Comedian Maz Jobrani on the ironies of 'ethnic' humour
Q's special house guest talks about the politics of hosting the Just for Laughs 'Ethnic Show.'
Iranian-American actor and comedian Maz Jobrani is a founding member of Comedy Central's "The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour."
Jian talks to Jobrani about the politics of hosting Just for Laugh's "The Ethnic Show," the controversial category of so-called "ethnic" humour, and how the FIFA World Cup has helped open up American eyes to multiculturalism.
Jobrani, no stranger to being typecast as clichéd Middle Eastern characters, has learned to embrace the stereotype and make it work for him.
Iranian-American actor Maz Jobrani says he spent years trying to avoid being typecast as a Middle Eastern terrorist in Hollywood. Now he embraces the stereotypes.
The upcoming film Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, which Jobrani co-wrote and stars in, features the actor as a heroic figure, a far cry from his days of playing terrorists and cab drivers.
"I call it the Persian Pink Panther. It's like a bumbling idiot who saves the day. And the story is a guy who's obsessed with being an American hero. He lives in Iran, he wants to come to America, be like a cop," Jobrani says.
As host of "The Ethnic Show," Jobrani he says that the focus is not strictly "ethnic humour," but rather it's a way of "labelling a show to put comics together."
You can find more of Jobrani's comedy at his website.
Jian talks to Jobrani about the politics of hosting Just for Laugh's "The Ethnic Show," the controversial category of so-called "ethnic" humour, and how the FIFA World Cup has helped open up American eyes to multiculturalism.
Jobrani, no stranger to being typecast as clichéd Middle Eastern characters, has learned to embrace the stereotype and make it work for him.
Iranian-American actor Maz Jobrani says he spent years trying to avoid being typecast as a Middle Eastern terrorist in Hollywood. Now he embraces the stereotypes.
The upcoming film Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero, which Jobrani co-wrote and stars in, features the actor as a heroic figure, a far cry from his days of playing terrorists and cab drivers.
"I call it the Persian Pink Panther. It's like a bumbling idiot who saves the day. And the story is a guy who's obsessed with being an American hero. He lives in Iran, he wants to come to America, be like a cop," Jobrani says.
As host of "The Ethnic Show," Jobrani he says that the focus is not strictly "ethnic humour," but rather it's a way of "labelling a show to put comics together."
You can find more of Jobrani's comedy at his website.