Egyptian satirical superstar Bassem Youssef is after more than just laughs

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      Bassem Youssef’s popularity is the kind that sees him championed as a hero of Middle East democracy and condemned as a traitorous agent of the CIA.

      The Egyptian comedian, author, and former cardiothoracic surgeon has had one hell of a decade. In 2012, Youssef’s YouTube channel was picked up as a weekly television program that at the height of its popularity attracted more than 40 million viewers plus another hundred million or so online.

      Al-Bernameg (The Show) only ran for three seasons (one on YouTube and two on Egyptian TV) but set a new bar for production quality in Egypt and established new limits for free speech throughout the Arab world. Modelled after America’s satirical news program The Daily Show, Al-Bernameg had its network premiere in November 2012. By March 2013, a warrant was issued for Youssef’s arrest.

      “It showed people a glimpse of what it means to stand up against authority,” Youssef told the Straight. “But here’s the thing about satire: authoritarian regimes want to be feared and respected. This is the equation that they rule with. This is what works for them. And when you make fun of them, you disrupt this equation. Because you cannot be afraid of something that you are laughing at.…So they don’t want that. Because the next thing that happens is people will want to hold them accountable.”

      Under government pressure, Al-Bernameg went off the air in June 2014. Five months later, Youssef fled Egypt for Dubai and then the United States. Since then, he’s starred in a documentary, authored a memoir, had a daughter, written a children’s book based on her life that’s scheduled for release in the fall, is touring a one-man show around the United States, and, on March 2, will speak in Vancouver as part of the UBC Connects lecture series.

      “If it wasn’t for 10 months of rain, I would consider moving there,” Youssef said on the phone from Los Angeles. At UBC, the “Jon Stewart of Egypt” (as he has often been called) revealed, he’s going to be taking a bit of a break from comedy. “I promise there will be some humour,” he said of his upcoming appearance. “But what I really want to do is to put a mirror up in front of myself and in front of everybody and get everyone outside of our comfort zones.”

      For Youssef, this will mean reflecting on social and political challenges in the Middle East and beginning discussions about potential solutions that are also rooted in Arab and Muslim culture.

      “We should be true to ourselves about issues that matter to us, whether those issues concern religion, freedom, women’s rights, or minority rights,” Youssef explained. “Instead, we’re just blaming white people.

      “Don’t worry, I will still blame white people,” he continued, laughing. “Don’t worry, you’re not off the hook. But there is also a shared responsibility and we should look within ourselves and see where we go wrong.” 

      Bassem Youssef appeared on Jon Stewart's the Daily Show in February 2015 in a segment titled "An Egyptian Satirist in America".
      Comedy Central

      Turning to the United States, Youssef said his comedic work from Egypt’s 2011 revolution through to Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s coup of July 2013 taught him a thing or two about dictators and democracy. And today, living in California, he can’t help but apply some of those observations to political events in his newly adopted homeland.

      After attending a couple of Trump rallies, for example, Youssef said he spotted a familiar dynamic at play.

      “It’s a very typical populist rally,” he said. “Whatever he [Trump] says that attacks the other side, people will cheer. But it has no substance.”

      Trump says he’s going to make America great again but doesn’t explain how, Youssef continued. He’s going to fix the economy but won’t share the tools he’ll use to do that. The Republicans will repeal Obamacare, “But is Obamacare good or bad?” Youssef asked. “It doesn’t matter. It’s from the other team, so we’re going to repeal it.…So it’s a lack of substance and a lot of noise, which you see in populist rallies all over the Middle East.”

      In Egypt, America, and Canada, Youssef cautioned, it will take work to counter the forces of populism. In Egypt, that might involve marching in the streets, but in most western countries it’s simply a matter of getting to the voting booth. Ironically, Youssef continued, he worries that his brand of political satire can work in favour of apathy.

      “Satire is a double-edged sword,” he explained. “People sometimes become complacent when they watch too much satire. They think, ‘We have made fun of the dictator, we made fun of the president…and that is enough.’ And then they’ll just sit in the coffee shop and laugh at what they’ve seen.”

      Satire can reveal a dictator as a laughingstock, but then it’s up to the people to take the next step, Youssef emphasized.

      “The power of satire really stops at the edge of the screen of your television set,” he said. “At the end of the day, it is up to the people. It’s all about the right time, the right circumstances, and whether people are ready to make a move or not.”

      It’s probably that threat posed by satire that led critics to discredit Youssef as an agent of the CIA who used Al-Bernameg to agitate and subvert stability in Egypt. But just to be sure, the Straight asked one more question: are you CIA?

      With a grin that could almost be seen through the phone line, Youssef replied: “Of course.”

      Bassem Youssef will speak at UBC Connects, a public lecture series presented by UBC president Santa Ono. Youssef will be at the Vancouver Playhouse on March 2, followed by a reception and signing of his 2017 book, Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring.

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