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Stand-up comics share stage to
battle intolerance
WSN Network
ASHINGTON:
A
Muslim, a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu and a Sikh walk into a hotel
ballroom. The opening line of a joke? No, but in this case it was
the start of a full evening of stand-up comedy aimed - its creators
say - at easing religious tensions through laughter “and a healthy
dose of political incorrectness”.
Titled “Make
Chai, Not War”, the event was the brainchild of two Indian-American
comics, Azhar Usman and Rajiv Satyal. It grew out of a two-man
comedy show previously mounted by the Muslim Usman and Hindu Satyal.
Usman says they conceived of that earlier show based on their
concern over the “heightened tensions between those two religious
groups in the (South Asian) subcontinent…. To bring Hindu and Muslim
together for a comedy showcase, we thought, was a really good idea.”
They then “pitched each other” on the idea of adding comics of other
religions to the bill, Satyal says.
The result was
the April 25 event at the Hilton Arlington (Virginia) Hotel near
Washington. For that show, they recruited three more Indian-American
comics: Paul Varghese, a Christian; Harvin Sethi, a Sikh; and Samson
Koletkar, who bills himself — without serious fear of contradiction
— as “the world’s only Indian Jewish comedian”.
To push the
diversity theme one step further, they added a George Washington
University freshman, Nigerian-American Madebo Fatunde, as a warm-up
act.
While Usman is
sure “the show can have a broader appeal,” the evening’s audience
seemed mostly young and roughly evenly divided between Pakistani
Americans and Indian Americans — groups that have become
increasingly numerous in the Washington metropolitan area — with
just a smattering of whites, Asian Americans and African
Americans.
That
made the audience particularly receptive as the comics played off
not so much their religious differences, but rather the stereotyped
ethnic similarities they share with each other and much of the
audience. Their listeners responded appreciatively as they told
anecdotes that poked gentle fun at South Asian foibles: from a
father’s problems with English pronunciation, to difficulties being
on time (“We are a people who use the same word for yesterday and
tomorrow,” Usman observed), to perceived frugality and even personal
grooming issues.
By offending
everyone equally, they seemed to offend no one. The audience laughed
at the observational humour — and even louder when the comics
occasionally emphasised a point by using a Hindi or Urdu word.
Stories about
being “cheap” seemed especially numerous and popular. Varghese drew
roars of laughter when he told of his father’s adventures at an
airline counter: offered an upgrade for $100, he asked for a
downgrade instead. “How about you give me $100, and I stand?”
Varghese quoted him.
Asked whether
the “Make Chai” showcase reflects a commitment to diversity or is
simply a gimmick, Usman acknowledged that the answer is probably
mixed. “Some of the comics have a deep commitment to interfaith and
bringing communities together. For others, it’s probably just
another gig,” he said, adding that he puts himself in the deeply
committed category. Usman tours with a successful all-Muslim comedy
group. He also has played dozens of college venues with a rabbi as
his comedy partner. The Chicago-born Usman, 32, said he shifted into
standup from a budding career as a lawyer.
Satyal, also
32, from Cincinnati, is an engineer by training. He began his
stand-up career while working in marketing for the Cincinnati-based
Procter & Gamble Company.
14
May,
2008
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