Let Donald Trump do his worst
With the United States Republican presidential candidate drumming up substantial support, political satirist Bassem Youssef believes a Trump victory may not be the worst thing as it could give America a wake-up call, Chris Newbould reports
While much of the world looks on in horror at the rise of Donald Trump as Republican presidential nomination front-runner, leading Egyptian satirist and political commentator Bassem Youssef thinks he could be the shock America needs.
“Sometimes people with empty, angry, racist rhetoric should be given the chance to get into power so they can screw up so bad that people will wake up and know that it doesn’t work,” says the former host of controversial satirical show Al Bernameg.
“Maybe the people need to see it fail so they believe this is not the answer.
“At least you know the US is not North Korea. There are bodies and legislation that will not bow to him, and you have hope that it may not be as disastrous as it could be.”
Youssef has been filming a new online show, The Democracy Handbook.
Set to make its debut on US television within weeks on F Comedy, Fusion TV’s new digital platform, the series follows Youssef as he analyses American politics from his Arab perspective. Youssef has been in the US since he took up a temporary post at Harvard University’s Political Institute in January last year.
While he lives in California with his Egyptian- Palestinian wife, Hala, and their daughter, the former heart surgeon is back in Dubai this week to speak to a sell-out audience at the Step media and technology conference at Dubai International Marine Club.
“It will be a talk about the future of media and particularly social media, with Ahmed Shihab Eldin from Vice,” says Youssef.
He has spent much of his time lecturing students or conference audiences since he chose to take Al Bernameg off air in June 2014 following controversy, arrest warrants and threats from Egyptian political and religious establishments. With the airing of his new show imminent, Youssef is clearly relishing a return to business as usual.
“It’s a satirical outlook for American democracy through the eyes of a Middle Easterner,” he explains.
“It’s kind of crazy when you can’t satirise the conditions in your own region but you get given the opportunity to go and satirise America.
“I’m the first Arab to do it and that’s a great honour.
“It’s hard, because I come from a different culture, so why would people listen to me?
“There’s a lot of competition out there because everyone is doing it, but what’s interesting is to find that Middle Eastern perspective.
“So for example I can say to people, ‘Trump – seriously? Are you scared of him? We call this life, every day, get over it!’
“It’s such an incredible opportunity to do what I want to do instead of what I have to do.”
The show will be produced by former The Daily Show with Jon Stewart producer Kathy Egan. Youssef has long- standing links with The Daily Show, crediting it as an inspiration for his career. He appeared on the show several times and Stewart appeared on Youssef’s show in Egypt in 2013. Another former producer, Sarah Taskler, has also made a documentary about Youssef and the risks he and his Al Bernameg team took.
Tickling Giants will premiere at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival, which runs April 13 to 24.
Commonly referred to as the Egyptian Jon Stewart, Youssef is flattered by the comparison.
Despite his modesty, it is worth noting that, at its peak, Al Bernameg pulled in about 30 million viewers across the Middle East – about 10 times Stewart’s typical audience when he hosted the US show.
With Stewart having stepped down from the Daily Show, there is perhaps a vacancy to be filled
Maybe the people need to see it fail so they believe this is not the answer Bassem Youssef Egyptian satirist and political commentator
for the position of America’s leading political satirist. Stewart’s The Daily Show replacement, South African comedian Trevor Noah, has had mixed reviews.
“I think Jon Stewart left a huge void for everyone,” Youssef says.
“And I think it is daunting for anyone to follow him.”
Youssef also does not rule out making a guest appearance on the show under its new host. “The same team is there and Trevor is a really nice guy,” he says. “I’m always welcome there when something comes up.
“I think they’re not as focused on the Middle East right now, there’s so much going on, but I’m there if they need me.
“I’m more focused on building my own brand out there right now and the rest will hopefully follow.”
Either way, Youssef’s profile – relatively low key in the past two years – is about to be raised significantly. The online episodes of The
Democracy Handbook are to be paired with a television special, according to reports, and Youssef is writing a book, which should be published following the US elections in November.
It’s been a roller- coaster five years or so for Youssef who was still practising as a heart surgeon until 2011 – before the events of Tahrir Square inspired him to take a new direction in life.
Few could have predicted the success he would achieve in such a short time, moving from hospital ward to Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in barely three years, but Youssef remains philosophical about his achievements.
“It’s an interesting place to be,” he says. “It’s been an interesting few years.
“I was a heart surgeon then, at the age of 38, I started something totally different and became a political satirist, first on YouTube, then TV, then theatre, then all of that was suddenly taken away and I had to start again in an alien country. “This is something someone in their early 20s should do, not someone who is 42 with a kid and a wife, but here I am and I’m not going anywhere just yet.”