May 10, 2006
Aunty Baji #1TV
The following post is brought to you by the good folks over at rubbish TV. Sandwiched between such mullet-tastic gems as Full House (Uncle Jesse = hot, just sayin) and Roseanne there was born a shiny new talent. A Great Brown Hope, if you will. Ladies and ladas, I present to you Rubi Nicholas, Americas Funniest Mom:
Rubi Nicholas’s mouthful of a life became her comedy routine. She’s a Pakistani Muslim with a Greek Orthodox, stay-at-home husband who converted to Islam. They live in a Denver suburb with their daughters. They fit in just fine. “Except,” she says in her stand-up routine, “every time my daughter leaves her Barbie Jeep in someone else’s driveway they call the bomb squad.”. [Link]
The Nickelodeon show consisted of six weeks of Apprentice-style comedy challenges set in a New York City penthouse. Episodes are available on the Nickelodeon website.
When she was a child she enjoyed calling her school and pretending to be her mother with excuses for absences, she says in her routine. She grew up in Pottsville, Pa., a coal region in the central part of the state. “Calling to let you know that Rubi will not be in school today. For today we celebrate the holy festival of the blind goat,” Ms. Nicholas says in a heavy Pakistani accent. And did somebody mention airports? “So a little bit about me,” Ms. Nicholas said in the final show. “I married a white guy to improve my airport cred. Yeah, and he had to become a Muslim to marry me, and he had to marry me because you know what they say. Once you go Pak … that’s right, you’ll never eat pork again.”
Walking away with a hosting gig, the chance to develop a sitcom, and a cool $50, 000, Rubi aunty managed to ruffle a few feathers as is evident from shows message boards. Some parents found her act too racist, prejudiced towards Middle Easterners and Muslims, and insensitive towards 9/11 (huh?).
Sabrina Jalees, a Torontonian comic who is no stranger to race-based comedy, writes in her weekly Toronto Star column:
Canada’s most recent U.S. export and rising star, Russell Peters, is a great example of how successful race-based humour is when done right. One of his most popular jokes follows an act out revolving around Indians being cheap and Chinese people being stubborn. The audience welcomes these generalizations with giddy giggles ‘cause a) his impressions are bang on and hilarious, and b) although being East Indian, Peters doesn’t have a Chinese bone in his body, he gets away with poking fun because everyone in the room is aware there’s nothing malicious behind the joke. The lesson? If the audience knows in its heart that you’re coming from an innocent standpoint, then you can get away with race-based comedy. And that’s why you can laugh at “racist” jokes. The best ones are an indictment against people who would say such things and actually mean them without trying to make anyone laugh. [Link]
I agree with Jaleess yardstick mostly because when it comes to comedy I am not politically correct enough to want to give up my Richard Pryor, Sarah Silverman, Umar Sharif, and Dave Chappelle. If Nicholas can use personal experience to pull off racial comedy on a kids network then more power to her. Her future plans:
If things work out with Nick at Nite, though, she envisions her own television show as “hugely autobiographical,” a kind of “I Love Lucy” in which she and her family supply the exotic element that Ricky Ricardo provided for his daffy, red-headed wife.
Not quite sure why Im cringing ah, must be the ‘E’ bomb. Still, Id watch it.
neha on May 10, 2006 08:41 PM in TV · T·r·a·c·k·b·a·c·k address · Direct link · Email post
Those jokes are for a kids network show?
How did I miss this show???
the weggie weggie pizza... wow... she's a weggie lover :)
Wow, how original.
Oooh look at me, I make funny. I make you laugh massah, we Muslims are so silly, laugh at us!
*yawn* File under: Shazia Mirza.
Seriously. As Dave Chappelle pointed out on Inside the Actor's Studio when he was asked about quitting his show, he said that there was a fine line between "Dancing and shuffling". It seems to be a dangerous message when being brown is material for comedy by other brown people, but it's mostly white people laughing at it. Perhaps we are fooling ourselves by thinking that "race-based" comedy is completely innocent. It might sound nativist, but if a black person makes a joke about black people, that is funny. If someone else does it, it's racist. I feel the same way about us.
I totally pulled the 'calling the school pretending to be my mom' bit.... superb.
hey lingus .. some homegrown talent ... appearing at the annual theatre festival in Aug. Anand Rajaram (with Second city cred) does some miming in cowboys and indians and dalbir singh does a play on flight #182.
speaking of funny girls ... three cheers for rupedupe and thebarmaid...
dang...
all i remember is Moose, green slime and Ross from "You Can't Do That On Television"
and now we're waxing 9/11 joke propriety... *barf*
nice! thanks for the tip, D, sounds like good times. can't wait for august. hot heat humid concrete swimming skirts slurpees alleydrinking. and now, theatre.
love them funny girls. and their parents too.
