Minhaj plays first show after controversy at Riverside Theater
Hasan Minhaj became one of the most popular and acclaimed comedians in America by seemingly speaking truth to power.
Except he didn’t always speak the truth.
Exactly one week before kicking off his “Off With His Head” tour at Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater on Friday, the New Yorker published a profile in which Minhaj admitted some of the stories in his Peabody-winning comedy specials “Homecoming King” and “The King’s Jester” didn’t happen the way he said they did.
“Every story in my style is built around a seed of truth,” Minhaj told the New Yorker in his defense. “My comedy Arnold Palmer is 70% emotional truth — this happened — and then 30% hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction.”
Hyperbole, exaggeration and fiction often go hand in hand with comedy. And many of Minhaj’s stories speak to very real concerns of racism.
But when Minhaj shared that horrifying story about his daughter being rushed to the hospital after an anthrax scare during “The King’s Jester”– with fear in his eyes, and a gasp from the audience – he clearly wasn’t serving up satire or going for laughs. It was emotional.
But it was not the truth.
Now Minhaj faces the most significant backlash of his career at arguably the most crucial moment of his career — he’s reportedly a leading candidate to replace Trevor Noah as host of “The Daily Show.”
And Milwaukee fans catching the tour opener Friday would be the first ones to witness his response.
Except we can’t say specifically what he said.
Posted all over the theater Friday – and added to the event page on the venue website – was this disclaimer:
“MINHAJ, Inc. own all rights in the content and materials, including any jokes and sketches (the “Materials”), delivered during his performance. The Materials may not be copied, translated, transmitted, displayed, distributed or reproduced verbatim (the “Use”) in whole or in part, in any form, media, technology, now known or later developed. Any use of the materials without the express prior written consent of MINHAJ, Inc. is strictly prohibited and violators will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”
It’s practically verbatim the language Dave Chappelle has used for his Milwaukee shows, including the Summerfest show that I (barely) reviewed and one coming up at Fiserv Forum. Although at least Chappelle’s team, unlike Minhaj’s, issues such disclaimers with plenty of notice.
Perhaps this application of legalese was an attempt to tamp down anything Minhaj said Friday about the controversy for fear that it would add fuel to the fire. But he didn’t really talk about it at all.
Alluding to the heaviness of the week without commenting on it, Minhaj mentioned he was in Wisconsin on the weekend of his 38th birthday, drawing cheers before swiftly segueing to jokes about Zillow, artificial intelligence and other topics.
The punchlines, again, I can’t share. But I can tell you what Minhaj didn’t do Friday. He didn’t offer any harrowing, sympathy-baiting “personal” stories like from his first two specials that have gotten him in hot water.
Maybe he was going to, and in light of the New Yorker article, they were cut. His set Friday lasted only 50 minutes.
Hopefully what Minhaj recognizes now, in the wake of reaction to his New Yorker confessions and from an enthusiastic near-capacity Milwaukee crowd in the 2,500-seat Riverside, is that he doesn’t need deception to gain favor.
“Off With His Head” as presented Friday is by far his least personal set of material. That’s not a criticism. Minhaj offered plenty of astute, smartly written observations, offered from a unique and valuable perspective.
And they drew knowing laughs, his delivery swinging from stage-pacing exasperation to cutting deadpan, both equally effective.
Was there embellishment? Most certainly. Regardless, his demeanor for stories like these Friday was so exaggerated, his tone so satiric, no one could or would cry foul.
But this much is true: The large turnout and strong reception in Milwaukee Friday showed that Minhaj still has plenty of support.
And if he learns from this mess, there is a chance that he will become a better comic.