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.
这个演讲是关于纠正写错的内容。 不,你没听错--纠正写错的内容。 中东潜力巨大, 但也有我们自身的问题,一件事可以确定:我们喜欢欢笑。 我认为幽默是最好的方法来融合我们的不同。 我们要认真地肩负起我们的责任, 不仅仅是我们自己的。 不要误解我:在中东我们并不是没有喜剧。 在我成长的年代,有来自科威特,叙利亚, 埃及的喜剧演员 用笑声征服了整个中东地区, 唯有足球也可以达到这效果。 (笑声) 现在和别人众乐乐前, 现在是时候该嘲笑我们自己一下。 在中东随着脱口秀喜剧的发展, 只要大家捧场,一个喜剧团就可以诞生了。
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.
我曾在伦敦做过电视制作人和编剧, 我很快意识到 喜剧让大众产生共鸣。 现在,优秀喜剧写作的最好创作 是脱口秀喜剧巡演, 在巡演中的行话,要是你喜剧好,你会征服所有人, 当你喜剧不搞笑,你就倒大霉了。 恐怕对于我们来说最不幸的联系, 但它提醒我 我们在过去的十年得感谢一个人, 不知疲倦地工作 全力支持全球的喜剧演员, 特别关爱 带有中东背景的喜剧演员。 (掌声) 像我的好朋友,迪恩和梅森,就是屏幕下方那两个, 他们在九一一事件后过2年, 组建一个喜剧节来改变 世人对中东人的印象。 他们的喜剧节做大了,正大力推广中东正面形象。 还有在洛杉矶工作多年的三个喜剧演员, 他们背景是来自伊朗,巴勒斯坦和埃及, 创造并取名邪恶轴心喜剧巡演。 无论他们到哪 他们都征服了当地观众。
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.
现在,我不是要炒作,而是要再火上浇油一下。 我搬到迪拜,担任一个西方电视节目的原创内容 的总监。 我的工作是推广喜剧赢得中东地区广大观众的喜欢。 那时节目的美国老板 想要新鲜的,当地阿拉伯的喜剧。 我一想到带有浓重的阿拉伯口音喜剧, “太完美了。” (笑声) 而我在美国有朋友 开始一个成功的喜剧新尝试。 他们的喜剧 原先在中东被孤立, 我们把它们引进中东,把他们 推向成功 当然, 和推广其他新想法一样,做起来并不容易。 这计划有4个步骤。 第一,我需要从西方购买,播放喜剧节目 然后我让我的朋友表演,当地业余演员观摩喜剧是怎么创作的。 我们得录制和播放它们, 然后我们和当地演员合作,再创造新喜剧。
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.
我很兴奋地给我打老板看, 但他的反应是“哦,我看没戏。” 所以我返回到我的穴居 继续支持和创作喜剧, 让我的朋友们使用我的沙发 最为地区运营中心。 现在,又过了两年,在2007年初。 地球变化一样,我们的管理也发生变化。 (笑声) 仿佛有神的干预, 事情撮合到一块 帮助这个喜剧革命成型。 这些事物是这样一点点链接而成 首先,轴心演员们在美国喜剧中心特别频道表演 在美国播放, 表演在Youtube变得异常火爆。 我们新上任法国首席执行官 相信积极的公众关系的力量... (笑声) 想法要尽量搞笑恶搞。 我们就说“钱生值财源滚滚来。” 我在迪拜制作了艾哈迈德·艾哈迈德的一个节目 让他的新轴心喜剧在一屋子人群前表演 我邀请了我们新首席执行官, 不久他了解到我们有一整屋子的笑料点子, 他的反应非常简单: “让我们把这变成现实。 另外一件事:不要搞砸。” 所以,我马上组织了一支 优秀的团队。 我意外地发现 在阿拉伯还有一个有趣的演员, 他竟然来自韩国, 非常适合邪恶轴心喜剧团。 真的。
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.
