HAVE
HAVE A
HAVE A GREAT SHOW. >> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY
MUCH BRANDY.
MUCH BRANDY. >>> HOUSTON IS THE MOST DIVERSE
CITY IN THE COUNTRY, BETWEEN
THE MEDICAL CENTER, OIL AND GAS
AND NASA, WE HAVE A LARGE
IMMIGRANT POPULATION ADDED TO
THE MIX.
THE MIX.
THE MIX. MOM AND DAD HOLD ON TO
TRADITIONS FROM THEIR COUNTRY
BUT THEIR KIDS ARE
AMERICANIZED.
AMERICANIZED. A NEW TV SHOW ABOUT A
MILLENNIAL AMERICAN MUSLIM
STRUGGLING WITH WORKING, FAITH,
FAMILY AND DATING IN THE
CULTURE I TOLD YOU, I DON'T
WANT TO BE SET UP.
>> I CAME HERE TO PRAY.
YOU SAID YOU WANT TO DO IT THE
RIGHT WAY.
RIGHT WAY. MOM SET IT UP.
SHE'S WAITING FOR YOU IN THE
OFFICE.
OFFICE.
OFFICE. >> THIS IS SO WEIRD, DUDE.
>> GIVE ME A BREAK.
YOU'RE IN A SAFE PLACE, YOU GOT
ISLAMIC PERMISSION.
ISLAMIC PERMISSION. YOU'RE ON TINDER SWIPING,
THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY WEIRD.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>>> PLEASE WELCOME RAMI USEF
GOOD MORNING.
GOOD MORNING. >> THANK YOU.
.
. >>
. >> I
. >> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT
WAS CUFFED PROPERLY YES,
THAT'S THE AMERICANIZED MOMENT.
>> MAKE SURE THAT'S CUFFED THE
RIGHT WAY.
SO
SO THIS
SO THIS IS BASED ON YOUR REAL LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. SO
LIFE. SO MANY TRADITIONAL AMERICANS.
>> YES, WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS
STORY TOO MY CHARACTER WANTS TO
BE PART OF THE TRADITION AND
CULTURE AND HE'S KIND OF TORN
BECAUSE HE'S A PRACTICING
MUSLIM AND HE PRAYS AND IT'S A
BIG PART OF HIS LIFE BUT HE'S
ALSO PULLED BY DESIRES AND
FRIENDS WHERE HE GROWS UP IN
NEW JERSEY SO HE'S TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHERE TO FIT IN.
0.
0. >>
0. >> SAME FOR YOU IN REAL LIFE?
?
?
? >>
? >> I
? >> I DO
? >> I DO PRAY.
ON THE SHOW HE'S THE MOST
RELIGIOUS ONE ON THE SHOW.
CHRISTIAN IN REAL LIFE BUT MY
PARENTS GO TO CHURCH, I DON'T.
I PRAY WHEN I'M SOBER.
[ LAUGHTER ]
.
. >>
. >> OKAY, SO WHEN YOU WERE
GROWING UP, IT'S CRAZY, AFTER 9-
11 ALL THE SUDDEN MUSLIM WHO
HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PART OF THE
COMMUNITY SUDDENLY BECAME
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT MOMENT?
>> I DO.
>> I DO.
>> I DO. I WAS YOUNG, I WAS 11 SO IT WAS
REALLY HORRIFYING, THE MOST
HORRIFYING THING I'D EVER SEEN
TO THIS DAY BUT IT'S
INTERESTING WHEN YOU ARE MUSLIM
AND ARAB AND YOU FEEL LIKE
WAIT, IS THIS BEING SAID IT'S
BECAUSE OF US?
YOU START TO FEEL A FEAR AS A
KID AND OF YOURSELF.
SO A LOT OF THIS SHOWS WORKING
THROUGH FEARS AND US
UNDERSTANDING WHO WE ARE AND
HUMANIZING US.
HUMANIZING US. >> THROUGHOUT HISTORY HUMOR IS
WHAT HAS OPENED THE DOORS
SAFELY FOR PEOPLE TO COME
AROUND AND KNOW THE TRUTH.
I WAS TELLING YOU EARLIER I MY
FRIEND WHO WORKED IN LOUISIANA
IN OIL AND GAS AND HE'S LIKE
LIGHT SKIN, CURLY HAIR, AND
PEOPLE WOULD MISTAKE HIM FOR
CREOLE HE SAID I'M ARAB.