AC!!! taking me back! remember alanis on ycdtotv? they need to start showing some reruns of that good stuff.
C'mon guys, give her a break. To my ear she has sort of a funny vibe from these quotes. I don't mind her mining her mom's accent -- Margaret Cho has paved that road and generally managed not to sell herself out. I'll look forward to seeing her on Comedy Central or something one of these days.
Perhaps we are fooling ourselves by thinking that "race-based" comedy is completely innocent. It might sound nativist, but if a black person makes a joke about black people, that is funny. If someone else does it, it's racist. I feel the same way about us.
Driver, I'm confused, isn't she a brown person making a joke about brown people? Maybe I'm missing your point.
I agree that race-based comedy is never truly innocent, but if done well it can shed light on ethnic and racial misunderstandings and provoke people to rethink their positions.
hotheat forestcanopy sweatdripping shirtsticking musclesthrobbing joyofliving. cant wait for august. :-)
Hmm, she sounds interesting, but I hear a tuba-fart in her future.
I don't understand why the same joke (say, one that makes fun of black people), when said by a black person is OK, or considered funny, but when said with exactly the same intentions by a white/asian person is racist. How is that fair?
aunty #1? let us see. will catch her next time.
but again i am surprised russell peters gets praised. i can never understand why---this guy just collects every bigoted/poor attempt at joke that he hears and rattles it off as his own. come on, you have seen him once, you dont have to see him ever again. let us not prop up characters just because of the brown factor.
but like driver (#5) says: no sympathies from me when RP makes jokes abt chinese. i consider it racist whether he wants to be or not.
One of his most popular jokes follows an act out revolving around Indians being cheap and Chinese people being stubborn.
You see?
Last time I checked, comedians are kind of supposed to "make funny."
I dunno about you but I've never heard a joke like that before. I'd say it's pretty original; we've all at least thought about it.
I think this whole thing is being taken way too seriously. Let's take a step back and look at the big picture here: She's a pakistani mom who happens to be pretty funny. That's all.
Take a chill pill, doods. Go put up your Blind Goat Day tree (a joke of hers that came up a little later in her act).
It's Nick at Night, so not too many young kids will see it.
hmmm... humor is a form of intimacy I think. like, if a good friend asks if how many times i've been dropped on my head as a child in response to n she doesn't agree with something I say, I laugh and maybe blush a smudge. when someone I don't like says it, I breathe fire.
similarly, I think the historic hurt Black people still feel requires that white folk maintain some level of formalty and respect.
That's why, I think, its ok for the race to do it -- it's a way of sharing and inviting intimacy. But, like dating a tender soul who's been hurt before, the other should let them come around in their own time, on their own terms.
Between desi and Chinese such a schizm doesn't exist.. further, RP seems to build on the platform of shared immigrant expereince.. I think it's fair game.
now, we allll enjoy desi jokes and muslim jokes and (fill in gap) jokes and our closest friendships are built around the shared understanding that fuels humor. sharing this wealth, in small doses, with whitey is good manners.
you are probably right abt the schism. i don't agree with you on the shared immigrant experience though, since hardly any of RP's jokes are particularly insightful. and if some chinese fellow were to find RP racist, i would not bother defending RP.
besides, he is terrible. i mean, even if you dont agree abt the racism part, you have to agree he is just a parrot recycling something he has heard. how many times can one hear the same jokes over and over again, especially when they are not particularly clever or original to begin with? you may not agree with me, but in my opinion, if he did not have the minority card, he would be nowhere. his "charm" is about similar to an elephant that rides a bike, but that is just my opinion.
Bytewords:
Yes, I mostly agree with you about RP, except for one thing that he is right about: check out comment # 16.
--CHEAP ASS DESI
@cad,
see there you prove my point again. here you are busting your a$$ off claiming to be cheap, while RP steals your mojo to earn $$$. :) too many a violet was born to remain unseen and all that. what can be done.
So you guys are saying if I just make jokes about how stupid and narrow minded white christians are, it would be accepted as mainstream comedy? People do it now. They get vilified by the Bill O'Reilly's of the world. The prevailing message in American Pop culture is that it's funny to make fun of minority groups and famous people, but insult the mainstream white suburban fools and you will probably get cancelled (Arrested Development, family guy, etc)
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Dat Pham from Last Comic Standing.
