This talk is about righting writing wrongs. No, the sound's not faulty -- righting writing wrongs. The Middle East is huge, and with all our problems, one thing's for sure: we love to laugh. I think humor is a great way to celebrate our differences. We need to take our responsibilities seriously, but not ourselves. Don't get me wrong: it's not like we don't have comedy in the Middle East. I grew up at a time when iconic actors from Kuwait, Syria, Egypt used laughter to unite the region, just as football can. (Laughter) Now is the time for us to laugh at ourselves, before others can laugh with us. This is the story of the rise and rise of stand-up comedy in the Middle East -- a stand-up uprising, if you will.
Ovaj razgovor je o ispravljanju loših napisa. Ne, ne zvuči pogrešno - ispravljanje loših napisa. Bliski Istok je ogroman i sa svim našim problemima, jedna stvar je sigurna: obožavamo se smijat. Mislim da je humor dobar način kako bismo slavili naše razlike. Treba ozbiljnije shvatit naše odgovornosti, a ne sebe. Nemojte me shvatiti pogrešno: nije kao da nemamo komediju na Bliskom Istoku. Odrastao sam u tom vremenu kada su ikonski glumci iz Kuvajta, Sirije, Egipta, koristili smijeh kako bi sjedinili regije, isto kao što to može nogomet. (Smijeh) Vrijeme je da se smijemo sami sebi, prije nego što se ostali mogu smijat s nama. Ovo je priča o uzdignuću i uzdignuću stand up komedije na Bliskom Istoku - uzdizanje stand up komedije, ako želite.
Working in London as TV maker and writer, I quickly realized that comedy connects audiences. Now, the best breeding ground for good comic writing is the stand-up comedy circuit, where they just happen to say that you kill when you do well and you bomb when you do badly. An unfortunate connection for us maybe, but it reminds me that we'd like to thank one man for, over the past decade, working tirelessly to support comedians all around the world, specifically comedians with a Middle Eastern background. (Applause) Like my good friends, Dean and Maysoon, at the bottom of the screen, who, two years after 9/11, started a festival to change the way Middle Easterners are perceived in the world. It's still going strong, with positive press to die for. Also, three guys working for years in Los Angeles, an Iranian, a Palestinian and an Egyptian, created the aptly named Axis of Evil comedy act. And wherever they went, they killed.
Radeći u Londonu na TV-u kao pisac, brzo sam shvatio da komedija povezuje publike. Sada, najplodnije tlo za pisanje dobre komedije scena je stand-up komedije, gdje baš slučajno kažu kako ubijaš kad dobro odradiš i bombardiraš kad odradiš loše. Nesretna veza za nas možda, ali me podsjeća kako bismo htjeli zahvaliti jednom čovjeku, u posljednjem desetljeću, koji je neumorno radio kako bi podržao komičare iz cijelog svijeta, posebno komičare s područja Bliskog Istoka. (Pljesak) Kao moji dobri prijatelji, Dean and Maysoon, na dnu zaslona, koji su, dvije godine nakon 11. rujna, osnovali festival da bi promijenili način na koji svijet gleda na ljude s Bliskog Istoka. I dalje ide snažno. Sa pozitivnim ispisom za koji vrijedi umrijeti. Također tri dečka koji rade godinama u Los Angelesu, Iranac, Palestinac i Egipćanin, stvorili su spomenutu Komediju Osovine Zla. I gdje god bili, ubijali su.
Now, I didn't start this fire, but I did pour petrol on it. I moved to Dubai as the head of original content for a Western TV network. My job was to connect the brand with a Middle Eastern audience. Now, the American head of programming wanted new local Arabic comedy. In a thick Arabic accent, my brain went, "Berfect." (Laughter) Now, I had friends in the U.S. who had started a successful new tribe. And I had every intention of taking this tribe from being outliers in the Middle East and pushing them over the tipping point towards success. Now, as with any new idea, it wasn't easy. I had four phases to this plan. First, we'd need to buy content from the West and air it. Then I'd bring my friends, and we'd show local amateurs how it's done. We would film that and air it, and then I could work with the local amateurs and write new comedy.
