Laughing to Tears in the Time of Axis of Evil Comedy Shows

´The Iranian regime must have the same publicist as the Kardashians´.

Those were the times of George W. Bush and his Axis of Evil. People use to make a lot of fun of him, especially among the high-end intellectuals from the East Coast but if you are know that only intelligence is limited you rather keep your ironies for another time. A time that apparently has come and whose tragical-comedy is unfolding in the front of our eyes.

Maz Jobrani is irresistibly hilarious. Hard to resist his live comedy shows where he is using, often, references to his Iranian-American adventures during intense political times. Jobrani grew up in Tehran until the age of 6 until he left with his family following the Islamic Revolution. He belongs to a middle-class family, that did not own or ride camels. The case for the big majority of Iranians although once in a while they are requested to answer variations of the question: ´Did you guys have camel traffic jam in the old country?´ (Curious outbursts that happens not only in the USA).

Not feeling American enough for the Americans and Iranian enough for the Iranians back home, not keen to follow his mother´s expectations of becoming either a doctor or a lawyer, or at least an engineer, Jobrani started touring the world with Axis of Evil Comedy Show which brought him in the vicinity of very serious people like the King Abdullah of Jordan. Even though back home he is often admonished for failing to be a role model for his community. 

I´m Not a Terrorist But I´ve Played One on TV is a laughing-hard memoir of Jobrani´s life in the States, his life as an Iranian son and a little bit of personal memories of working hard to get a role as - what else - a Muslim terrorist. The Cold War is over, Yuris are no more fashionable in roles of vilains, let´s kill the turbaned Mustafas, instead. Joking in time of terror is hard and you are never right. 

Jobrani´s memoir is an easy ready if you want to get your dosis of healthy laughing while not completely leaving the political realm. And between bursts of laughter to learn something about the wild wild Middle East, with its invisible camels. 

Rating: 3.5 stars