Although he won the competition, his entire routine was pretty much him speaking in his parents' thick vietnamese accent, saying stereotypical comments regarding nail salons and bargain shopping that white people say about asians behind their backs..
I'm not saying race-based humour isn't funny. I've used plenty of jokes that take the piss out of desis in stuff I've done. But why I objected to this is it's tailored to appeal to non-Muslims'/non-desis' stereotypes.
The comedienne I mentioned, Shazia Mirza, you may not all be that familiar with. She's a British hijab'd standup (well, she wears the hijab on an erratic basis when she wants shock value). After 9/11 she found fame and has been in demand. Like most South Asians, I thought that's cool - a Pakistani girl who has the guts to get up on stage and tell jokes. But then I heard her do an entire set and bar a few good jokes, I found her humour so lazy.
"Oh look some Asians are turning up late - they were at home making bombs"
White audiences loved her, why wouldn't they? All she did was make jokes about Muslims being terrorists and fundamentalists. These were prejudices that much of her audience possessed, so they lapped it up. Asian audiences weren't so convinced. I can respect her decision to pursue a non-traditional path, but she isn't funny.
I shouldn't judge this woman here on one line, so I won't rush to put her in the same category as Mirza, but I see a similar syndrome. Yes you are right, no reason to take this too seriously.
There's a difference between 'making a funny' that cements daft stereotypes and ones that more innocently poke fun. Take Goodness Gracious Me for example, the whole thing made fun of Asians but terrorism and bizarre religious practices were never used as material. This is lowest common denominator humour.
a joke is a joke is a joke, dont overanalyze it.
I hope this aunty makes it to Comedy Central.
For those with limited time on their hands and undies around their ankles - I'll summarize - BB's point is that the stereotypes are mostly not true, Jalees' point is that they are.
but then we make jokes about lawyers etc. right - and the theory is that we often poke fun at those who are in such position of power that our repressed anger needs a vent through the humor
final point before i go put out a fire - i can see why BB finds the above jokes boring - for those who have enjoyed brit humour in the past, the jokes above are toothless and flaccid. BB, any recommendations for us the unwashed masses that we can get on DVD? My tasts run to black adder and office and ... well... benny hill (in my hormonally charged years ... golly in the days before the internet that was as risque as it got :-))
BB, I disagree.
The funniest jokes are those that come close to an offensive truth or an offensive partial-truth.
They send-up the logical distinction between "someone who's x has been known to do this" and "all people who are x do this." We hear that distinction smushed, it makes us uncomfortable, and out of our discomfort, we laugh.
Of course, comedy deals in intangibles like mood, setting, timing and so on. But that discomfot factor needs to be there. A joke arises out of a failed expectation- in this case, the expectation that "people don't say such things out loud."
The comedian's role is to draw attention to the obscenity of people thinking such things (and getting away with it) and yet the one person who points out what everyone is thinking, in a comical context, gets flak for it.
This kind of comedy is about one thing only: the idea that the world is NOT innocent. They didn't invent this uninnocent world, but they have the courage to point out the messed-up ways our minds work.
That's how I like my comedians: as offensive as humanly possible.
speaking of funny women
Heee.
Now that's funny! And part of the funniness is the totally offensive (and enjoyable) disconnect between the words "Jesus" and, well, go see for yourself.
and
I think BB is cool man, but damnit, I want terrorism and strange religion in my humor. That shit's too serious to leave to politicians and academics. To "innocently poke fun" is like stopping at foreplay.
And, also, when there's someone out there who says "that's not funny, it's offensive," there's a pretty good bet there's something funny about it. That's not to say there isn't some stupid ass comedy out there (as in any art form, there are weak links) but I just find this idea that offense and hilarity are opposites...well...funny.
dhavaak, you've summarised me incorrectly!
I've said several times on here that stereotypes exist because there is truth to them. That's not what I mean at all. I just get bored with Muslim comedians who can't see past the bomb gags. Why do we get annoyed with casting directors making desi roles terrorists and cab drivers? Because there's more to the South Asian experience than that. I want to say again that Aunty Rubi should be discounted as she's not a full-time comedienne, so I'm talking more generally here.
Bill Hicks is one of my favourite comedians Papal, believe me I love offensive humour. But originality is key. Jeet's point of a joke is a joke is a joke is nonsense. Bernard Manning, a famous racist comic here, made a career of insulting Pakis, niggers and chinks. Hahaha, funny jokes! A joke's a joke, right? It's offensive, so it must be good! What do you call a Paki with no sisters? A virgin! Ahahaha, so funny!
