Un-American: starring AZHAR USMAN
Rand Paul doesn't like Azhar Usman. Or, more specifically, he doesn't like the fact that the U.S. Department of State once paid him to tour India as a cultural ambassador. Despite being born and raised in the United States––and playing the role of cultural diplomat as an American artist––Usman has been called "suspicious," "dangerous," and "Un-American." He was recently visited at his home by the FBI.
Un-American is Usman's newest creative project. The Chicago-based standup comedian's one-man show is an exploration of the tensions and paradoxes surrounding national, cultural, and religious identity in an ever-polarizing world. The show is certainly funny, but also packs a serious intellectual firepower. It is NOT INTENDED for audiences who are easily offended, nor those uninterested in having their beliefs and biases questioned.
CNN called Usman "America's Funniest Muslim," and Georgetown University identified him as "one of the 500 Must Influential Muslims in the World." In 2010, standup icon Dave Chappelle – for whom Usman has opened over 40 times – commented "Azhar Usman is untouchable." As the co-founder of the international comedy showcase "Allah Made Me Funny," he has toured over 20 countries on five continents. His comedy has been profiled/reviewed by over 100 major world media outlets including The New York Times, The Economist, BBC, The Guardian, NPR, TIME Magazine, Al-Jazeera, USA Today, and Fox News.
ALSO APPEARING:
Tucker Millett (MC); Prateek Srivastava (Guest); Felonious Munk (Feature); and other guest comics.
Here's a recent clip of Azhar @ NBC Universal Second City Break Out Comedy Festival: