Jokes in Arabic vs English | Bassem Youssef and Lex Fridman
Summary
TLDRThe transcript discusses the challenges of performing stand-up comedy in different languages, highlighting the unique rhythm and cadence of each. It emphasizes the disparity between English and Arabic comedy, noting the conservative nature of Arabic stand-up and the richness of the language. The speaker also shares their experiences with cultural differences and the complexities of identity, particularly in the context of the Arab diaspora. Furthermore, the conversation touches on the political tensions in the Middle East, the impact of government actions on public perception, and the importance of holding power accountable while advocating for peace and understanding.
Takeaways
- 🌍 Language and Comedy: The performer discusses the challenges of adapting comedy between English and Arabic due to the unique 'music' and rhythm of each language.
- 📚 Legacy of Comedy: English stand-up comedy has a long history and a vast library of material, whereas Arabic stand-up is relatively new and more conservative.
- 🎭 Cultural Differences: The performer highlights the differences in cultural references and the need to cater to various Arabic dialects in their comedy routine.
- 🚫 Profanity and Society: The use of profanity in comedy is explored, with the performer noting the restrictions in Arabic culture and the desire to push boundaries.
- 🌐 Unity and Division: English can be a unifying language for diverse Arab audiences, whereas Arabic, with its many dialects, can be divisive.
- 🤔 Self-Reflection on Language: The script delves into the performer's introspection on language, its limitations, and the societal norms surrounding its use.
- 🏠 Home and Identity: The performer reflects on the complex feelings of home and identity, especially for immigrants and their relationship with their homeland.
- 🌟 The Arab Diaspora: The performer values the Arab diaspora in America for their appreciation of comedy and their unique perspective.
- 📈 Political Tensions: The conversation touches on the political tensions in the Middle East, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its impact on personal and collective identities.
- 💡 Accountability and Change: The performer emphasizes the importance of holding power accountable and the potential for change when people separate themselves from abusive authority.
- 🌹 Love and Critique: The script concludes with a message about the ability to love one's country without supporting its current regime or government actions.
Q & A
How does the performer adapt their comedy between English and Arabic?
-The performer adjusts their delivery, cadence, and rhythm to match the musicality and energy of each language, acknowledging that the language difference significantly affects the humor and audience reception.
What challenges does the performer face when switching between English and Arabic comedy?
-The performer finds it difficult to switch back to Arabic after performing in English, as the comedic timing and cultural references may not translate well between the languages.
How does the performer describe the state of Arabic stand-up comedy?
-The performer describes Arabic stand-up comedy as very new and conservative, comparing it to the American stand-up scene in the 1960s before the influence of comedians like Lenny Bruce.
What is the performer's approach to handling language restrictions in Arabic comedy?
-The performer breaks the barriers by becoming a more provocative figure, similar to George Carlin or Lenny Bruce, and incorporates a self-reflective section on language and its limits in their show.
How does the performer describe the unifying and dividing aspects of language?
-English is described as a unifying language for a diverse Arab audience, while Arabic is seen as divisive due to its numerous dialects, which can be vastly different and not easily understood across regions.
What is the performer's strategy for addressing different Arabic dialects in their show?
-The performer constructs sentences with different words that carry various meanings across dialects, creating a section of the show that highlights and explores these linguistic differences.
How does the performer's relationship with Egypt influence their work and decisions?
-The performer has a complex relationship with Egypt, marked by both love and rejection. They avoid returning due to the emotional hurt they experienced, but they also do not bad-mouth their home country in their work.
What are the performer's thoughts on performing in the West Bank or Gaza?
-The performer is hesitant to perform in the West Bank or Gaza due to the requirement of going through Israeli checkpoints, which they find demeaning and uncomfortable.
How does the performer address the issue of Israeli settlements and their impact on Palestinians?
-The performer discusses the intimidation and harassment faced by Palestinians, including the use of technology for intimidation and the unchecked military power of settlers, highlighting the daily struggles of Palestinians.
What message does the performer have for the people of Israel and the Jewish community worldwide?
-The performer encourages the Jewish community to critically examine the actions of the Israeli government and to separate themselves from any abusive power, emphasizing that criticism should not be conflated with anti-Semitism.
How does the performer's experience with language and comedy inform their views on societal issues?
-The performer's experience with language and comedy has given them insight into the power of words and the importance of holding those in power accountable, as well as the ability to effect change through humor and reflection.
Outlines
🌐 Language and Comedy: The Power of Delivery
The speaker discusses the challenges of translating comedy between English and Arabic due to the unique rhythm, cadence, and 'music' of each language. They reflect on the differences in stand-up comedy between the two cultures, noting the legacy of English stand-up and the relative newness of Arabic stand-up, particularly in Egypt. The speaker also touches on the restrictions they faced in Arabic comedy and how they broke barriers, similar to American comedians of the 1960s. Additionally, they highlight the unifying aspect of English versus the dividing nature of Arabic, with its numerous dialects that can be vastly different from one another.
🏠 Home and Identity: The Complexities of Belonging
The speaker shares their personal experiences with their home country, Egypt, and the complex emotions tied to it. They describe the love, hate, and rejection they've experienced and how it led to a desire to avoid rather than seek revenge. They discuss the immigrant experience and the disparity between the idealized image of a homeland and the reality upon return. The speaker also touches on the duality of loving a country without supporting its regime, using the example of Iranian fans supporting their team against the USA during the World Cup.
🕊️ Advocating for Peace: The Role of Israel and the Jewish Community
The speaker addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the negative impact of the Israeli government's actions on both Palestinians and the global Jewish community. They argue that the Israeli government's policies are unfair to all parties involved and that the Jewish people have the power to distance themselves from the government's actions. The speaker also warns against the rise of anti-Semitism and the importance of distinguishing between the actions of a government and the beliefs of its people. They advocate for holding those in power accountable and emphasize the importance of understanding and addressing the root causes of resentment and conflict.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Language Differences
💡Stand-up Comedy
💡Cultural Nuances
💡Dialects
💡Profanity
💡Self-reflective
💡Arab Diaspora
💡Cultural Identity
💡Political Conflict
💡Social Critique
💡Artistic Expression
Highlights
The performer discusses the challenges of translating comedy between English and Arabic, highlighting the unique musicality and rhythm of each language.
The importance of cadence and delivery in comedy is emphasized, with the performer noting how it can drastically change the reception of a joke by the audience.
The performer's experience of adapting their comedy for different Arabic dialects, acknowledging the vast differences and the need to appeal to a diverse audience.
The unifying power of the English language in comedy, as opposed to the divisive nature of Arabic with its numerous dialects.
The performer's decision to push boundaries in Arabic comedy, drawing parallels to influential figures like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin.
The exploration of language and its limitations in the performer's comedy, particularly in the context of cultural and societal norms.
The performer's reflections on the relationship between language and identity, and the complexities of performing in both the Middle East and the Arab diaspora in America.
The personal decision of the performer not to perform in certain regions due to political and ethical considerations, such as not wanting to engage with Israeli checkpoints.
The discussion on the impact of technology on intimidation and harassment, as exemplified by the story of the village of KRA and the settlers' use of social media.
The critique of the Israeli government's actions and how they reflect on Jewish people worldwide, emphasizing the importance of separating oneself from abusive power.
The performer's call for accountability and change, urging the Israeli government to listen to critics and not dismiss them as anti-Semites or self-hating Jews.
The mention of influential figures like John Stewart and Bernie Sanders, who the performer admires and identifies with politically.
The performer's emphasis on the ability to critique power structures without being dismissed as against one's own community or identity.
The importance of distinguishing between the actions of a government and the people it represents, as illustrated by the performer's views on the Israeli government and Judaism.
The performer's personal connection to Egypt and the bittersweet nature of their relationship with their home country, highlighting the complexities of love and disappointment.
The broader discussion on the immigrant experience and the changes in perception of one's home country when returning after living abroad.
The performer's perspective on the power of comedy to address serious issues and provoke thought and discussion on topics like language, identity, and politics.
