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)

Black Lives Matter, 10 years later

Black Lives Matter, 10 years later

It’s been 10 years since the Black Lives Matter was founded iin response to the acquittal of the man who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Kai Wright speaks with organizer Chelsea Miller about ...

6 Nov 202351min

‘It’s Worse Than Ever’

‘It’s Worse Than Ever’

The events of October 7th shook the world and greatly impacted different intersections of people. Arab Americans sit at a unique intersection. As an Arab American journalist, Notes From America produc...

30 Okt 202350min

Imminent Danger Ep 3: One Doctor and a Trail of Injured Women

Imminent Danger Ep 3: One Doctor and a Trail of Injured Women

Imminent Danger, a new series from NYC NOW, looks into the role state medical boards had in how one doctor was allowed to keep practicing despite consistently bad outcomes. Marquita Baird has kept a b...

26 Okt 202327min

Can Osage Citizens Revive Fairfax?

Can Osage Citizens Revive Fairfax?

Killers of the Flower Moon, a new film directed by Martin Scorcese based on the bestselling book of the same name, tells the story of how greed and profound injustice took the lives of so many Osage. ...

23 Okt 202349min

We Don't Talk About Leonard: Episode 3

We Don't Talk About Leonard: Episode 3

Our friends at On the Media have teamed up with ProPublica to create a miniseries about how the U.S. Supreme Court moved so far to the right. In the third and final episode of We Don't Talk About Leon...

19 Okt 202351min

The View From Gaza

The View From Gaza

How can we have a more honest conversation about security, war, and peace in the region? As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, we ask two scholars with ties to the region for help. Kai is joined...

16 Okt 202349min

We Don't Talk About Leonard: Episode 2

We Don't Talk About Leonard: Episode 2

Our friends at On the Media have teamed up with ProPublica to create a miniseries about how the U.S. Supreme Court moved so far to the right. In the second episode of We Don't Talk About Leonard, Leon...

12 Okt 202351min

I Was A Child of Dread

I Was A Child of Dread

In a new memoir, How to Say Babylon, the award-winning poet and essayist is revisiting her youth as a Rastafari girl.  Being Rasta is about so much more than what shows up in American pop culture – it...

9 Okt 202350min

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