“The fact that your mother didn’t give you a hard time when you switched from being a heart surgeon to a comedian is living proof that you can’t be Jewish!” This humorous jab from Jon Stewart perfectly encapsulates the improbable career trajectory of Bassem Youssef, a man who traded his scalpel for satire and became known as “The Egyptian Jon Stewart.”
Coming from a middle-class Egyptian family, Bassem Youssef, the doctor, was on a conventional path to success. With a brother who is an engineer, and in a hypothetical scenario, another brother as a lawyer or dentist, Youssef’s family would fit neatly into Stewart’s playful stereotype. However, life took a sharp turn when Youssef, initially a practicing physician, found himself drawn into the whirlwind of the Arab Spring.
During the initial uprisings in Tahrir Square, Bassem Youssef’s medical instincts kicked in. He wasn’t there to throw rocks; in fact, his rock-throwing skills were so poor he almost injured fellow protestors. Instead, he chose to utilize his medical expertise to care for the wounded amidst the street battles. The Arab Spring, ignited in Tunisia, spread to Egypt, not necessarily out of pure inspiration, but with a touch of nationalistic competitiveness. Egyptians, Youssef suggests with a hint of humor, might have been spurred by a touch of “drama queen” jealousy, wanting their own revolution after witnessing Tunisia’s success in ousting their dictator. Egypt had endured their own leader for three decades – a period euphemistically referred to as “his first term” in Middle Eastern political circles.
This period in Egypt was marked by a stark contrast between the reality on the ground and the narrative presented by state-controlled media. The revolution was downplayed as a conspiracy orchestrated by a bizarre coalition of Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, America, Israel, Sweden, and even Ireland. This “Fox News wet dream” of media, as Youssef describes it, engaged in mass brainwashing, painting protestors as paid agents or participants in outlandish activities. Perhaps, Youssef jokes, the rumors of street orgies were actually a peculiar recruitment strategy that inadvertently boosted protest numbers.
In response to this media distortion, Bassem Youssef, the doctor turned comedian, took a decidedly low-tech approach. Equipped with a single camera, a desk, and a budget banner set up in his laundry room, he launched a series of YouTube videos. These videos were pioneering examples of political satire, directly mocking the state media’s attempts at propaganda and their efforts to demonize the revolution. Expecting a modest 10,000 views, Youssef was astonished when his videos garnered 5 million views within weeks, catapulting him into the Egyptian media spotlight. Simultaneously, he had received acceptance into a fellowship in pediatric heart surgery in Cleveland. The prospect of moving to Cleveland, Youssef quips, underscored his eagerness to leave Egypt at that time, mirroring even LeBron James’ temporary departure from Cleveland. Faced with the dilemma of choosing between a promising medical career and the allure of newfound fame, Bassem Youssef, the doctor, stood at a crossroads as he awaited his H1 visa.
Ultimately, the lure of “empty fame and money,” as he jokingly calls it, won out over the “honorable craft of medicine.” This decision propelled him into a tumultuous four-year period marked by clashes with authorities who, as he observed, lacked a sense of humor – a trait seemingly common to both military and religious regimes. Despite facing show cancellations and eventual exile, Bassem Youssef reflects on this period as an “incredible journey.” From humble beginnings with a single camera, he built a viewership of 40 million for his live political satire TV show, “Al Bernameg,” disrupting the media landscape and challenging the dominant narrative.
Youssef highlights the outdated mentalities and powerful financial and political interests that traditionally controlled Middle Eastern media. The rise of young, online stars on platforms like Facebook and YouTube has bypassed these gatekeepers, creating a parallel media ecosystem. “Al Bernameg” paved the way for a wave of young talent to enter the field, leading to a significant shift in mainstream media’s approach to talent acquisition and content creation, recognizing the authentic connection these online personalities have with audiences.
Looking back on his five-year rollercoaster ride, Bassem Youssef emphasizes the daily decisions he made to satirize the powerful and challenge societal fears. Crucially, it was the choice to abandon the security of a predetermined medical career path that defined his journey. In a culture that highly values stability and tradition, leaving 19 years of medical training to pursue comedy was a significant taboo, seen by some as foolish. However, Youssef went further, satirizing deeply entrenched societal taboos surrounding sex, politics, and religion – topics that authoritarian regimes fiercely protect, recognizing that questioning these norms weakens their grip on power.
Most importantly it was the decision to stay in there and give up the comfort of a predestined path.
Jon Stewart’s eventual visit to “Al Bernameg” in Egypt provided a defining moment. Stewart’s observation, “if your regime is not strong enough to handle a regime, then you don’t have a regime,” resonated deeply with Youssef. It revealed the inherent weakness masked by the apparent might of authoritarian regimes.
Reflecting on his choices, Bassem Youssef, the doctor who became a comedian, expresses no regrets about leaving medicine. He finds a surprising link between his former and current professions, noting that the word “sarcasm” originates from the Greek “Sarkasmos,” meaning “to flesh, to rend, to cut in layers” – a term used by butchers to describe cutting through layers of meat. Perhaps, in his own way, Bassem Youssef, the former heart surgeon, is still dissecting, but now he is cutting through societal layers with humor, making his “almost-Jewish family” – and audiences worldwide – proud. Take that, Stewart!
