343 Bassem Youssef

Tom Rhodes Smart Camp

Comedians are not fixing the world, we are making fun of it.

Bassem Youssef was a successful heart surgeon in Egypt before he left his career in medicine to become the Jon Stuart of the Middle East. His version of The Daily Show became one of the most controversial shows in the history of television. He was arrested, interrogated and had his life seriously threatened as can be seen in the documentary about what he went through called Tickling Giants. Bassem is one of the bravest comedians who ever lived in my opinion and when his life was being threatened by every kind of fanatic every day in Cairo he told me "I never feared for my life, I would fear the reaction on Twitter. If people tell you you are not funny, that is worse than a bullet." "In the history of the world, people have always done atrocities in the name of God, and they always give a justification for it." After leaving Egypt he started doing stand up in Boston and now he is crushing audiences in Los Angeles. See him this weekend June 25 & 26, 2021 @ The Brea Improv. I worked with Bassem a few months ago and I howled with laughter at his excellently written and crafted material. His goal now is to have an hour special on Netflix as a testimony that he could bounce back from what happened to him in his home country. The ability to reinvent yourself is an opportunity that most people don't have. Don't live in the past and don't listen to advice. Make a new friend today and get to know your new favorite comedian Bassem Youssef here on Tom Rhodes Radio Smart Camp! You will become a smiley person just like Bassem after listening to this episode. Joy be upon you and happy summer time 2021! patreon.com/tomrhodesradiosmartcamp