Life starts at 40... or with a grey hair
Laughing helps us survive pain, says doctor Riaad
DISCOVERING your first grey hair can be a traumatic experience for anyone. Ask funny man Riaad Moosa.
“When I found the grey hair that wasn’t growing out of my head… that was growing out of a part of my body that shouldn’t have grey hairs… that was an horrific experience,” Moosa said.
“They say age is nothing but a number, it’s just how you feel at heart. I don’t agree. When you have a grey hair growing out of that part of your body you are old no matter how you feel inside.”
To celebrate his 40th birthday, the Joburg comedian has embarked on a national tour to showcase his one-man comedy act, Life Begins.
Moosa spoke to the Saturday Star this week.
What can we expect from your new show?
I’m turning 40 soon and I’m trying to psychologically prepare myself.
That’s why I’ve called the show Life Begins. I guess it’s a declaration that I’m just getting started.
I’m not saying that I’m in a mid-life crisis but this is quite an existential show in which I ruminate about how I, as a relatively conservative Muslim man on a trajectory to being a medical doctor, ended up being a comedian.
Have you reached a point now that you’re older where things stop being funny and become pretty real instead?
Comedy is very real. Every basis of a joke is based on pain. Comedy is a way of looking at the world to survive pain.
I used to do magic when I was in high school. I took part in this competition where I made a ball float across the stage. There were strings involved, so we had to set out perfect lighting so that the string would not be visible. No one told me there was someone doing flash photography. So with each flash, the string and my embarrassment was clearly visible. People laughed at me and I didn’t enjoy it. So I thought I’d do something where people laugh at me and I’ll enjoy it.
Julius Malema takes on President Zuma in a boxing match. Who wins and why?
Zuma would knock Malema out for the count. But Zuma could get knocked out by counting.
You’re able to invite three guests to your show. Who would you invite and why?
Richard Pryor, Tupac Shakur and Nelson Mandela. It would be interesting to have three famous corpses decomposing in the front row.