Sada, nisam započeo ovu vatru, ali sam sipao na nju benzin. Preselio sam se u Dubai kao rukovoditelj originalnog sadržaja za Zapadnu TV mrežu. Moj posao je spojiti ovaj brand sa publikom Bliskog Istoka. Sada, američki direktor programa je htio novu lokalnu arapsku komediju. U dubokom arapskom naglasku, moj mozak je rekao, "Sabršeno." (Smijeh) Sada, imao sam prijatelje u SAD-u koji su napravili uspješno novo pleme. I imao sam namjeru oteti ih od neprihvaćenosti na Bliskom Istoku i gurnuti ih preko vrha prema uspjehu. Sada, kao i sa svakom novom idejom, nije bilo lako. Imao sam četiri faze ovog plana. Prvo, trebali bismo kupiti sadržaj sa Zapada i emitirati ga. Onda bih doveo moje prijatelje, i pokazali bismo amaterima kako se to radi. Onda bismo to snimili i emitirali, i onda bih mogao raditi s lokalnim amaterima i pisati novu komediju.
I excitedly presented this to the big boss, and his reaction was, "Um, I don't get it." So I retreated back to my cave and continued to support and produce comedy and let my friends use my couch as a regional operations hub. Now, fast forward two years, to early 2007. The earth rotated, as did our management, (Laughter) and as if by divine intervention, things came together to help this revolution take shape. Here's how the dots connected. First, the Axis guys recorded a Comedy Central special that aired in the States, and it was getting great hits on YouTube. Our new French CEO believed in the power of positive PR ... (Laughter) and ideas du bon marche. Let's just say "value for money." I produced in Dubai a show for Ahmed Ahmed to showcase his new Axis special to a packed room. I invited our new CEO, and as soon as he realized we had a room packed full of laughing infidels, his reaction was very simple: "Let's make this happen. And one more thing: No, don't F it up." So I quickly went to work with a great team around me. I happened to find a funny guy to present it in Arabic, who is originally Korean, a perfect fit for the Axis of Evil. This is all true.
Uzbuđeno sam ovo pokazao velikom šefu, i njegova reakcija je bila, "Hm, ne shvaćam." Tako da sam se povukao u svoju pećinu i nastavio podržavati i producirati komediju i dao svojim prijateljima da koriste moj kauč kao regionalni centar operacija. Sada, ubrzajmo za dvije godine, do rane 2007. Zemlja je kružila, kao i naša uprava. (Smijeh) I baš kao sa božanskim uplitanjem, stvari su se poklopile kako bi ova revolucija dobila neki oblik. Evo kako su se točke povezale. Prvo, dečki iz Osovine Zla su snimili specijal Comedy Centrala koji se emitirao u SAD, i imao je dobar odaziv na Youtube-u. Naš novi francuski direktor je vjerovao u moć pozitivnog PR-a ... (Smijeh) i jeftinih ideja. I samo recimo "vrijednost za novac." Producirao sam u Dubaiju emisiju za Ahmed Ahmed-a kako bih pokazao njegov novi specijal Osovine u prepunoj sobi. Pozvao sam našeg direktora, i čim je shvatio da imamo sobu punu nevjernika koji se smiju, i njegova reakcija je bila jednostavna: "Hajde da napravimo ovo. I još nešto: Ne, nemoj zajeb ..." Brzo sam krenuo na posao sa nevjerojatnim timom oko sebe. I dogodilo se da sam našao smiješnog tipa da to predstavi na arapskom, koji je porijeklom Koreanac, savršen spoj s Osovinom Zla. Sve ovo je točno.
Now, while preparing for the tour, I had to remind the guys to be culturally sensitive. I used the three Bs of stand-up don'ts as I call them in the Middle East: blue content, keep it clean; beliefs, not religion; and the third B, bolitics. Stay away from bolitics in the Middle East. Oh course, you might think, what's left without bolitics, sex and religion, how can you make people laugh? I'd say, watch any successful well-written, family-friendly sitcom in the West for your answers.
