Allah Made Me Funny
Encyclopedia
Allah Made Me Funny is a documentary film
directed by Andrea Kalin
, an independent filmmaker (writer, producer and director), and produced by Unity Productions Foundation. This live concert features three Muslim
Americans
Mohammed "Mo" Amer
, Bryant "Preacher" Moss
and Azhar Usman
.
suburb of Skokie, Illinois
", where he was born. His family emigrated to the United States from India
. He is a former lecturer, community activist, and lawyer, and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah
of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.
Mohammed "Mo" Amer is a Palestinian
. The youngest of six children, he was born in Kuwait
. When he was nine years old he emigrated with his family to Houston, Texas
.
"Preacher" Moss is an African American
, who convert
ed to Islam
. He is a comedian
and writer
. He was born in Washington, D.C.
in 2007, a year before the documentary was released. The remaining time features comedians at their homes, working on their computers, enjoying the time with their families. The spectators see the men working as "they prepare fresh material on cultural stereotyping, terrorism, flying post-9/11 and other tricky subjects not regularly regarded as funny business."
The comedians are trying to break out stereotype
s that some people hold about Muslims:
compares Allah Made Me Funny to another show performed by Muslims Axis of Evil
. Meyer writes: "Their material includes a wealth of "inside joke" stuff that will send Muslim members of the viewing audience into fits of laughter (judging by the recorded evidence), though it requires a bit of (provided) explanation for non-Muslim listeners." Noel Murray writes in The A.V. Club
"For those itching to see a Muslim-themed variation on The Original Kings Of Comedy
, please enjoy Allah Made Me Funny, Andrea Kalin's document of a comedy tour featuring three Muslim comics". In their article named Poking Fun At Stereotypes In 'Allah Made Me Funny
NPR
writes: "The comedians hope that both the American public and Muslims themselves can find ways to calm some of their fears through the sometimes controversial and often politically incorrect routine." Ed Gonzalez from Slant Magazine
calls the film "Allah Made Me Not Funny". He continues: "In the style of Margaret Cho
and Carlos Mencia
, these men spit out highly politicized routines about the nexus of race and religion but never risk Cho and Mencia's vulgarity. This means they're also not as frequently off-putting, but they hardly bring anything new to the table." But he ends his review with "Of course, because they are pioneers of sorts, I'll give them a second chance to win me over." Serena Donadoni writes for The cinema Girl "In 2005, Albert Brooks
went Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, but it's the performers of Allah Made Me Funny who really found it."Ted Fry from The Seattle Times
writes: "The hard work of being a stand-up comic doesn't need any extra obstacles, but the three comedians featured in "Allah Made Me Funny" share one that they're happy to laugh about: being Muslim in America."
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Andrea Kalin
Andrea Kalin
Andrea Kalin is an independent American filmmaker . She is also the principal and founder of Spark Media, Inc. and founder and Executive Director of Stone Soup Productions, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit foundation-Personal life:...
, an independent filmmaker (writer, producer and director), and produced by Unity Productions Foundation. This live concert features three Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Americans
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Mohammed "Mo" Amer
Mohammed Amer
-Background:Mohammed Amer is originally of Palestinian decent, and the youngest of six children. He and his family fled his birth country of Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War when he was 9 years old...
, Bryant "Preacher" Moss
Preacher Moss
Preacher Moss is an American comedian and writer.-Background and education:Born Bryant Moss in Washington, D.C., United States. He began practicing comedy at the age of seven, when he earned the nickname "Preacher" for his imitations of the pastor at his family's church...
and Azhar Usman
Azhar Usman
Azhar Usman is a Indian American Muslim comedian and actor born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.He is a former lecturer, community activist and lawyer and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.-Background and education:...
.
Performers
As a child Azhar Usman lived "in mostly Jewish ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
suburb of Skokie, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
", where he was born. His family emigrated to the United States from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is a former lecturer, community activist, and lawyer, and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah
Ayatollah
Ayatollah is a high ranking title given to Usuli Twelver Shī‘ah clerics. Those who carry the title are experts in Islamic studies such as jurisprudence, ethics, and philosophy and usually teach in Islamic seminaries. The next lower clerical rank is Hojatoleslam wal-muslemin...
of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.
Mohammed "Mo" Amer is a Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
. The youngest of six children, he was born in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
. When he was nine years old he emigrated with his family to Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
"Preacher" Moss is an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, who convert
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
ed to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. He is a comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
. He was born in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Documentary
The documentary that lasts 82 minutes features each performer for about 20 minutes. Most of the film was shot during their performance in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
in 2007, a year before the documentary was released. The remaining time features comedians at their homes, working on their computers, enjoying the time with their families. The spectators see the men working as "they prepare fresh material on cultural stereotyping, terrorism, flying post-9/11 and other tricky subjects not regularly regarded as funny business."
