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An Iranian Marries An Indian And Has An Ethiopian!
The above was a Maz Jobrani punchline during his routine at the Wilbur Theater in Boston a few nights ago! It is absolutely brilliant comedy to say something that requires your perception to first bend and then during the scramble to grasp it, places a fascinating bridge across cultural divides.
We live in a world where lines of division and difference grow ever deeper. Umbrage is taken over even minor and innocent transgressions. We also live in a world where comedians are planting their flags in tiny piles of offensive commentary. Deliberately wielding perspectives meant to shock seems to be stock in trade for many in stand up comedy. “Punching up” vs “punching down”, offering ideas up for investigation and discussion are all styles of humor that have been observed. And the right to do so gets defended as comedy and freedom of speech. There are any number of comedians deliberately poking fun at and attempting to take the sting out of cultural stereotyping and that is great! I am definitely not opposed to these flavors nor even given to political correctness. However, I have great respect for those who can do something better.
In this paranoid state of affairs, Maz Jobrani strikes an interesting and positive note. He uses the above punchline to succinctly and funnily sum up his story about being married to an Indian woman and…
