"Ana Hazare...that's so cool that you have a woman fighting for corruption...She's like Sarah Palin...only Indian."
I sat in the lobby of NBC, staring in awe at the inspired insight of a blonde young lady named Brittany.
Forget the fact that Ana is a 74 year old Indian man, that he is the leader of the ANTI-corruption movement in India, but Sarah Palin? Really?!
We do have a woman running the country, but she is more Hilary than Palin. You may have heard of her? She shares the last name with some dude named Mahatma Gandhi (hint: her last name is Gandhi).
And like Ana, I share a deep respect and love for that "dude" and his message. When I was my 12, my parents dad asked me "when you are older, you can be anything you want - lawyer or doctor?" I responded "Gandhi."
"Lawyer! Perfect" responded by parents.
But, that didn't stop me. I loved Gandhi so much, I also fasted...for about eight hours. OK, that's called "sleep"....but I would have done it for longer if I didn't have to wake up for school!
And I would have shaved my head, given up my designer Western clothes and totally worn an over-sized adult-diaper...but I also wanted to be cool, have friends and not be the poster-child for "the wedgie."
But, the truth is, standing up against corruption is not about looking like Gandhi and wearing "The Gandhi cap" (available for $10.00 at anti-corruption.com or $20.00 in the black market), it's about having the courage to stand up for Truth, to be united and to demand higher standards for ourselves and our country.
Ana Hazare is here to remind us of what we already know, to remind us of a message we have already heard...
And it's on us to take actions, to live the message and not stare at the same situation 50 years from now and remember some "dude" named Ana...
When is NOW the right time to take action? :)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Breaking into Comedy in Mumbai!
When I started doing stand-up over a decade ago, there was only one other Indian I knew in the United States who was crazy enough to want to make telling jokes a job, let alone a career.
I later learned that besides this girl and me, there were a few other brothers and sisters doing this dubious activity in Canada and Britain -- one of whom was a Canuck whose last name is Peters.
We were a rare breed.
In those days, a funny Indian was like a sober Irishman, a humble Frenchman or a slightly optimistic Englishman.
Most kids in the world were asked the question, “What do you want to be when you are older?”
Indians abroad were asked “What type of doctor will you be when you are older?”
So, to go to Indian weddings and parties and openly tell people you were a comedian would either result in a dumbfounded look, a demand for a joke on the spot (for free of course) or a Delhi auntie favorite: "Are you gay?"
Nowadays, being a comedian is like being Indian in today’s global economy -- it’s cool and everyone wants to be your friend.
When I perform at The Comedy Store in Mumbai, I meet so many local people who tell me that they want to be a comedian or that they are a comedian. These are usually intoxicated uncles who try to persuade me that a joke about farting that they once mentioned at their cousin-in-law’s wedding 20 years ago is comedy gold, and that I would be insane if I didn’t use it.
Because the comedy scene is so young in India, I believe it is easy to break into the comedy circuit, to get stage time, but the question is -- what are you going to do with it?
A lot of wannabes that I watch and meet at open mikes want to be famous, but what they forget is that stand-up is not about telling jokes -- it is a craft, and it takes time to hone.
There are few cases like a guy I had the honor of performing with, Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G and Borat) who did his first gig and then got a TV show.
People don’t realize that when Russell Peters' first YouTube clip became a hit, he had been doing stand-up for years (and had the lack of hair to prove it).
When I started my career in New York, I used to fight to get time and usually that slot was as comedian No. 60 at 3 a.m. in front of three drunk dudes who were barely conscious.
Those are the gigs that every comedian needs. Because those are the gigs where you have to go off script, where you find you and what you really want to say.
Before I toured with Russell, I remember doing a Diwali show with him in London and him taking me aside and saying, “Write jokes that are truthful.”
Now, I find myself passing on that same advice to up-and-coming comedians in Mumbai.
Don’t go for jokes that are easy, don’t take for granted the stage time you are getting. Don’t be afraid of falling flat on your face.
Because, as the comedy scene gets more mature and there are more venues for stand-up, the audience will get more jaded (like they are in most clubs in New York and Los Angeles) and demand higher standards. The comedians who last are the ones who never settled.
Because if you are serious about being a comedian (and don’t have the blessing of knowing or being related to uncles who are masters of jokes on flatulence), then it’s not about breaking into the scene, it’s about breaking the mold of what it means to be a comedian.
I later learned that besides this girl and me, there were a few other brothers and sisters doing this dubious activity in Canada and Britain -- one of whom was a Canuck whose last name is Peters.
We were a rare breed.
In those days, a funny Indian was like a sober Irishman, a humble Frenchman or a slightly optimistic Englishman.