I can bring it back to GGM again, as I'm such a fan of that show. It continually made fun of desis, how we wrap our remote controls in clingfilm, how some British Indians desperately want to be white or how Muslims and Jews are so similar but hate each other - that last one's hardly light fare. They also took the piss out of white peoples' attitudes to desis. It never painted a stereotyped view of Indians, but it included many Indian stereotypes.
BB, I hear you dawg.
Papal, to (accurately!) summarise my view:
Offensive is cool. But pandering to OTHERS' stereotypes isn't. It's no different from the complicity Manish and others complain about - desi actors playing one-dimensional terrorists/cornershop owners.
You don't get black comedians saying to a white audience: "Sorry I'm late, I was stealing cars and smoking a crack pipe"
Oh but you should, you should! See, to me, that shit is funny. Because it creates this weird zone where whitey is laughing, but also thinking, "should I be laughing?"
But, in general, yeah, I grab your point. You've put it well.
Speaking of TV, how come there was nary a peep from the Sepia Mutineers on the desi that just got the boot off this season of "The Apprentice", i.e. Michael aka. Arinash Laungani. There are at least a couple of links on the where where he talks about being of Indian and Portuguese (I wonder if that is a whitewash version of Goan)and considers himself of Asian descent.
ok. I was going to post an aristocrats joke here for you to mull over - but neha will probably never forgive me - so here's a link to a aristocrats' compilation. It's a joke about a family that goes to an agent who asks them about their act ...
Noooooo, Dhaavak. The Aristocrats (which I was actually excited about. bob saget!) was like watching an extremely non-polite version of my parents tell one peepee poopoo joke after another with no damn punchline. I waited for a whole half hour to hear it but it never arrived!
actually, a joke IS a joke *IS* a joke if the person delivering it had every intention of making it one. now, if, by chance, I don't find it to be funny, then, no, they did not "make a funny" (to me) -- but i won't go about denying others their reality if they think overt racial obscenities are more amusing than a tub full of tits although i might find it unfortunate -- and more importantly, want to understand why a population of people find something so humorous that i find abhorrent. i mean, in that sense, comedy is a socio-demographic litmus test of sorts.
now if someone would kindly pull my finger ...
Unless you live in Barrie, in which case, the most ethnic person in your life is most likely the Jewish dude your city was originally named after
That's funny. It makes fun of Barrie, using the negative stereotype of Barrie as a working class white town, but having spent some time in Barrie -- the stereotype is based on (a lot) of truth!
Here's Shaun Majumder on the ethnic schtick
shaun majumder remembers the audition well. The L.A. casting director wanted him to be, well, more East Indian."What do you mean?" asked Majumder.
"Kind of like Apu from The Simpsons," said the director.
"Sure. Where's the door? I'm leaving. This sucks."
Majumder, a good Canadian boy who grew up in Newfoundland in a tin trailer, then moved to Mississauga as a teen, didn't say that last line, but he felt it.
say WHAT?? Oh well, some people think Govinda's a genius, too... I guess it takes all kinds. So long as we're laughing we're not out making bombs. ooh, ouch, see how pathetic and easy that was. No points for Lowest Common Denominator.
whoever mentioned GGM and their sketch topics was dead on. We don't have to be all turbans and dots and elephants and snake-charming to get the yuks.
We can all laugh at stereotypes of other races or communities; and sometimes the humor comes back on us. That is the best thing about Ricky Gervais in The Office, his stupidity and sexist and racist jokes fall back on the viewer and become a kind of critique of that kind of character. So Ricky Gervais satirises that kind of ignorant middle class white man at the same time as making comedy out of his vulgarity. It is extremely subtle and brilliant comedy - I would say a high point of British comedy in the last 20 years.
And so it is good to be able to joke on other groups but at the same time you should not complain when someone calls you on it if you don't do it right - for example - Chris Rock can say the hilarious thing about the difference between Black people and N***ers but we cannot - because even typing that word makes me feel dirty. It has to come from the soul of the comedian and the difference between Chris Rock and the joke that Shazia Mirza makes is I believe the difference between the audiences. Chris Rock telling that joke is in front of a black audience who understand the nuances and references - they get it because it's him talking to them about a part of their communal experience and that is what makes it funny and insightful for them about things they know from their life. But if a white comedian makes that joke....
