LARB Radio Hour: Bassem Youssef’s Revolutionary Comedy

Bassem Youssef, author of Revolution for Dummies: Laughing through the Arab Spring, joins co-hosts Eric Newman and Medaya Ocher to discuss what it’s like to launch an entirely new genre in the Middle East — mass media political satire (modeled upon Jon Stewart’s Daily Show) — and then become Egypt’s most popular TV host before having to flee the country. Youssef has lost none of his wit or political insight since his days on center stage of an actual revolution, and the conversation is laden with relevance for a certain country dealing with a dangerous, wannabe-authoritarian leader. Youssef’s analysis of the role of political satire during troubled times delivers a pointed lesson for all us taking solace in the wit of Colbert, Bee, SNL & Co.

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