To C or Not to C
June 5, 2018
This past week, fans of Roseanne nationwide reached for their smelling salts because Samantha Bee called complicit Barbie the c-word. They immediately grabbed their tiki torches and insisted that like racist Roseanne, Sam Bee be fired. I performed at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland…
Before Beyonce
April 16, 2018
Before there was Beyonce, there was Tiger, Cherri, Sandy, and Lucy. Tiger, the cat pranced into our lives when I was seven. Her name was less than original but absolutely fitting. She looked like a tiny Tony the Tiger down to her big blue eyes.…
Ramadan in the Deep South
April 16, 2018
In 2011, Dean Obeidallah my trustworthy co-producer at the New York Arab American Comedy Festival approached me with what seemed like a brilliant idea. He had partnered with an Iranian-American filmmaker and wanted to take a band of Muslim comics to the Deep South in…
My Origin Story
April 16, 2018
I often meet parents of kids with Cerebral Palsy who are afraid to let their children try to walk. When I ask them why they won’t just let their kid give walking a shot, the overwhelming response is that they are afraid their child will…
Fight For Your Right to Carpet
August 21, 2017
Fight For Your Right to Carpet I am one of those people who has always dreamt of waltzing down the red carpet at an awards show. My first red carpet memory was Cher in her Bob Mackey gown at the 1988 Academy Awards. I decided…
Wedding Waste
The Unhappiest Day of Your Life
June 10, 2016
Weddings are the worst and even worse, they are a waste. I have been a bridesmaid 17 times and a bride myself. What I learned is that no one is ever happy at a wedding, except for those swindling the future Mr. and Mrs. out…
Lightbulbs and Losers
Based on a true story
One name has been changed to shame the evil.
June 20, 2015
I have been a bridesmaid 17 times. After spending $28,000 on my friends weddings, I decided it was time to make my money back. Gollum was one of those guys who’s just always around until you're like best friends. After years of working together in…
Flashback: Visit Palestine 2006
Welcome to Palestine
August 22, 2015
Before I ever went to Palestine, I knew Palestine. It was all my dad ever talked about. Every summer my parents would send us back to our village Deir Debwan to live with my grandparents; because my mom hated kids and my dad was afraid…
Nine Lives: 2 Down Croaking in Cairo
Snow White and the Seven Pharaohs
June 20, 2015
In 2009 while on tour with Arabs Gone Wild, I booked my first Egypt show. I had grown up watching National Geographic specials about King Tut and the curse of the pyramids so I was super excited. I couldn’t wait to finally see the Sphinx up…
If You Can’t Fast, Give
June 20, 2015
I was born and raised in the United States. I spent my school days in beautiful New Jersey and my summers in the war zone known as the West Bank. The first Ramadan I ever fasted was no joke. I was 8 years old and…
Nine Lives: 1 Down at the Daytime Emmys
June 20, 2015
I have been addicted to soap operas since I was five years old. Yes, five. Although my parents were super strict and conservative, they missed the boat on monitoring our television consumption. As a tot I spent a summer wondering “Who shot JR?” I memorized…