Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on March 21, 2024

More Feelings is out March 23 on HBO. Listen to the full conversation on Vultures Good One podcast on April 2.

Illustration: Agns Ricart

Ramy Youssef has been writing comedy about Israel and Palestine for years. Before October 7, he was touring an hourlong set that included a story about going home with a woman and finding she had an Israeli flag on the wall. Im horny, so Im trying to justify it, he says. This is the Star of David. Thats their logo. Its just Jewish Big. PostOctober 7, he didnt have to throw everything out and start over, but he knew hed need to write about it after friends started reaching out.

October 10th, I get a call from a guy I know, starts a joke ten minutes into Youssefs new special, More Feelings. Yo, bro, where you at with Hamas? Youssef is defiant: Where Im at? Are we fucking? His tone turns serious. You think any of us like what happened? he says. We hate seeing people die. It made me cry. The audience interrupts him, breaking into applause. Youssef returns to the conversation with his friend: You know me. You think Im Hamas? Bro, Im a Taliban guy.

Was this the first joke you came up with after October 7?That joke was the first thing that came out of a set soon after. I would start by saying, Im not sure were supposed to be here. Ive been depressed. This has been really hard. I would address the Jewish folks in the room, too: Listen, I know you also have had a really hard time. Theres so much generational trauma. Were all sorting through a lot of feelings. Its why my stand-up has always been called Feelings, because this is a space to do that. And then Id talk about this phone call I had with a friend and get into that joke.

At a certain point, it became clear that I could just get into the joke part of it. Part of that too was because I started to use the proceeds of the show to donate to humanitarian aid that was going into Gaza, so people understood that context coming into the show. Then very quickly I would get into the joke.

What can you tell me about the October 10 phone call?The truth is that call is many calls. Its a few people who were close to me and people who werent. I had to have a little bit of grace for people who, whatever their backstory is, all of a sudden on October 7 went, Huh? Whats going on over there? And then they asked these questions that were shocking. It made me feel like when I was a kid and I had to explain to people that I wasnt a terrorist, as if my faith and where I come from meant I have this proximate agreement to violence.

I know a lot of people in my life who would say, Man, I dont need to deal with that. I fully understand that point of view. But I had that little extra thing in me thats probably from my parents, who are really gracious. My dad was a hotel manager, and his whole thing was You got to make people feel good. You have to take care of people. So I just say, Okay, Im feeling upset. Im feeling wild that I even have to explain this to you. But also, I have the space to talk about it. And with the hope that that could be an offering.

How do you make those feelings funny? It just made me laugh because its a hilarious position to be in. Its like, Ive known you my whole life And lets be real: Whats really the bottom of the question? The bottom of the question is You think I might like this? You think theres a chance I think terrorisms cool? And then it becomes a really funny setup for a joke where theres this idea that Im going to tell you, Hey, no. Im super-peaceful. The joke is set up that way and then takes the other turn, which is just classic comedy.

How did you approach the non-joke part of the joke, when you allow yourself to get claps? Did you think, This is worth it because then it really sets up the joke? Or, This is worth it because I want to say this?Its both. Its funny because its sincere in my mind. I have room for all these feelings, and I want to talk to you about it. But also, Fuck you, you know? There is nothing on earth that isnt sitting in some crazy duality. And thats my relationship with my friends. Its my relationship with my audience. Its what makes it funny.

Was the punch line always Taliban?We piloted other groups. We tried Boko Haram, but their brand isnt strong enough to really get the pop or the laugh you want.

Wait, really?No, no, no. It was always Taliban.

I wouldnt put it past any comedian.Yeah, youre sitting with six guys and being like, Well, yeah, what group should it be? Thats not the kind of joke you can workshop with a bunch of Arabs, though, because at a certain point someone non-Arab shows up and goes, What are you guys talking about? The joke in and of itself creates the problem youre trying to avoid.

What do you think the role of the comedian is in a situation like this?Jon Stewart came to one of the tapings. When I first met him, I told him I remembered when I was in high school feeling that the only voice that cared about me on TV was this Jewish comedian from New Jersey. We present incredibly differently in so many ways, but I feel a kinship to the idea that theres something worthy in processing absurdity by sitting in it. And Jon did that so well.

That said, as traditional media continues to disintegrate into being so unfocused, so biased, so disingenuous in describing what is happening, theres this weird thing of Well, maybe I can get my truth from the comedians because theyre the real philosophers. Part of the design of the joke were talking about is I go out of my way to say, Yeah, no. Im also not going to do that.

Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism. If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the March 25, 2024, issue of New YorkMagazine.

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Originally posted here:

Ramy Youssef on the First Israel-Palestine Joke He Wrote After 10/7 - Vulture

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