And now to compare it with Bong Breaker's example. Shazia Mirza telling the joke about Muslims/Asians being terrorists in front of a totally white audience has a completely different atmosphere and resonance than it does if she was to riff on that theme in front of a Muslim/Desi audience in the same way that Chris Rock and his material does. Put bluntly and crudely, there is a whiff of the Uncle Tom about Shazia Mirza when she tells jokes to rooms full of white people about how Muslims/Asians are all terrorists or stupid head waggling corner shop owners. She is just pandering to stereotypes statically. You don't have to be hyper sensitive to understand that the dynamics are different. If Chris Rock told the jokes about the difference between Black people and n****rs in front of a totally white audience who were cracking up with laughter, black people would say to themselves whilst watching them rolling in the aisles - what are they really laughing at?
It is about audience. Therein lies the difference, perhaps.
Hehe, DD, I am convinced that those who find Russell Peters very funny also find Govinda hilarious. Last year on my visit to Dubai I put this theory to test by conducting informal survey of uncles and aunties (most were guju, punjabi, or kerelite, all were over 45) and the number were significantly in favor of a positive correlation.
Not a surprise as both forms make heavy use of an exaggerated portrayal of stereotypes.
By the way Rubi Nichol's joke about phoning her child's school and telling them that her daughter must be given the day off school because of 'the festival of the Blind Goat' is a BRILLIANT joke that mocks gently the gullibility of white people and their ignorance of Muslim/Desi culture being exploited by a slightly naughty woman who recognises that gap in knowledge and the better nature of those people to respect multi-cultural mores and at the same time she ribs Muslims/Desis and their cultural/religious ways and occasions. It's brilliant comedy - very very funny and at the same time where can you locate who the joke is on? It's on all the people - on Rubi for her sly nerve, on the teacher and the cluelessness, on white liberals (riffing on the strangeness to them of non Western customs - blind goat? LoL) and on Muslims/Desis and their plethora of religious taboos and occasions and sensitivities and customs.
And she doesnt pander like Shazia Mirza.
*Ahem* I find Russell Peters hilarious but not necessarily Govinda. Well, apart from this bit in a film with Raveena Tandon a couple of years ago, where both of them are trapped inside a life/elevator, and Raveena's repeatedly screaming "Koi hai ?! Arre koi hai ?!", at which point Govinda (standing next to her and staring at her with an infatuated smile on his face) quietly and oh-so-innocently responds "Main houn na ?"
My family still laughs their heads off at that sequence whenever we remember it.
Anyway, I agree with the comments about GGM. However, one thing I have to add about Shazia Mirza was that she was deliberately pplaying on white audiences' discomfort, The Office-style, by making deadpan jokes shortly after 9/11 such as "Hello, my name is Shazia Mirza. Well, at least that's what it says on my pilot's licence".
And so on and so forth.
*trapped inside a life/elevator
Apologies, typo: that should say "lift"
from the jokes i've read, there are not that original. a lot of desi kids did the "i called in sick with some ridiculous-sounding holiday" joke, in an accent. i think its a bit lazy and not really all that unifying. you can't compare it with Richard Pryor. Richard Pryor's jokes stung the audience, and at the same time affirmed some common fellow-feeling. i guess its nice to have a desi person win something like this, but i don't get the feeling her win means that use firengis are more accepted than we were before. maybe if i were a young desi auntie i'd be stoked, but since i'm not, the appeal is mostly lost
ok lets leave Govinda out of this
He was funny in his earlier movies not like his recent cheapshot nonsensical overthetop movies. Now he is an MP, now that my friend is some funny shit
Sahej,
Rumour has it that you like to dress up in a salwaar-kameez on the weekends and insist on being addressed as "Suhasini Auntie"';)
That was a long-ass sentence! I took a deep breath after getting through that one =)
okayyyy
people have too much time on their hands i'm thinking
I aim to write a sentence one day so long that only David Blaine could read it without drawing breath :-)
Sahej bro,
I'm just kidding ;) I'm not really in the mood for ultra-serious debates, as indicated by the various "Desistan" posts I've been submitting here recently.....
Anyway, back to the Russell Peters/Shazia Mirza face-off. Carry on, people.
Wow. That sentence would have, like, thirty words.
all good man, no worries
in other news, there's a desistan thread? that looks like a good book
^^ check that...by "desistan" i thought you meant "absurdistan" ...which is a good new book out. btw i want some kind of post in the ministry of samosas and chaat in desistan if you can swing it
Forget his breathing skills, David Blaine takes about half an hour to say "do you want to see something amazing?" I feel sleepy just listening to him. Get Shankar Mahadevan on the case!