Transcripts
you do a show like you were saying in
English and in
Arabic so and the story is very
different totally different two
different stories I would love to just
the language difference because it's the
music of the language is also different
so like what what's how can you convert
it into words but what's what's the
difference in the in the music of the
languages I'll tell you because I
thought I about that
thought all right all right okay so when
I was doing the English first yeah I was
I actually had good jokes but I was
missing the delivery because the Cadence
and the music and the rhythm is
different the way that an
English-speaking American uh a member of
audience will receive it it will be
different than how I receive it the
energy everything is
different so when I kind of like got
it I didn't know how to switch back to
Arabic
oh wow yeah fascinating because here's
the thing with English standup comedy
engl you have a huge Library you have
like a legacy you have like years and
years and years of people doing comedy
but in Arabic it's a very new very new
to us and most of the Arabic stand-up
comedy especially in Egypt is very um
tamed
mhm this is kind of like imagine the
stand-up comedy scene in America 1960s
before Lenny Bruce oh so no swearing
conservative swearing nothing
conservative everything like it's kind
of like very so I didn't know what to do
with Arabic so I broke the bars I became
Danny Bruce I became a George G so I
went in and I went and I and I changed
the whole thing seven words you're not
allowed to say what for me there 15
words but there a lot a lot Arabic is a
very rich language yeah
so when I did here's the difference
between the Arabic and the English
show the English show surprised surprise
is a unifying language even for a group
of Arabs so if I give the same exact
show to the same 1,000 me audience
members in the same theater and they're
the same people same makeup of like
Lebanese Egyptian Syrian Saudis English
will be a unifying language Arabic is a
dividing language because you have 22
dialects and the dialects are vastly
different and like maybe Egyptians
understand a little bit of Lebanese but
not that much but the reference is
Algerian Moroccan Tunisian totally
different animal that's like a totally
different language Saudi emirati Kuwaiti
totally different people understand the
Egyptian dialect because it's the
dialect of most of the artwork and the
movies but the reference in the everyday
Street Talk might not be understood by
them so now I have to go
in and talk to all of these dialects
together so I formed my big big part of
my show is like what are you guys
expecting of this this is what what this
is we going to when to go do profanity
and you're going to like it
m this is the problem with the the show
as a dialect and I I construct all of
these sentences formed of so different
different words for example an iron mhm
in any in any in in any Arabic dialect
is an iron in Saudi Arabia it means ass
that's one example yeah that's one
example you know so imagine if you can
actually construct sentences having all
of these things in one so would I would
construct like a whole section of my
show about that so it's really very much
about like self-reflective on language
and the limits of language that's
allowed and the limits of language and I
tell them part of the show is like I
know what's the problem with me doing
Arabic it's like if this was an English
show and I was telling you
and you'll be H but if I do one
swear words all of you will scr yeah
it's like why is it because we are
ashamed yeah our own so it's kind of
like it is it's not just like about
swearing it's about like there's a lot
of
philosophical Pathways in this yeah
there's profanity and we people have fun
whatever but like it is about like what
does how do we treat our language and I
tell them we speak Arabic as Arabs but
it's not the same Arabic it's crazy
right and you're doing the show in
America also which is another level of
OB oh yeah actually the Arab diaspora in
America is some of the best audiences I
have they are like wonderful and they
come from they just and I did and I do
and I did it also in the Middle East and
maybe I'll do like an Arab tour in the
Middle East in the fall which countries
would you go to and not I wor did Jordan
Lebanon I'm doing uh UAE I'm doing
Kuwait Egypt Bahrain Egypt I don't think
so I don't think so is a personal is it
worry about your
safety well I have the American
citizenship right now so I am relatively
safe there's a block sure honestly
there's a block there's a p there is
there um there's so much that happened
and I don't and I never I I never bad
mouth Egypt it is my country it is some
like it has all of my marriage 40 years
of my life I lived there but when you
get hurt so
much instead of trying to kind of I
don't want to take revenge I don't want
to like that I just want to avoid
because Egypt gave me so much Fame and
so much love and so much hate and so
much Rejection it is a very it was a
very tulous uh relationship very very
difficult and it's uh and a lot of
people tell me well don't you miss Egypt
and I tell them every time the Egypt
that I miss is not there anymore it's
not bad or good it's not worse or better
it's just I'm different and the places
are different and the people are
different and their circumstances are
different whatever image you have of the
of what you love is not there anymore
that's why a lot of immigrants
especially Arab immigrants they they
live here but they're there and then
when they go back for a vacation they
get disappointed because they didn't
find what they want and then they come
back here and they're disappointed
because this is what they want to come
back but it's not there anymore yeah
their view of that place is from a
different time I have that you know my
