.
Q: When you are writing your jokes, what goes into the process of writing? These days thanks to social media, joke theft has become very common. How annoying is that for an artist to see their material being stolen?
MJ: I usually try to talk about something I experienced or something that I read that really moved me. If you make it personal then it’s harder for someone to steal it. If there are other comedians stealing jokes the stand-up community will eventually call them out so I don’t worry too much about it.
Q: Would you ever be interested in hosting a show like the ‘Daily Show’?. Who are some of your favourite comedians/satirists?
MJ: Yes, I would love to host something like that. I have a lot of favorites. A few are Lewis Black, Sebastian Maniscalco and JB Smoove.
Q: What type of food do you like? By now, you must’ve tried cuisines from all parts of the world, right?
MJ: I may be biased but my favorite is still Persian. However, too much of that rice can give you a belly, so I try to eat as much fish as possible.
Q: Tell us about your book ‘I’m Not A Terrorist, But I’ve Played One On TV’.
MJ: It is my autobiography told in a funny way. I talk about my experiences playing a terrorist in a Chuck Norris movie and then I talk about growing up in America. Again, I hope to show how similar we all are.
Q: What can the fans of Maz Jobrani expect from you in the future?
MJ: Hopefully another comedy special (I have now done three solos and one with a group.) I hope to make a sequel to Jimmy Vestvood and am also working on a TV show. I may launch a podcast soon as well.
Q: Any message would you like to give to the people of Pakistan?
MJ: Pakistan! You’re good people! See you someday soon!
