Im Not a Terrorist but Ive Played One on Tv Memoirs of a Middle Eastern Funny Man
See a Problem?
Thanks for telling us about the problem.
Friend Reviews
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
But what I've discovered through watching a variety of stand-up comics is that the most successful ones tend to bring their own lives into the act in a powerful way. They distill what makes them unique and apply a humorous lens to it, making you feel like laughing or crying. It's almost like storytelling through jokes. I feel lik
Humor is an interesting concept. It varies from person to person and even day to day. Something that you find funny today might not even make you crack a smile tomorrow.But what I've discovered through watching a variety of stand-up comics is that the most successful ones tend to bring their own lives into the act in a powerful way. They distill what makes them unique and apply a humorous lens to it, making you feel like laughing or crying. It's almost like storytelling through jokes. I feel like you have to be a brave person to even attempt it. Because what if you fail?
Have you ever watched Maz Jobrani's stand up? He does some storytelling and it's rather funny. But he also has a back-and-forth with his audience, highlighting the differences between everyone but, beneath that, our essential humanness.
It is that unique voice that comes through in his memoir. He describes growing up Iranian in America and it wasn't an easy ride. But even through his difficulties, Maz makes it amusing.
He helped me to understand what it is like to be an Iranian in America and also a successful, stand up comic.
In addition to his life story, Maz's detailed descriptions of other countries makes the reader want to travel to all sorts of exotic locales. This book made me want to visit Petra. :) Some day, perhaps.
If you enjoyed I'm Not a Terrorist, But I've Played One on TV, you may want to read Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories by Mike Birbiglia, Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor That Tried to Kill Me by Bryan Bishop or I'm Just a Person by Tig Notaro.
In similar ways to this book, Birbiglia, Bishop and Notaro take their lives and share them with us, the readers. They make you laugh, and like Maz, you can't help but appreciate the brilliance and bravery of comedians. Life isn't always funny, but it can be. It just depends on what you focus on.
...more
So I'm genuinely interested in the journey of all those successful standups out there, who have turned their passion into a career they love, and Maz' story is more than just another standup st If anyone followed the list of my read books, they would clearly know that I'm an inspiring standup comedian. I think it's something you're born with, not something you're raised into. It's the way you see life in comic relief even when it's hitting you hardest, or especially when it's hitting you hardest.
So I'm genuinely interested in the journey of all those successful standups out there, who have turned their passion into a career they love, and Maz' story is more than just another standup story because he's a legal alien in America and he's from Iran, so there's a lot to relate to.
The beginning and the end were hilarious, he made me laugh for a whole day. ...more
i doubt that maz's spirit can be effectively translated onto paper, as they don't have the near impact as his stand ups. then again, that usually goes for a lot of comedians writing books, so don't let the less enthusiastic reviews and ratings completely discourage you from giving maz a chance. i'd seriously recommend that you search his stand ups on youtube instead, like his "i come in peace" gig in sweden or his "a saudi, an indian and iranian walk into a bar" performance in qatar.
like too many comedians, he has sometimes been guilty of gender stereotyping and other crass jokes and i REALLY wish he'd drop that and stick to using his platform for good.
...more
This was such a great memoir to read - a perfect combination of hilarity and sincerity. I wasn't too aware of who Maz Jobrani actually was (apart from a few vague memories) and I'm so glad I was able to read his memoir and his struggles both in the comedy world and as a "Middle Eastern Funny Man' (growing up Iranian-American).
I laughed out loud reading this book (which is rare to happen) and it made me think of how others
Once it's published, I plan to buy several hardcopies to give to friends!This was such a great memoir to read - a perfect combination of hilarity and sincerity. I wasn't too aware of who Maz Jobrani actually was (apart from a few vague memories) and I'm so glad I was able to read his memoir and his struggles both in the comedy world and as a "Middle Eastern Funny Man' (growing up Iranian-American).
I laughed out loud reading this book (which is rare to happen) and it made me think of how others were/are perceived in post-911 America (also, the seemingly effortless humor of comedians isn't effortless at all).
It was a very easy read, a page turner for sure and I'd like to think it would be for everyone, any where to read but that wouldn't be reality; I know for sure I will be recommending it to many of my friends and my family - I haven't loved
...more
Representation matters and hearing middle eastern voices in comedy... has always been something special m.