3D we may disagree about the Rubi joke - but your point about the audience was spot on. I didn't want to use the 'uncle tom' term but I think it's apt. Are you familiar with Alf Garnet? He was a deeply racist character in the 1970s on British TV. He became a cult figure with racist thugs, but was actually played by a Jewish man and the whole programme was intended to mock him and his views, just like David Brent in the Office. But when I watch it, it's always clear if we're laughing with or at - so sometimes the line can be blurred. Obviously David Brent is there to be ridiculed and pitied, like Larry David, but Alf Garnet was a bit hazy. I guess that was 30 years ago, so things have evolved.
As a side note, remember that GGM's most famous sketch - and the number 6 funniest sketch as voted by the British public - was the brilliant 'Going for an English' sketch, which pokes fun at white people and is made for a predominantly white audience. And no white people were offended at all. It's as funny every time I watch it, priceless.
"...You don't get black comedians saying to a white audience: "Sorry I'm late, I was stealing cars and smoking a crack pipe..."
not the exact words, but I've heard black comedians play on their own stereotypes, to help show how stupid they are. It was quite funny.
Sahej,
You want an offical role in the Ministry of Khana-Khazaana ? You'll have to fight it out with Sanjeev Kapoor (from Zee TV).
Make some exotic dish for DesiDancer and her hubby, it may be a good way to
bribepersuade her to give you a role in the DD Administration. Apparently she's SM's resident superchef.YES!
-----------------------------------------
Now for the rest of you - who is Govinda?
and might I add my two cents.............
The best comedians are observant, insightful and super intelligent: these are few and far in between. The rest just appeal to the lowest common denominator. Terrorist jokes - bah - MOST of the time these permission slips for white to laugh in a pc world - not meant to educate or enlighten.
dude i ain't cooking nothing for someone's husband! anyway, maybe i can buy some chutney instead
"You don't get black comedians saying to a white audience: "Sorry I'm late, I was stealing cars and smoking a crack pipe"
actually chris rock puts a few of those jokes into his show "everybody hates chris" but it's not done in a crude, pandering way and those jokes are part of a wider sit-com that show the family (his as he was growing up) and other African-Americans as a loving unit concerned about things most people are: good morals, education, love etc. he also pokes gentle fun at the whites at his all-white school and the stereotypes they have about him as the only black student there. i personally find the show really funny.
Bomb jokes and early Apu are about as lame as Garfield. There's much better desi humor waiting to be created.
Brilliant and mutinous as all hell. Thanks for putting it up.
I do like going for an English from time to time. Especially since I'm such a big fan of exotic English literature (like Graham Greene, Helen Fielding, Julian Barnes and Barbara Cartland).
Sahej,
Well, I just thought it might be a safer alternative to secretly sneaking her your samples and then risking getting beaten up by her husband for plying his wife with haute cuisine, even if it is for a noble cause.
Anyway, if you like to live dangerously, go for it. Although you might want to consider exactly why Punjabi Boy has mysteriously disappeared off the face of the earth.....
Manish,
Yes, but you guys may need an American version of the GGM crowd. As I've mentioned before, GGM did a huge amount here in the UK to subvert stereotypes and, simultaneously, educate the wider population about (South) Asians. Meera Syal has subsequently proceeded to "continue the cause" via other TV shows and some films. She hasn't resorted to Gurinder Chadha tactics either, fortunately.
nah i'll just bring chutney and see if that's good enough to get me a position with pension
I loved Goodness Gracious me...
The father who always concluded everything was 'Indian' and the poor son whose parents guiltripped him about abything he did....
great stuff....i wish they'd do me repeats on BBC america.
Bong
GGM cracks me up! They are funnier than any other desi sketch act I have seen before. See this clip and compare against Karmacy :)
My favourite GGM sketch was this parody of Aqua's Barbie Girl called 'Punjabi Girl'. Does anyone have a copy of the lyrics?
OK I've watch Rubi Aunty. Carlton's a judge! Yeah!
Screw the jokes, more than anything I want to inflict horrific amounts of pain on her for the AQI. All people who speak like this must, MUST be punished.
I now see AQI isn't on urban dictionary or equivalents. It's Australian Questioning Intonation. As in going UP? like at the END? of every PHRASE? It fucking BUGS ME?
DDiA - tell me you're a Fawlty Towers fan too, if not that sketch you linked may not be as funny as it's meant to be.
BB - Now that you mention it, are you talking about the episode with zee Germans were Basil Fawlty goes on about the war and then refers to Poland?"
"you started it"
"No I didn't"
"yes you did, you invaded Poland"
Classic.
Oh but you should, you should! See, to me, that shit is funny. Because it creates this weird zone where whitey is laughing, but also thinking, "should I be laughing?"
