Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act is the discourse we need
While most of the media has been consumed by the impact of recent elections in the United States, Netflix was busy premiering one of the most compelling television series in a generation.
Hasan Minhaj’s Patriot Act debuted at the end of October, amidst the height of midterm mania and on the heels of a worrisome trend of violence in America including the tragic and unconscionable attack on the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh.
For those who are unfamiliar, Minhaj is an Indo-American Muslim whose meteoric rise as a standup comedian began a decade ago when he moved to Los Angeles and started performing at open mics across the city.
One of his biggest breaks was be- ing recruited by Jon Stewart to join The Daily Show as a correspondent, which led to growing exposure and opportunities, like being asked to host the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner — memorable for the president’s boycott of the event, which occurred while the Muslim ban was introduced.
It was this international moment that made Minhaj a household name.
He later won a Peabody award for his seminal Netflix special Homecoming King and has now embarked on a unique mission — creating a news show for millennials by millennials.
He has an opportunity to revolutionize how this increasingly important generation will consume current events, popular culture and comedy in a time of mistrust, violence and fake news.
The telegenic Minhaj describes his show as “investigative journalism meets comedy show meets political satire meets Malcolm Gladwell, but funny, and it’s on a bunch of screens like a Drake concert.”
He has created a new format of intrepid story-telling by using gorgeous visuals to distil complex issues, like affirmative action, into 22 minutes of pure thrill.
He has done all of this while infusing his show with comedy, intelligence, charm and authenticity. What makes the show great is Minhaj’s earnest enthusiasm for truth, which is enhanced by his frenetic passion for being true to himself.
Minhaj’s success has been incredibly inspiring for many within the South-Asian Muslim community — myself included — who have been following his career closely. He has done an excellent job of articulating how first-generation millennial minorities have grown up with balancing a duality of cultures, giving us an interesting and optimistic perspective on the world.
At only 33, Minhaj is poised to be one of the most influential artists of our time. His strength of character, combined with what appears to be a deeply rooted moral compass, will broaden his appeal among millennials who are growing weary of the polarizing rhetoric that has come to define our current global discourse.
In this way, Minhaj’s sincerity is a breath of fresh air, and many are hoping that he becomes the signal amongst all the deafening noise.