parents but everybody that left the
Soviet
Union I mean it's such a complicated
relationship with that M it's sometimes
borders on hate
disappointment in the uh in the case of
the Soviet Union perhaps ilar to Egypt
is the promises sold when you were
younger M and the the promise was broken
by the possibility of what it was
supposed to be with the Soviet Union I'm
sure with Egypt is the same Iran is the
same so they have a very complicated
relationship with that yeah that's why
like for example people from Iran you I
remember I remember quite well the World
Cup that was made in done in in the
United States and the Iranian team will
play America and there were people
people in the audience all wearing Iran
they hate the regime but they have this
kind of connection with the country yeah
and this is this is the whole thing you
can actually love the country and you
not have to agree with the
regime would would uh would you ever
perform in the West Bank no Gaza because
if I go there I have to go through the
Israeli checkpoints and I don't want to
go through the isra I don't want to have
an Israeli solder telling me what to do
yeah there's a demeaning aspect to that
whole even even in subtle ways yeah yeah
yeah yeah I mean I have so many
Palestinian friends with an American
passport US Passport living here they
are born here and they they talk about
the humiliation and the intimidation and
the harassment that they go in it's like
do you want me to try yeah that little
bit of a
humiliation little
bit well sometimes it's major but I
noticed that you know even the little
bit is uh has a after a lifetime of that
it can turn to uh it can turn to hate
towards the other yeah and resentment
resentment and then how do you do
anything with that resentment I have a
friend of mine he is from Palestine from
the west back he's American here he's
born here and uh we talk about you know
we have of course all of this discussion
about what happened and he tells me you
know in October 11th in the West Bank in
and there was a village called
KRA and on that Village like the the
settlers went in around the V and they
send a message on Facebook as like you
rats going get out of your sewers and
we're going to be waiting for you
intimidation through technology and then
they
went it is KRA have like another
settlement next to it's called ish Kesh
ish kodesh they have people there who
were training something called mishar
Yesa which is basically the Guardians of
Yesa and it's like a paramilitary group
that trains other settlers on military
combat give them weapons and do like
military drills and they went there like
militarized and went there and and it
was actually co-founded by a Jew from
Brooklyn not even and and and and like
an Israeli and he is like one of the
Disciples of May Kahana I'm sure that
you know who Mayer Kahana is who was the
Jewish defense lead the people who
assassinated Alex AA here in the United
States and and they were they were there
with their weapons outside intimidating
people now this story carries everything
that is wrong with the situation you
have people from Brooklyn from outside
just because they're Jewish they can't
come and they can claim the land from
the people there anybody from Co just
because he's Jewish you can come and
take the land from other people they're
using technology to intimidate
Palestinians they have unchecked
military power these are not IDF
soldiers these are settlers and they
have free reign in order to intimidate
and to kill the people and you
understand this is the daily life of
Palestinians not in Gaza in the West
Bank what do you do from your what do we
do what do people
do
to nudge this
towards uh peace towards flourishing
here's the thing I want to talk to the
people of Israel what is Israel doing
right now is not
just unfair to the Palestinians it's
unfair to the Jewish people in Israel no
it is unfair to the Jewish people around
the world because the way that Israel
links itself to the Jew to the
Judaism at a certain point you know
remember like Isis and K and when
everybody hated Muslims you know
sometime human humans are simple they
cannot have the nuances to
separate so anybody who with a Muslim
name with a Muslim face with a beard who
looks Muslim he would do it because of
that actions of those atrocities you
have the power as a person to separate
yourself from an abusive power a
horrible power and be yourself I am
really worried because the rise of
anti-Semitism and the rise of hate
against Jews is not because of the Jews
it's because of the actions of a
government Jews do not have to be on the
side of aarte Rony castels he is a
Jewish South African and he fought
shoulder-to-shoulder next to Nelson
Madela he was part of the African
National Conference ANC and he had an
article say like I know what aparte is
and I saw Israel and this is what they
have and the thing is Israel the Israeli
government should listen to other people
you cannot call anybody who who
criticize you either an anti-semite or
if they're already Jewish you call them
like self-hating Jew you cannot do that
you cannot continue doing that because
we did that when I would go in and
criticize the islamist it's like oh
you're self-hating Muslim you're not
really Muslim you're an Infidel you're a
secret you're a secular whatever we have
the power in order to
reform the course by holding people in
power accountable and the thing is it is
very stupid to actually call this
anti-Semitism like I my my idol is John
Stewart I voted for Bernie
Sanders the Sarah taxer the one who did
this amazing documentary about me
tickling Giants she's a Jew she is
married to an Israeli Jew we have a good
RAC because we know what the right is
they don't have to associate themselves
with the action of the Israeli
government
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