Like other countries, America has trouble with racial and ethnic stereotypes (to say the least). But one of the great ways we have to overcome those stereotypes is comedy. In this short memoir, Iranian-American Maz Jobrani tells about his life growing up in America as an immigrant at
(Full Disclosure: On the day the book was published the author came to my school to promote it and I got to meet him as well. And while my copy is autographed I have tried to review this as objectively as possible.)Like other countries, America has trouble with racial and ethnic stereotypes (to say the least). But one of the great ways we have to overcome those stereotypes is comedy. In this short memoir, Iranian-American Maz Jobrani tells about his life growing up in America as an immigrant at the same time the Iranian hostage crisis was occurring. It extends beyond that into his family life and well into his career as a comedian. This book is split into three parts: the first about his adolescence leading up to his decision to go into comedy; the second talks about his struggles as a comedian in American from his earliest days to the present; and the third section are tales about his comedy tours in different Middle Eastern cities. Having just finished reading 
Run to Overcome: The Inspiring Story of an American Champion's Long-Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream by 
Meb Keflezighi, another immigrant story, it was interesting to hear a similar story from a different perspective. The jokes that he writes in here didn't always hit home with me though. It's either because I am not as familiar with Mr. Jobrani's work as I would like to be or because humor doesn't always translate as well on the written page as it does on the comedy page, but I do think fans of Mr. Jobrani will enjoy this book more. Another problem I had was that Mr. Jobrani tries to write certain dialogue with a Persian accent. But, like other books I've read that have tried to write dialogue with accents, it just makes things more confusing. This is even more frustrating considering that many of Mr. Jobrani's jokes come about through his dialogue with other people. Thus, again, I must say that those who are already familiar with Mr. Jobrani's stand-up work will get more out of this than I did, but it was still interesting.
So early on in this book when he says the dreaded phrase, I'm thinking this is another guy who interviewed well on NPR but he can't write. But comedy is a funny thing (intended). Comedy is all about the rhythm of a joke, and the longer I
There was this Russian comedian named Yakov Smirnoff who had a catchphrase 'What a country!' No one was as non funny as this guy was non funny. Many comedians have written into their contracts that if they say 'What a country!' they are to be shot in the throat.So early on in this book when he says the dreaded phrase, I'm thinking this is another guy who interviewed well on NPR but he can't write. But comedy is a funny thing (intended). Comedy is all about the rhythm of a joke, and the longer I read, I actually chuckled a few times. Nothing great, but it wasn't the train wreck that the beginning of the book suggested it would be.
...more
Enjoy reading the book and laugh
Put a smile on your face before sleep
I'm waiting on a new stand-up special, and I have been for a while. Taps imaginary watch... I hope one is in the works. It feels like we're overdue, but a
Maz Jobrani is one of my favorite comedians. I watch his stand-up repeatedly. He's generous, he's funny, he's inclusive. I normally like really cutting edge comedy, but from the first time I saw him, I've been enamored by Maz. (I can call him that b/c he's just that kind of guy, and besides, if I was at his show, he'd call me by my first name.)I'm waiting on a new stand-up special, and I have been for a while. Taps imaginary watch... I hope one is in the works. It feels like we're overdue, but actually, I think it's exactly 2 years ago that Immigrant became available to stream. Hopefully Netflix has been filming on his most recent tour. Maybe I should stalk him.
In any event, this book isn't great. It's not even very very good, but it is a link to a man I find incredibly endearing, whose comedy makes me both laugh AND feel good about humanity. And the book gives much more context to the man who immigrated to the US during the Iranian revolution as a small child, grew up in the US, married an Indian woman and somehow still speaks to his whole family.
...more
I like Maz Jobrani on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" but I didn't know much about him other than that. While he talks a bit about moving from Iran as a child but growing up in the US much of the book is about his "Axis of Evil" tour with his friends, especially traveling to & performing in cities in the Middle East.
I found the book amiable company but I don't feel as though I learned a lot ab0ut Jobrani's life (how did he As part of my long series of reading books written by comics and comedians.
I like Maz Jobrani on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" but I didn't know much about him other than that. While he talks a bit about moving from Iran as a child but growing up in the US much of the book is about his "Axis of Evil" tour with his friends, especially traveling to & performing in cities in the Middle East.
I found the book amiable company but I don't feel as though I learned a lot ab0ut Jobrani's life (how did he meet his wife? What did his parents think about their relationship? How did he get on NPR? How did he get his other acting roles? Does he have an opinion on American politics and the US relations with other countries? etc.). But if you like him and his comedy, his book is a pleasant way to spend some time. ...more
This book is around 3.5 stars for me.
