Comedian Bassem Youssef’s Honest Reflection on Fame, the Pressure of Representation, and What it Means to be American

Comedian Bassem Youssef’s Honest Reflection on Fame, the Pressure of Representation, and What it Means to be American

Egyptian American satirist and comedian Bassem Youssef was once known as “The Jon Stewart of Egypt,” after gaining notoriety for his criticism of the government during the 2011 Egyptian revolution. But it wasn’t long before the doctor-turned-comedian was forced to leave his home country and start over in the United States.

Ten years later, as he ends the U.S. leg of a world tour for his new stand up show, he’s gained a whole new crowd of supporters and critics — not for his comedy, but for his biting critique of U.S. policy in Gaza.

In this episode, Youssef sits down with host Kai Wright to tell the story of his turbulent ride as a political satirist in both the U.S. and Egypt — and the pressures he faced to be the voice of a movement.

Plus, we open our listener mailbag and get your responses to some of our recent shows.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

Tell us what you think. We're @noteswithkai on Instagram and X (Twitter). Email us at notes@wnyc.org. Send us a voice message by recording yourself on your phone and emailing us, or record one here.

Notes from America airs live on Sundays at 6 p.m. ET. The podcast episodes are lightly edited from our live broadcasts.

Episoder(424)

Voter Vibe Check: Anti-Trump Conservatives On Republican Party Politics In 2024

Voter Vibe Check: Anti-Trump Conservatives On Republican Party Politics In 2024

With the Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries behind us, the 2024 election cycle is well underway.  Donald J. Trump isn’t the 2024 Republican presidential candidate yet, but his victories ...

5 Feb 202449min

Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 1: Mourning In America

Kai Wright Presents Blindspot Episode 1: Mourning In America

Valerie Reyes-Jimenez called it “The Monster.” That’s how some people described HIV and AIDS in the 1980s. Valerie thinks as many as 75 people from her block on New York City’s Lower East Side died. T...

2 Feb 202435min

What A Segregated Mental Asylum Can Tell Us About Health Care in the US Today

What A Segregated Mental Asylum Can Tell Us About Health Care in the US Today

If you were Black with mental illness in the early 1900s, you couldn’t seek help just anywhere. You’d have to go to a segregated asylum like Maryland’s Crownsville Hospital, formerly known as the Hosp...

29 Jan 202450min

Kai Wright Hosts Blindspot: The Plague In The Shadows

Kai Wright Hosts Blindspot: The Plague In The Shadows

The latest season of the Blindspot podcast brings listeners voices of people who were affected in the early years of the AIDS epidemic, when so little was known about HIV, and so much was misunderstoo...

26 Jan 20245min

Doom. Denial. ‘Hopium.’ What About Climate Action?

Doom. Denial. ‘Hopium.’ What About Climate Action?

The hottest year on record was 2023, but we're expected to make the same claim at the end of this calendar year. As the world warms and reports of historic flooding, wildfires, tornadoes and droughts ...

22 Jan 202449min

Reclaiming Woke: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr. Live At The Apollo

Reclaiming Woke: Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr. Live At The Apollo

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s final Sunday sermon was titled, “Remaining Awake Through A Great Revolution.” In other words, he was advising us to stay woke. Today, that term has become a political slur...

15 Jan 202450min

What the Ozempic Craze Means for Our Personal Health

What the Ozempic Craze Means for Our Personal Health

Interest in Ozempic as a way to lose weight has only been outmatched by demand for the drug, which has been in short supply as celebrities and social media influencers continue to popularize its use. ...

8 Jan 202449min

Raoul Peck Fights for Justice With His Movies

Raoul Peck Fights for Justice With His Movies

Raoul Peck became known for his filmmaking and fight for racial justice with the released of his Academy Award-nominated film I Am Not Your Negro which attempts to complete James Baldwin's unfinished ...

1 Jan 202449min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
stopp-verden
forklart
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
nokon-ma-ga
rss-gukild-johaug
hanna-de-heldige
fotballpodden-2
aftenbla-bla
rss-dannet-uten-piano
e24-podden
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
bt-dokumentar-2