Sada, dok smo se pripremali za turneju, morao sam podsjetiti dečke da budu osjetljivi na kulturu. Iskoristio sam tri B stand-up-a koje ne bi smjeli koristiti, kao što ih ja zovem na Bliskom Istoku - Plavi sadržaj, neka bude čisto, bez psovki - vjerovanja, bez religije, i treće B, bolitika. Držite se podalje od bolitike na Bliskom Istoku. I naravno, možete misliti, što je ostalo bez bolitike, seksa i religije, kako možemo natjerati ljude da se smiju? Rekao bih, pogledajte bilo koju uspješnu, dobro napisanu, obiteljsko-prijateljsku humorističnu seriju na Zapadu za odgovor na to pitanje.
Now, were the Axis successful? In five countries, in just under a month, we had thousands of fanatical fans come and see them live. We had millions see them on TV and on TV news. In Jordan, we had His Majesty the King come and see them. In fact, they were so successful that you could buy a pirated copy of their DVD, even before it was released in the Middle East. Anywhere you go. So everywhere we went, we auditioned amateurs. We filmed that process and aired a documentary. I called it "Three Guys and Wonho." It really is his name. And all this TV and Internet exposure has led to a great many recruits to our cause. In Dubai this year, we've just had the first all-women's, homegrown stand-up show. And notice two of them are wearing headscarves, and yes, even they can laugh.
Sada, je li Osovina uspješna? U pet zemalja, za manje od mjesec dana, imali smo tisuće oduševljenih fanova koji su došli vidjeti ih uživo. Imali smo milijune koji su ih vidjeli na TV-u i TV vijestima. U Jordanu, Njegovo Veličanstvo Kralj, došao ih je vidjet. U stvari, bili su toliko uspješni da ste mogli kupiti piratsku kopiju njihovog DVD-a još prije nego je puštena u prodaju na Bliskom Istoku. Bilo gdje išli. Znači svugdje gdje smo bili, imali smo audicije za amatere. Snimili smo taj proces i emitirali dokumentarac. Nazvao sam ga "Tri dečka i Wonho." To je stvarno njegovo ime. I sva ta televizija i izlaganje Internetu je dovelo do toga da smo mnoge uposlili za naš cilj. U Dubaiu ove godine, imali smo prvi domaći ženski stand-up. Primijetite kako dvije od njih nose velove, i da, sve se one znaju smijat.
Dubai, to me, is like a hand that supports anyone who wants to make things happen. 20 years ago, no one had heard of it. Look at it now. With an inspirational leader, I think this year, the opening of the tallest tower in the world is like adding a finger to that hand, that points at all those who spread fallacious stories about us.
Dubai, za mene, je kao ruka koja podržava svakog tko hoće učiniti nešto. Prije 20 godina, nitko nije čuo za njega. Pogledajte ga sada. Sa inspiriranim vođom, mislim kako je ove godine, otvaranje najviše kule u svijetu kao dodavanje prsta toj ruci, prikazuje sve one koji šire zlonamjerne priče o nama.
(Laughter)
(Smijeh)
(Applause)
(Pljesak)
Now, in three short years, we've come a long way with stand-up comedy shows happening even in Saudi Arabia. These comics are now going to the New York festival. And the Lebanese, brilliant Lebanese, Nemr Abou Nassar, we featured in our first tour, has just been performing in L.A.'s legendary comedy clubs. So clearly, from the inside, we are doing our best to change our image, and it's exploding. (Laughter) So, as for the outsiders looking in, watch the CNN report on the second Amman Comedy Festival. The reporter did a great job, and I thank her, but somebody forgot to send the positive PR email to the person operating the automatic news ticker that appears at the bottom. For example, when Dean talks, the ticker says, "U.S.: Suspect gave 'actionable intel." Well, if you're used to listening to comedians, then I'm not surprised.