AFTER 9-11 HE WOULD SAY HE'S
KREE YOET.
KREE YOET. HE FELT LIKE HE HAD TO HIDE AND
THERE WAS A MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE
FELT LIKE THEY HAD TO HIDE.
WITH THIS SHOW YOU'RE ABLE TO
BRING IT OUT AND OPEN AND MAKES
IT A SAFE WAY FOR SOMEONE
CLOSED OFF TO REALIZE THAT IT
DOESN'T DEFINE EVERYBODY.
>> YEAH, THIS IS US REALLY IN
THIS LIMITED LOOK AT IT.
JUST THIS TYPE OF FAMILY, IN
NORTH JERSEY, THIS ARAB FAMILY,
WE'RE PROUD OF WHO WE ARE.
YOU
YOU TALK
YOU TALK ABOUT BEING MUSLIM, LIKE FROM THE NEWS.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN OUR SHOW.
>> YEAH, THE NEWS.
A LOT OF THE HEADLINES ARE
PROBABLY THE MOST DEHUMANIZING
THING AND THAT'S WHAT IS
EXCITING ABOUT THIS, WE CAN
PEEL THAT BACK AND YOU SEE OUR
REAL PROBLEMS AND WHO WE
ACTUALLY ARE.
ACTUALLY ARE. >> FOR A WHILE, MY SON ASKED
ME, HE SAYS MOM I CAN'T WEAR A
HOODIE BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK I'M
GOING TO ROB THEM.
YOU CAN'T WEAR A BACKPACK
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> OKAY, FOR YOU, HAVE YOU EVER
HAD PERSONALLY PEOPLE COME UP
TO YOU AND CHALLENGE YOU
BECAUSE OF BEING MUSLIM?
>> YOU KNOW, IT COMES UP IN
WEIRD WAYS.
WEIRD WAYS. I THINK OF COURSE GROWING UP
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. I USED TO BE LIKE NO, I'M FROM
EGYPT.
EGYPT.
EGYPT. PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE YOU'RE
MIDDLE EASTERN AND I'M LIKE NO,
EGYPT IS IN AFRICA, I'M BLACK
YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW. >> MIDDLE EAST BEFORE AND NOW
WE'RE PUTTING IT BACK IN
AFRICA.
AFRICA.
AFRICA. .
.
. >>
. >> I
. >> I TOLD EVERYONE IN MIDDLE
SCHOOL I WAS BLACK.
THAT'S WHEN THEY GOT
SUSPICIOUS.
SUSPICIOUS. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I
STARTED SAYING THAT.
THE CRAZY THING IS MOST MUSLIMS
IN AMERICA ARE BLACK.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF
MISUNDERSTANDING THAT WE DON'T
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. WE
HAVE. WE TIE IT WITH BEING AR RA OR A
CERTAIN LOOK BUT IT'S SO
EXPANSIVE.
EXPANSIVE. .
.
. >>
. >> WHAT
. >> WHAT IS THE BIGGEST
MISCONCEPTION?
MISCONCEPTION? >> HOW WE LOOK AT PEOPLE,
PERIOD.
PERIOD.
PERIOD. MISCONCEPTIONS?
MISCONCEPTIONS? >> BIGGEST ONE?
DAVE?
DAVE?
DAVE? >>
DAVE? >> YOU'RE COMING INTO THE MIX
AS A CHRISTIAN.
>> THAT THEY THINK THERE IS NO
CHRISTIAN SO THEY'LL BE LIKE
YOU'RE MUSLIM AND I'M LIKE NO
I'M CHRISTIAN AND THEY'RE LIKE,
WHAT'S THAT?
WHAT'S THAT? >> THERE ARE A LOT OF ARAB
CHRISTIANS AND THEY DON'T KNOW
IT'S THERE.
IT'S THERE. >> NO ONE DOES.
>> THAT'S PART OF ANOTHER
MISCONCEPTION.
MISCONCEPTION. SO MANY THINGS AND IT'S ALWAYS
IMPORTANT, YOU GOT TO MEET THE
PEOPLE AND KNOW, PUT FACES TO
THESE THINGS THAT DON'T HAVE
FACES WHEN IT'S JUST HEADLINES
SO THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY
EXCITING ABOUT DOING THIS.
