In this op-ed for the Washington Post, funny-man (and social commentator) Dean Obeidallah writes about the effective use of comedy, especially when battling political foes (ahem, Donald Trump). Dean makes the point, “comics have always used jokes as a means of entertainment, catharsis and social change. But in 2016, Muslim American comedians see their art as a tool for survival.”
Comedian Ramy Youssef jokes in his act, “Statistically, if you have any level of education you don’t support Donald Trump — even if that education is from Trump University.”
“Will these jokes defeat Trump?,” continues Dean. “Obviously not on their own. But if we can get Americans to view Trump not as a president but rather as a punch line, we will have done our small part in making sure that the only time Trump is in the White House is when he’s on a White House tour.”
Dean Obeidallah is co-founder/producer of the Muslim Funny Fest which is running this week in New York City, from July 12-14.