Actually, it creates a not-so-weird zone in which the Black performer starts thinking "should i be performing?" That's what happened to Dave Chappelle.
BB - Shazia Mirza was big before 9/11 - in fact, much of her work was thwarted by 9/11. I was living from '99 through '01 (and then NYC), saw her rapid rise and many of her bigger projects being dropped because of sensitivities post 9/11 (for example there was a bbc show in development at the time that they specifically put on hold b/c of the post 9/11 environment). With regards to Rubi and the intonation - i think it's more commonly referred to as "upspeak" here in the States (and, while annoying, apparently quite common in central PA and southern cal). With regards to the comedy,opinions differ, but i think you also need to look at the question of general audience vs. desi specific audiences through a Homi Bhaba theoretical lens of subversion as well. Yeah, i guess it's not all that serious, but (i) the 9/11 issue is kind of the elephant in the room for any muslim comic or otherwise and addressing it at the front end effectively disarms a general audience crowd and provides a level of comfort and (ii) we need a range of comics - i saw a set last night (gurus of comedy) where all the jokes were for desi specific audiences (i.e. jokes about outsourcing, aunties, cheapness, being a doctor, engineer or computer tech, arranged marriages, hating on darker folks and parental accents). it was funny, but for a general audience to get these jokes, do we really want to solidify this stereotype and then ghettoize ourselves by continual reference to what makes indians "indian"? There's got to be some range which i think Shazia (who did a lot of her early live work about the school system in the UK) and, Rubi, who spends a good chunk of her routine riffing on family and kids, provides.
Bong breaker,
Oh. My. God.
I know what you mean about her voice. I didn't even know people still talked like that. I mean, she's funny, but it's a good thing her act only lasted 2 minutes. One of the judges actually made a comment about her AQI.
If you think about it, yeah, she is the funniest mom in America. How much more humorous can your life get when your a Muslim mom married to an Orthodox Greek guy in post 9/11 and post Greek Wedding America?
^^ the premis of Big Fat Greek Wedding was the Greek woman was "ethnic" and her husband was WASPy. the premise here is the desi is ethnic and her husband is "mainstream". i can think of a few things more funny that this premise. "MBFGW" was not so much funny as "heart-warming". in that its always heart-warming when an ethnic woman puts up with all the barriers it takes to find love in the mainstream
^^ not that there's anything easy about being an ethnic woman trying to find love. but, as an ethnic guy....its kinda gag me with a spoon syrupy kind of stuff
but what the hell do i know
"i did NOT know that!" (a la my best Carson voice)
whoddathunk!
Hi all -
A friend sent my sis this link - I had to check and see what's up? All I gotta say is, why do y'all keep referring to me as aunty? Is my butt that big?
I AM A "BAJI" DAMMIT.
Peace out,
Rubi Baji
Why all the commotion, yaar ?!
How come everyone's all hot and bothered by comedians poking fun at racial stereotypes? Russell Peters is not the only one who takes a swipe at stereotypical traits (ie "Indians are cheap"). Lots of white comedians make use of stereotypes about the white race, ie "white men can't dance", white men are puny, whites are this and that. Chris Rock does it with African Americans, and hello, what about those famous Jewish comedians who go at Jews all the time?
Personally, this doesn't bother me as long as it is understood as jokes, not facts.
Peace Out,
Cheap Ass
Hi - it's me again- I've read through all of the comments, and want you guys to actually see my whole set. It's posted online at www.nickatnite.com/funniestmom under "bonus footage" you can also learn more about me under Rubi Nicholas Highlights.
Please note that I use few religious jokes, and play on the American ignorance of our cultures and backgrounds, I also talk about my husband and children...so look at the whole picture without judgment...and the upspeaking thing must've been nerves - true that it's a central PA thang - came creeping back because of all the high energy...sorry about that I agree completely that it was totally annoying (and eighties).
Anyway, the point, I was working on material that would get us some exposure by WINNING the contest, and the only way to win is to be unique and charming. We've got a chance to get on the map in a lighthearted positive way. Last time I checked, Muslims on TV don't really fit that mold very well, do they?
I don't hold myself up as any kind of scholar...feel free to correct me in any true sharia violations (PS I already know about the haircovering violation), I'm happy to hear it. If you don't like my jokes, that's okay too. Just take a look first.
And don't call me Aunty!
Best,
Rubi Baji
Rubi (no "Aunty" Rubi!!)
...so look at the whole picture without judgment...