While listening to Maz Jobrani read the audiobook was a bit like listening to his stand up, I forget that comedians often don't write their books the way they write their sets. This book is much more autobiographical than Jobrani's typical work but also digs into some of his humorous thoughts and situations.
This is an interesting read to hear about Jobrani's experien
"In the United States I didn't feel American enough and in Iran I didn't feel Iranian enough."This book is around 3.5 stars for me.
While listening to Maz Jobrani read the audiobook was a bit like listening to his stand up, I forget that comedians often don't write their books the way they write their sets. This book is much more autobiographical than Jobrani's typical work but also digs into some of his humorous thoughts and situations.
This is an interesting read to hear about Jobrani's experiences pre-and-post 9/11 and while on tour. From entertaining the King of Jordan to navigating holidays with his multi-religious family this book shares some funny stories and insights into the author's life. We also learn about more of his comedic influences and how long it took him to be as successful as he is.
It's a book that makes you laugh and think.
...more
I like Maz, like his stand up, he always seems like a nice guy on 'Wait, Wait' and he has some interesting things to say and stuff he thinks we need to talk about.
And then he rushes through it, so he can tell a joke.
So many missed opportunities here. So many off-handed references that got breezed by so he could tell a joke.
And much as I like Maz, he is a good comedian, but I don't know if he'll ever be a great one.
After the third time I found myself men
I like Maz, like his stand up, he always seems like a nice guy on 'Wait, Wait' and he has some interesting things to say and stuff he thinks we need to talk about.
And then he rushes through it, so he can tell a joke.
So many missed opportunities here. So many off-handed references that got breezed by so he could tell a joke.
And much as I like Maz, he is a good comedian, but I don't know if he'll ever be a great one.
After the third time I found myself mentally editing a joke, so it worked better, I realized it was because 75% of this book is just the script from his stand ups in book form.
I so wish he'd dug deeper into talking about his family and politics.
It's too fluffy to me a good memoir and while Maz's humor is great when heard or seen, it can be very flat on the page.
Maz works hard at trying to be intentionally funny on almost every page, perhaps too hard. Neurosis and dominating mothers and disappointments make for good stand up fodder but can get tiring page after page. I think Maz forgot that his reading audience already likes him and was eager to learn mo
I'm a fan of Maz's stand up comedy and his appearances on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, so I had high hopes for this book. Alas, there is a difference between being funny on stage and writing funny in a book.Maz works hard at trying to be intentionally funny on almost every page, perhaps too hard. Neurosis and dominating mothers and disappointments make for good stand up fodder but can get tiring page after page. I think Maz forgot that his reading audience already likes him and was eager to learn more about him and didn't need to constantly poked for laughter.
Of there's an audio book of this (read by Jobrani) I would definitely recommend it over the print version.
Really, Maz, we like you! Stop trying so hard!
...more
This book was definitely written by a comedian! You can tell by the book's breakdown. It is written in three parts. Each part focusing on a particular part of his life. Each part is then broken down by different cities he visited or greatly influenced that time in his life. I
I first found Maz through Netflix. He has done a few specials and I found him to be rather funny and able to give me a good laugh even when I was really down. So, naturally, when I found out he wrote a book I had to read it!This book was definitely written by a comedian! You can tell by the book's breakdown. It is written in three parts. Each part focusing on a particular part of his life. Each part is then broken down by different cities he visited or greatly influenced that time in his life. In each city, there are sub chapters/stories that he ties together. Much like comedians do during their shows.
I definitely enjoyed this read. I had some good laughs and felt Maz gave a funny, yet accurate, impression of the Middle East and those who live there.
...more
When I say that my family was Muslim, it j
Reading a comic's memoir is painful unless he has something to say outside of his standup--something that really shows why he has embraced the written word as a means to communicate the message. I didn't see that. This was poorly written and often cringe-worthy drivel. He's funny, yeah. He's smart, sure. But it's boring. It earned star, however, because I've never been able to encapsulate this sentiment as well as Jobrani has done in the following quote:When I say that my family was Muslim, it just means that we lived in Iran, which is a Shiite Muslim country. My parents never prayed or fasted or made a trip to Mecca. The closest thing we had to a religious person in my family was my grandmother, who thought she was religious but really was just superstitious
...more
News & Interviews
Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22609365-i-m-not-a-terrorist-but-i-ve-played-one-on-tv
Post a Comment for "Im Not a Terrorist but Ive Played One on Tv Memoirs of a Middle Eastern Funny Man"