>> HOW DID THE SHOW COME ABOUT?
>> I WAS DOING STAND UP AND
TALKING ABOUT MY CULTURE AND
FAITH WHERE PEOPLE DON'T
ASSOCIATE ONE LIKE ME AS
SOMEONE WHO PRAYS FIVE TIMES A
DAY OR ACTUALLY BELIEVES.
>> I ASKED HIM IF HE PRAYS FIVE
TIMES A DAY AND HE SAID I TRY
MY BEST.
MY BEST.
MY BEST. >> IT WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT
THROUGH COMEDY AND REALIZING
PEOPLE DON'T ASSOCIATE THAT
WITH OUR GENERATION.
REALLY SHOWING THIS IS STILL
ALIVE AND IT HELPS ME BE A
BETTER PERSON AND HOW COULD
THAT COME OUT THROUGH COMEDY.
>> WHERE IS YOUR SENSE OF FUNNY
COME FROM?
COME FROM? >> FAMILY.
>> FAMILY. YEAH, MY UNCLES ARE SO FUNNY.
THEY ARE FUNNIER THAN ANY
COMEDIAN I'VE EVER SEEN.
JUST SITTING AROUND, RIGHT?
>> IT'S ALWAYS THAT ONE UNCLE
AT THE WEDDING.
UNCLE EDDY.
UNCLE EDDY. >> WITH UNCLE WITH NO KIDS.
>> YEAH, AND SHOULDN'T HAVE
ANY.
ANY.
ANY. >>
ANY. >> YEAH, THAT UNCLE.
IF YOU HAVE AN UNCLE WITH KIDS,
THAT'S A DAD BUT YOU NEED THE
UNCLE WHO IS JUST AN UNCLE.
THAT DUDE WILL TELL YOU STUFF
ABOUT LIFE THAT HE SHOULDN'T.
>> AND DAVE, WHERE IS YOUR
SENSE OF FUNNY?
>> MY DAD.
DAVE'S DAD IS SO FUNNY.
ALL THE PEOPLE COME OUTAFTER
THE SHOW AND DAVE'S DAD CUTS IN
FRONT OF US AND STARTS TALKING
TO THE WOMEN IN THE AUDIENCE.
>> SO HIS DAD IS ACTING LIKE
THAT UNCLE.
THAT UNCLE. >> YEAH, YOUR DAD HAS UNCLE
ENERGY.
ENERGY.
ENERGY. >> HE LOVES MY MOM.
.
.
. >>
. >> I'M
. >> I'M GOING TO WRAP UP WITH
THIS COMEDY, WE CAN LOOK AT IT
AS ENTERTAINMENT BUT IT SUCH A
PLACE IN SOCIETY.
>> YEAH, I THINK SO.
IT CAN OPEN PEOPLE'S MINDS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S WHERE YOU
SHOULD GET FACTS OR
INFORMATION.
INFORMATION. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT.
WE KIND OF PLAY WITH THE SUB
CONSCIOUS FEELINGS AND I THINK
IF YOU WATCH THIS SHOW YOU
MIGHT JUST BE A LITTLE LESS
CERTAIN ABOUT WHAT YOU THOUGHT
YOU KNEW AND HOPEFULLY YOU
LAUGH.
LAUGH.
LAUGH. >>
LAUGH. >> IT CHALLENGES WHAT YOU
THOUGHT YOU KNEW.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR COMING BY.
THE ENTIRE FIRST SEASON OF RAMI
IS STREAMING ON HULU.
HE'S DOING A FREE COMEDY SHOW
TONIGHT AT WHITE OAK MUSIC HALL
SO WATCH HIM THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> THE MAJORITY OF WOMEN ARE
PLUS SIESZ, OPTIONS IN CLOTHING
ARE LESS ESPECIALLY 23 YOU WANT
DESIGNER.
DESIGNER.
DESIGNER. PLUS SIZE SHOPPING FROM THE
COMFORTS OF HOME AND YOU HAVE
THE WORLD DESIGNERS TO CHOOSE
FROM.
FROM.
FROM. FASHION WEEK WITH THE PLUS SIZE
RUNWAY SHOW.
RUNWAY SHOW. HOW TO GO FROM THE RUNWAY TO
YOUR CLOSET, NEXT.