I don't hold myself up as any kind of scholar...feel free to correct me in any true sharia violations (PS I already know about the haircovering violation), I'm happy to hear it. If you don't like my jokes, that's okay too. Just take a look first.i>
It is endearing and nice to know that you are sensitive to what has been written about you on this blog.
Look, don't worry about what others think of you. Some of the comments on this blog have overanalyzed and politicized humor and consequently, have their chuddis all up in a bunch. This shouldn't effect your work. Laughter should never be drowned out.
I just watched the clip. Very cute.
You did real good. I can't imagine performing in front of a such a huge crowd.
And it's sweet the way you've written on this blog, too. Thanks Ruby Aun...I mean Rubi Baji. :)
Those clips was pretty funny Rubi.
I think it's really cool that you're breaking all kinds of stereotypes (muslim woman comedian, working spouse etc. etc.) --- very impressive.
Also: what's "Baji" ?
*were*
"It is endearing and nice to know that you are sensitive to what has been written about you on this blog."
There are many blogs out there about the contest, moms, etc - this is the only one I care about - because you are my community, and I know that you, most of all, care the most about my successes and failures. As an ABCD who grew up in the eighties, with no Internet, chats, text msgs etc. - we were isolated from one another. Now, we get to really link arms and show the world who we are and what we are capable of - yeah, we're smart, yeah, we like science and business, but oh yeah - we are FUNNY and we LOVE LIFE and value one another. That's what matters most to me.
Best,
Rubi Baji
Rubi Baji,
I check your gig on the Nick website you gave us. It is amazing. I found it quite funny. Keep at it.
To answer my own unanswered question :
It appears that Baji means older sister. (Atleast according to this site. Thank you google.)
baji won my heart with the 24 joke.
Rubi:
As an ABCD who grew up in the eighties, with no Internet, chats, text msgs etc. - we were isolated from one another.
Um, just one minor detail: about the "ABCD" thing.... I'm not too sure that "Confused" is an accurate description of what American Born Desis (ABD's) go through... if you would like to see what I mean, check out American Made:
http://www.sepiamutiny.com/sepia/archives/003337.html
You should look for comment #42, posted by S Jain Uncleji- this is where things start to get nasty. My subsequent response was #45, and things just went downhill from there. We Mutineers wrote eloquent, touching, and insightful comments.
Oh, and a little warning: if we find out that you have been "borrowing" material from Sepia Mutiny for your own skits, rest assured that a Kaavya-like fate will fall upon you.
--Cheap Ass Desi
dhaavak
i swore the last dude on the apprentice was indian..but wasn't sure...could've been hispanic..thanks for showing us the light..(and he should have remained on the show..) trump is an ass as always.
Dhaavak:
i was putting up gandhi's bust in the living room when i slipped and it landed on my nuts. it squeezed the jizz out of me and all over gandhi's head.
my balls were caught in the oven grill when i was bringing out the whole roast baby.
After all that abuse, that poor little guy is not going to be up for anything anymore! He's all burned out and the spirit has been squeezed out of him.
Oops. Forgot to quote:
Dhaavak:
-i was putting up gandhi's bust in the living room when i slipped and it landed on my nuts. it squeezed the jizz out of me and all over gandhi's head.
-my balls were caught in the oven grill when i was bringing out the whole roast baby.
After all that abuse, that poor little guy is not going to be up for anything anymore! He's all burned out and the spirit has been squeezed out of him.
I apologize for the joke above. Very nasty, crude, and tasteless. Chhi.
hey Rubi Baji,
Ya know you never think there's real people involved when you have discussions about "celebs" but I think you've got a great spirit. Good job and good luck in the future
Congratulations Rubi. I saw your show on Nick and I thought you were hilarious. On the heel of Russell Peters and Gurus of Comedy who are already filling out venues its great to see a South Asian do so good. I was in Houston on the 19th and I was rewarded with not one but TWO choices for seeing South Asian standup comedy - one the famous Russell Peters and the other not so famous but well on its way Gurus of Comedy. I opted for the Gurus and it was the right choice. This is the next generation folks. They are insanely funny . I laughed till it hurt. Tapan Trevedi, Paul ,Raj Sharma and Dan Naynan were all funny cats. Its so GREAT to see people like Tapan Trivedi and Ruby - who are first generation to take chances that weren't really available to us when we came to the country. Full points to all of you guys and may your bhagwan or allah or Christ or whichever diety you chose bless you !!
Ramesh Uncle
I guess she is testing the limits? I don't think her jokes are offensive, actually they are very appropriate according to the times we are living in. If Americans are finding it funny then it must be GooooD.
nothing tosay
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