Most kids in the world were asked the question, “What do you want to be when you are older?”
Indians abroad were asked “What type of doctor will you be when you are older?”
So, to go to Indian weddings and parties and openly tell people you were a comedian would either result in a dumbfounded look, a demand for a joke on the spot (for free of course) or a Delhi auntie favorite: "Are you gay?"
Nowadays, being a comedian is like being Indian in today’s global economy -- it’s cool and everyone wants to be your friend.
When I perform at The Comedy Store in Mumbai, I meet so many local people who tell me that they want to be a comedian or that they are a comedian. These are usually intoxicated uncles who try to persuade me that a joke about farting that they once mentioned at their cousin-in-law’s wedding 20 years ago is comedy gold, and that I would be insane if I didn’t use it.
Because the comedy scene is so young in India, I believe it is easy to break into the comedy circuit, to get stage time, but the question is -- what are you going to do with it?
A lot of wannabes that I watch and meet at open mikes want to be famous, but what they forget is that stand-up is not about telling jokes -- it is a craft, and it takes time to hone.
There are few cases like a guy I had the honor of performing with, Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G and Borat) who did his first gig and then got a TV show.
People don’t realize that when Russell Peters' first YouTube clip became a hit, he had been doing stand-up for years (and had the lack of hair to prove it).
When I started my career in New York, I used to fight to get time and usually that slot was as comedian No. 60 at 3 a.m. in front of three drunk dudes who were barely conscious.
Those are the gigs that every comedian needs. Because those are the gigs where you have to go off script, where you find you and what you really want to say.
Before I toured with Russell, I remember doing a Diwali show with him in London and him taking me aside and saying, “Write jokes that are truthful.”
Now, I find myself passing on that same advice to up-and-coming comedians in Mumbai.
Don’t go for jokes that are easy, don’t take for granted the stage time you are getting. Don’t be afraid of falling flat on your face.
Because, as the comedy scene gets more mature and there are more venues for stand-up, the audience will get more jaded (like they are in most clubs in New York and Los Angeles) and demand higher standards. The comedians who last are the ones who never settled.
Because if you are serious about being a comedian (and don’t have the blessing of knowing or being related to uncles who are masters of jokes on flatulence), then it’s not about breaking into the scene, it’s about breaking the mold of what it means to be a comedian.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Youth violence in London and all over the UK!
I have watched the news and have seen the ferocity of the attacks led by youth in London and my heart and prayers go out to the people families, business owners who have been affected by this insanity.
The acts that have been committed are criminal and justice should prevail. In particular, parents of the youth that have acted in such a way need to step up and own more responsibility. But, I strongly believe that killing these kids is not the answer! I believe a dude named Gandhi said something about "an eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind."
And I do believe, in the interest of long-term change, that youth should not be be scapegoats for underlying dis-ease and challenges in our society. This is precisely the time where we need to look for and treat the cause, not the symptom. Systems, resources need to be in place so the youth in this country are given the voice they desire and deserve and also given the tools and guidance they need to be the leaders we need them to be.
In fact, I have been inspired and impressed by the youth that have stepped up to help their communities during these challenging times. For those who have been negative about the youth in this country, who have stopped believing in the youth in this country, wake up! The majority of the youth are either scared or are taking action to clean up and rebuild communities. Do not label the majority for the insanity and mis-guided actions of the minority.
When I think of the youth in this country, the words of Mahatma Gandhi come to mind, "do not give up on the ocean of humanity - even if a few drops are dirty, the ocean remains pure."
The youth are not the future, they are the present. And the time for them to lead is NOW.
The acts that have been committed are criminal and justice should prevail. In particular, parents of the youth that have acted in such a way need to step up and own more responsibility. But, I strongly believe that killing these kids is not the answer! I believe a dude named Gandhi said something about "an eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind."
And I do believe, in the interest of long-term change, that youth should not be be scapegoats for underlying dis-ease and challenges in our society. This is precisely the time where we need to look for and treat the cause, not the symptom. Systems, resources need to be in place so the youth in this country are given the voice they desire and deserve and also given the tools and guidance they need to be the leaders we need them to be.
In fact, I have been inspired and impressed by the youth that have stepped up to help their communities during these challenging times. For those who have been negative about the youth in this country, who have stopped believing in the youth in this country, wake up! The majority of the youth are either scared or are taking action to clean up and rebuild communities. Do not label the majority for the insanity and mis-guided actions of the minority.
When I think of the youth in this country, the words of Mahatma Gandhi come to mind, "do not give up on the ocean of humanity - even if a few drops are dirty, the ocean remains pure."
The youth are not the future, they are the present. And the time for them to lead is NOW.
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