Sada, u tri kratke godine, prošli smo dug put sa stand-up komedijom koje ima čak i u Saudijskoj Arabiji. Ovi komičari sada idu na festival u New Yorku. I Libanonac, briljantni Libanonac, Nemr Abou Nassar, kojeg smo imali na našoj prvoj turneji, imao je nastupe u Los Angelesu u legendarnim komičarskim klubovima. Očigledno, iznutra, radimo sve što možemo kako bismo promijenili sliku o nama, i to eksplodira. (Smijeh) Dakle, što se tiče stranaca koji gledaju, pogledajte CNN izvješće o drugom Anman Festivalu Komedije. Reporterka je napravila dobar posao, i zahvaljujem joj, ali je netko zaboravio poslati pozitivan PR e-mail osobi koja upravlja trakom koja se pojavljuje na dnu vijesti. Primjerice, kada Dean priča, traka kaže, "SAD: Osumnjičeni dao važne informacije." Pa, ako ste navikli slušati komičare onda nisam iznenađen.
Sadly, this leads me to another three Bs that represents how the media in the West talks about us as bombers, billionaires and belly dancers. Enough. We're not all angry fanatics who want to kill the infidel. We have a positive story to tell and image to sell. In fact, one thing's for sure, in my experience, we love to laugh like hell.
Nažalost, ovo me vodi prema novih tri B koji predstavljaju kako mediji na Zapadu pričaju o nama kao bombašima, milijarderima i trbušnim plesačicama. Dosta. Nismo svi bijesni fanatici koji hoće pobiti nevjernike. Imamo pozitivnu priču za ispričati i pozitivnu sliku za prodati. U stvari, jedna stvar je sigurna, prema mom iskustvu, volimo se puno smijat.
(Laughter)
(Smijeh)
Here are three questions that I like to use to test the truthiness of our representation in any media story. One: Is the Middle East being shown in a current time and correct context? (Laughter) Two: Do the Middle Eastern characters laugh or smile without showing the whites of their eyes? (Laughter) Three: Is the Middle Eastern character being played by one? Clearly, there are wrongs that need to be righted. We've started in our region. My challenge to the rest of the world is please, start using positive Middle Eastern images in your stories. For inspiration, go to one of our festivals, go online, drop us a line. Let's change the narrative together and let's start righting writing wrongs.
Evo tri pitanja koje bih htio iskoristiti kako bih testirao istinitost naših pojavljivanja u bilo kojoj priči u medijima. Jedna: Je li Bliski Istok pokazan u sadašnjem vremenu i pravom kontekstu? (Smijeh) Dva: Da li se likovi sa Bliskog Istoka smiju ili smiješe a da ne pokazuju bjeloočnice svojih očiju? (Smijeh) Tri: Glumi li lik sa Bliskog Istoka netko tko je odatle? Očito, ima pogrešnih stvari koje trebamo ispravit. Počeli smo u našoj regiji. Moj izazov prema ostatku svijeta je molim vas, počnite koristiti pozitivne priče sa Bliskog Istoka u vašim pričama. Za inspiraciju, idite na jedan od naših festivala, idite na Internet, stavite komentar. Hajdemo zajedno promijeniti priču i hajdemo početi ispravljati loše napise.
I'd like to end, before going back to the Middle East, with a quote from one of the greatest Sheikhs to put quill to parchment. As my father likes to call him, "Asheikh Azubare;" as my mother would say, "Shakespeare." (Laughter) "And now we go in content to liberty and not to banishment."
Htio bih završiti, prije nego se vratim na Bliski Istok, citatom jednog od najvećih Šeika koji je prislonio pero na papir. Kao što ga je moj otac volio zvati, "Asheikh Azubare," a moja majka bi rekla, "Shakespeare." (Smijeh) "A sada idemo prema slobodi, a ne progonu."
Thank you.
Hvala vam.
(Applause)
(Pljesak)