The comedians are trying to break out stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
s that some people hold about Muslims:
Reviews
Laura Kern writes in New York Times "The title doesn’t lie. These guys know how to tell a joke, often at the expense of their customs, religious holidays, families and themselves."John P. Meyer from Pegasus NewsPegasus News
Pegasus News is an online-only news source for the Dallas–Fort Worth region, originally owned by Panlocal Media LLC.In 2007 the website was acquired by Fisher Communications, who said that they planned to use the Pegasus model for their television stations' websites.Pegasus News won a Katie Award...
compares Allah Made Me Funny to another show performed by Muslims Axis of Evil
Axis of Evil Comedy Tour
The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour is a stand-up comedy tour featuring Middle Eastern comedians Ahmed Ahmed, Aron Kader and Maz Jobrani, with special guests Dean Obeidallah, Won Ho Chung, and Nick Youssef. The tour's name is derived from a speech by US President George W. Bush which designated Iraq,...
. Meyer writes: "Their material includes a wealth of "inside joke" stuff that will send Muslim members of the viewing audience into fits of laughter (judging by the recorded evidence), though it requires a bit of (provided) explanation for non-Muslim listeners." Noel Murray writes in The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
"For those itching to see a Muslim-themed variation on The Original Kings Of Comedy
The Original Kings of Comedy
The Original Kings of Comedy is a 2000 stand-up comedy film, directed by Spike Lee, and featuring the comedy routines of Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac. Filmed in front of an audience at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, the comedians give the...
, please enjoy Allah Made Me Funny, Andrea Kalin's document of a comedy tour featuring three Muslim comics". In their article named Poking Fun At Stereotypes In 'Allah Made Me Funny
NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
writes: "The comedians hope that both the American public and Muslims themselves can find ways to calm some of their fears through the sometimes controversial and often politically incorrect routine." Ed Gonzalez from Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
calls the film "Allah Made Me Not Funny". He continues: "In the style of Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho
Margaret Cho is an American comedian, fashion designer, actress, author, and recording artist. Cho is best known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality. She has also directed and appeared in music...
and Carlos Mencia
Carlos Mencia
Carlos Mencia , born Ned Arnel Mencia, is a Honduran-born American comedian, writer, and actor. His style of comedy is often political and involves issues of race, culture, criminal justice, and social class...
, these men spit out highly politicized routines about the nexus of race and religion but never risk Cho and Mencia's vulgarity. This means they're also not as frequently off-putting, but they hardly bring anything new to the table." But he ends his review with "Of course, because they are pioneers of sorts, I'll give them a second chance to win me over." Serena Donadoni writes for The cinema Girl "In 2005, Albert Brooks
Albert Brooks
Albert Lawrence Brooks is an American actor, voice actor, writer, comedian and director. He received an Academy Award nomination in 1987 for his role in Broadcast News...
went Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, but it's the performers of Allah Made Me Funny who really found it."Ted Fry from The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
writes: "The hard work of being a stand-up comic doesn't need any extra obstacles, but the three comedians featured in "Allah Made Me Funny" share one that they're happy to laugh about: being Muslim in America."
See also
- Azhar UsmanAzhar UsmanAzhar Usman is a Indian American Muslim comedian and actor born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.He is a former lecturer, community activist and lawyer and is often referred to as the 'Ayatollah of Comedy' and 'Bin Laughin'.-Background and education:...
- Mohammed "Mo" AmerMohammed Amer-Background:Mohammed Amer is originally of Palestinian decent, and the youngest of six children. He and his family fled his birth country of Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War when he was 9 years old...
- "Preacher" MossPreacher MossPreacher Moss is an American comedian and writer.-Background and education:Born Bryant Moss in Washington, D.C., United States. He began practicing comedy at the age of seven, when he earned the nickname "Preacher" for his imitations of the pastor at his family's church...
- Andrea KalinAndrea KalinAndrea Kalin is an independent American filmmaker . She is also the principal and founder of Spark Media, Inc. and founder and Executive Director of Stone Soup Productions, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit foundation-Personal life:...
- Alex KronemerAlex KronemerAlexander Kronemer the co-executive producer of Unity Productions Foundation. He is also a writer, lecturer and documentary producer focusing on religious diversity, Islam and cross-cultural understanding....
- Michael WolfeMichael WolfeMichael Wolfe is an American poet, author, and the President and Executive Producer of . He is also a frequent lecturer on Islamic issues at universities across the United States including Harvard, Georgetown, Stanford, SUNY Buffalo, and Princeton...