The Great Big Beautiful Podcast, Episode 137: Maz Jobrani
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This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Maz Jobrani to the show. As a comedian, Maz really entered the spotlight as a founding member of the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour. He’s since gone on to become a household name in the comedy world, appearing on dozens on TV shows and headlining several of his own comedy specials (including Brown & Friendly, I Come in Peace, and the hilarious I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One on TV, which he also turned into a book).
Jobrani is no stranger to having a large platform; he’s given two TED talks about breaking stereotypes in comedy. However, he recently gave the commencement speech at Berkeley, which was basically a standup routine for 40,000 people—by far his biggest audience (and most critical, with all of the parents in attendance). Though that speech was very political, his comedy has always been about the need for cultural understanding and a response to the political situation in which we live.
On this episode, we look at the world through a lens of comedy and talk about the importance of inclusivity, free speech, cultural understanding, and immigration. We chat about how comedy can be therapeutic, performing in wildly different countries around the world, and the critical need for Americans to travel more. We also touch on the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, the Minivan Men podcast, and Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!
This is a good one, folks.
Connect:
- Maz Jobrani is on Twitter here.
- The show is on Twitter here and Facebook here.
- Jamie is on Twitter and Instagram as @theroarbots.
- Justin is on Twitter and Instagram as @140JustinC.