当我们为巡演做准备时 我提醒演员们要文化上敏感一些。 我使用3个禁忌规则, 在中东我称它们为脱口秀3个禁忌规则: 避免性话题,要纯净;避免宗教话题; 第三个是政治敏感话题。 在中东得远离政治敏感话题。 当然,大家可能会想,除了 政治敏感话题,性话题和宗教话题,你怎样才能把人们逗乐呢? 我要说,看看任何西方优秀编剧, 以家庭朋友为核心的情景喜剧 就是答案。
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.
现在,轴心喜剧成功了吗? 在五个国家,不到一个月, 数以千计狂热粉丝来看他们现场秀。 我们在电视和电视新闻报道也有数百万观众。 在约旦,国王陛下亲自来看我们的表演。 他们的表演大获成功, 他们节目在中东地区播放之前, 你就可以买一个他们的盗版DVD碟。 无论你走到哪。 我们所到之处, 我们为当地业余喜剧爱好者举办试演会, 我们拍摄了全过程,录制成一个纪录片。 名叫:三个伙计和钟袁浩 这就是他的名字。 所有这电视和网上曝光 使得我们团队有了 很多优秀招募人员的机会 今年在迪拜,我们刚有了 第一个全女子土产脱口喜剧秀。 请注意她们中的两个人还带着面纱, 是的,她们也可以搞笑。
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.
迪拜对我而言就是 一双支持任何人想做成大事的手 20年前, 没人听说过这喜剧团。 眼下看看, 我想今年,伴随着令人振奋的 世界最高的迪拜塔的开幕 就好比在那双大手上加上了手指 直指向 那些关于我们的荒谬的故事。
(Laughter)
(笑声)
(Applause)
(掌声)
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.
现在,短短三年, 甚至沙特阿拉也有了脱口秀表演 这些喜剧现在在纽约艺术节上表演 一个绝顶聪明的黎巴嫩人, 纳米尔·阿布·纳赛尔,我们第一次巡演中的一员 他刚在洛杉矶传奇喜剧俱乐部演出。 很明显,发自内心,我们尽力改变我们的形象, 造成喜剧爆炸哦。 (笑声) 好吧,从旁观者角度看, 看看CNN对第二届安曼喜剧节报道就知道我们的喜剧。 我要感谢CNN,报道非常棒。 但是有人忘记发送积极的公共关系邮件 好在底部自动播放新闻字幕搭配出现。 例如,当迪恩脱口秀, 自动播放新闻字幕:美国消息:可疑分子投诉英特尔。 如果你曾听过喜剧, 就一点不惊奇。
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.
可悲的,这让我引申 在西方媒体怎么谈论我们中东的另外3个禁忌规则 这是有关炸弹引爆者,百万富翁 和肚皮舞。 够了。 并不是所有中东人都是愤怒狂热分子 想杀死异教徒。 我们要讲振奋人心的故事 和展示我们自身形象。 事实上,在我的经历中,首肯的一件事是 我们热爱喜剧搞笑的要死。
(Laughter)
(笑声)
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.
我喜欢用三个问题 来测定媒体上展现我们自身形象的 真实性。 第一:现代中东 得到了真实的展示吗? 报道是否基于正确的上下文 (笑声) 第二:中东喜剧人物 欢笑或微笑的时候, 能不翻白眼吗? (笑声) 第三:中东喜剧人物 是由一个人创作表演的吗? 显然地,这里有错需要被纠正。 在我们的地区我们开始纠正。 至于其他国家的人, 请在你的故事中应用 积极的中东形象素材。 请到我们任何喜剧节日来获取灵感, 上网,请给我们留言。 让我们一起改变现状, 并开始把错误的内容纠正过来。
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."
在我赶回中东之前,我很高兴在此 引用一位伟大长老用鹅毛笔 写在羊皮纸上的话结束演讲, 我父亲称他为“”阿祖巴长老, 我的母亲却说“莎士比亚”。 (笑声) 现在我们所追求的 是自由,而不是被驱逐。”
Thank you.
谢谢。
(Applause)
(掌声)