LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Mo Amer's a Palestinian American, a Texan, a man who's been stateless, a refugee of war, an immigrant. He's also a comedian. His Netflix sitcom, "Mo," tells the story of a Palestinian American and his family. It's loosely based on his own experiences. His latest stand-up special, "Wild World," explores free speech and the absurdities American Arabs and Muslims face while navigating life in the U.S.
MO AMER: That's what the special "Wild World" is about, you know? It's not just what I think. It's about what everyone is thinking, not saying out loud. And it's intended to make you a little bit uncomfortable and reflective. Like, it has to do that.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "WILD WORLD")
AMER: Mo, I saw Season 2, Episode 8. You're making the IDF look bad, Mo. You're making the IDF look bad.
I was like, I'm making...
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: ...The Israeli occupation force look bad? I'm the one who's doing this?
(LAUGHTER)
FADEL: You also joke about this idea of being shunned or canceled over something you say. You keep - you have this one line where you're like, last night, the antisemitic Semitic comedian Mo Amer said, and then continue. But you joke about what people think you should or shouldn't say.
AMER: Yeah. I think it's just calling out the absurdity of the time. And in my case, if I say something that is honest or inquisitive, it becomes a headline, and I'm just kind of making fun of that idea. And, you know, the whole entire special's not just a political rant, but surely, you know, parts of it are calling out this absurdity, and I think it's important to do so. And I don't know anybody else that could, to be honest with you.
FADEL: I just wonder if that ever feels like too much or lonely, feeling like you have to speak on this, represent this because it isn't spoken about and represented often.
AMER: Well, I think that the - first, I start off as an artist, right?
FADEL: Yeah.
AMER: The fact that I am Palestinian on top of it makes it deeply personal. Additionally, I've been talking about this for quite some time.
FADEL: Yeah.
AMER: And I feel like the world is, like, catching up now all of a sudden.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "WILD WORLD")
AMER: I just imagine two Texans living in Palestine, Texas, confused. You know what I mean?
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: You'd be sitting there like, (impersonating Texan accent) what's going on in Palestine, Jebediah (ph)? Everything's fine here.
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: (Impersonating Texan accent) No, not this Palestine. Original Palestine, Palestine, where Jesus come from. Wait, Jesus is from Texas?
(LAUGHTER)
AMER: I do want to move on in a way. Like, I do need to do something different for my own sanity and for my own mind and heart and spirit. Most of my audience is like, how do you even do this? This feels like a magic trick. And it is on some level. It's a 26-year grind that turned into a magic trick (laughter).
FADEL: I think part of why people think it might be a magic trick is there haven't been very many honest portrayals of Palestinians, of Arabs, of Muslims. A lot of it's either victim or villain, right? And right now, it feels like a scary time for a lot of American Muslims and American Arabs because anti-Muslim rhetoric is on the rise. We're seeing it in politics. And you talk about in the special how you've never hidden who you are, and I just want to play a little bit of that.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "WILD WORLD")
AMER: I started stand-up as a 14-year-old kid in the South, OK? And very early on in my career, I was encouraged to change my name and go to LA and don't tell them you're Palestinian. I was like, I could never do that. I would lose myself. However, after 9/11, I was Italian for a solid two months, OK?
(LAUGHTER)
FADEL: This really hit home for me. Like, when my nephews graduated from college, we had a discussion about whether they should put their real names on their resumes - one is Mohammed (ph), one is Hasan (ph) - because the data shows that it can hurt them. So I wondered, when you talked about always being yourself, how you did that.
AMER: First of all, we have to acknowledge how sad the notion is that they might have to change their names for them to have a real shot. That's really sad. But also, you say it's on the rise and - Islamophobia, and it's never left. I feel it out here (laughter).
FADEL: You do?
AMER: I'm very honest. Yeah. It's like - you know, Chappelle taught me something. He said, man, be so honest that it's hard to make eye contact with you. And he said this to me, like, nine years ago. It's taken me that long to feel safe enough to be that honest. And I don't feel safe. I feel free. I've never felt freer.
FADEL: What makes you not feel safe?
AMER: The environment. You know, can I say this without being judged or feel some type of way? Can we actually - 'cause, you know, once you have absence of logic and discussion, then people are just reactionary.
(SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "WILD WORLD")
AMER: And I was like, why'd you call the cops on me? She goes, (impersonating Southern accent) well, I seen the name Mohammed, and I was like, hey, we got a terrorist situation here.
I was like, I'm so sorry, but you can't call the cops on somebody just because of their name. And I'm so sorry our country's failed you and you believe everything they're spewing at you through this television screen. And unfortunately, she heard none of it.
She goes, (impersonating Southern accent) well, hold on a second. I seen the name Mohammed, and I was like, hey, we got a terrorist situation here.
I looked at the officer. I was like, you definitely have a crack problem here. I'm not going to lie.
(LAUGHTER)
FADEL: I do have to ask you, I mean, you did face some backlash recently over your decision to go perform at the Saudi Comedy Festival because it was paid for by the same royal family that suppresses protests over Palestinian rights, that ordered the murder of a journalist. And the criticism is, why whitewash these crimes and this suppression of speech with this expression of speech? Why did you go?
AMER: Well, the first thing that always comes up is the money, which is complete BS in my situation. I never make a decision solely based on money. For me to have the opportunity to go and perform and say exactly what I want to say, it's creating hope for those individuals that don't have the opportunity to say the things that I can.
FADEL: OK.
AMER: You know, being a Palestinian that's been suppressed my entire life, there's a trust between me and my audience. If you don't trust that I'm going to be the same person I am in Riyadh as the same person I am in Texas, same person I am in California, Indonesia, Japan - I'm going to be the same individual. I don't shift based off of geography.
FADEL: What do you think is next for you?
AMER: Selling falafel and hummus I think is on the horizon. I think I'd be a lot happier person.
(LAUGHTER)
FADEL: I mean, it would be delicious.
AMER: Oh, you can bet your bottom dollar it's going to be delicious. You're going to eat my hummus and be like, oh, this is actual hummus. Oh, OK.
FADEL: Oh, I know good hummus.
AMER: Yeah, I'm sure. But I can tell you that I'm - I have a very sophisticated palate with hummus. So maybe only way we can prove who's better is to have an actual, like, blind taste test.
FADEL: No, no. I'm not taking this challenge. I feel I'll be defeated.
AMER: I'm very good at it. I'm very good.
(SOUNDBITE OF IKEBE SHAKEDOWN'S "RIO GRANDE")
FADEL: Mo Amer's special "Wild World" is on Netflix now. Mo, thank you so much for speaking with me.
AMER: Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.
(SOUNDBITE OF IKEBE SHAKEDOWN'S "RIO GRANDE") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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