Ramy Youssef’s Activism on an American Stage
By: Malak Hassouna/ Arab America Contributing Writer
New Jersey-born Ramy Youssef, has risen to become a well-known standup comedian, but in recent years, he has also come to our screens in more ways than once as a writer, director, and star of his own Hulu show “Ramy.” He also has displayed his talents through recurring roles on shows like “Mr. Robot” and “See Dad Run,” and even co-created and executive produced the Netflix comedy-drama series “Mo” about a Palestinian-American family. He has already played a significant role in bringing more Arab narratives to our screen. He has actively brought the Palestinian story to our attention even before October 7, 2023.
One of the moments that Ramy brings Palestine to the West’s attention is in Season 3, Episode 2, “Egyptian Cigarettes,” released on September 30, 2022. The episode challenged Western audiences to see what happens in occupied Palestine, which takes place in Palestine and Israel as he goes with his uncle for a job. A lot of challenges came up to put this episode together, including a location change due to Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh’s tragic murder on the intended location site while they were there, issues with Palestinian crew members delayed or rejected forms/ visas by Israeli forces to move from their territory to a different one throughout it all he was committed to keeping it authentic using Palestinian actors, filmed between Israel and Palestine. While the episode still follows Ramy and his messy life, it shows the Palestinian struggle through the characters. First, Naseem gets detained, and then Ramy’s awkward Diamond Club encounter turns ugly. Desperate to salvage his big dinner, Ramy’s last-minute Tinder date throws him off schedule, culminating in a disastrous decision: he inadvertently leads to the IDF detaining a Palestinian teen. It fulfills Youssef’s vision of showcasing Palestinian life in the occupied West Bank, rarely depicted on American TV. Ramy wanted the episode to leave people with a message.
This was not the first or last time Ramy spoke up about Palestine. On October 8, he rushed to his Instagram to show how scared he was for the artists that he had worked with and how he “[had] spent so much of [his] adult life praying for everyone in the region. Praying for [his] PTSD-filled Muslim and Jewish sisters and brothers around the world— as well as Christians there and beyond”.
Ramy and many artists, such as Saint Levant and Elyanna, had rescheduled their tours out of respect for what was happening in Gaza. With the announcement of his new tour dates, he made sure to include that all “of the proceeds for the remainder of the ‘Ramy Youssef: more feelings’ standup tour will be donated to ANERA, providing humanitarian relief to the people of Gaza.” He also included a link to a letter written to President Biden, requesting that he and Congress “call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost.”
The Brooklyn show especially got a lot of attention due to the attendance of Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Cara Delevingne, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Zoë Kravitz. Swift especially got a lot of attention for attending a Pro-Palestine event since she had not addressed the issue or spoken out about it. Having the most famous celebrity of the year attend your event is enormous, and that does not come without hate. Taylor received so many comments from her Jewish fans, an example being, “Her bodyguard, who is charged with protecting her life, went to Israel to serve in the IDF. Swift did, however, make the time to attend a Gaza fundraiser Friday evening with Selena Gomez. When will you attend a fundraiser for Israel?” additionally, Kelly from The Megyn Kelly Show claimed that Taylor “owes Israelis and Jewish Americans an apology” for her attendance. “I hope they boycott her events until she issues it because attending this was wrong.” This was not one-sided, though; many people did not appreciate people applauding them for attending the event 60 days after the war had started, with mixed messages of whether or not they were actually in support. It seemed as if Taylor and Selena’s presence left Ramy’s efforts in the shadow; however, it did spark conversations regarding the topic in circles where it had been avoided.
Another moment that stood out was all his Red Carpet Interviews at the Golden Globes, where ‘Poor Things’ and ‘The Bear’ were nominated for many awards that night. The most iconic moment of the interview Deadline, where he used his comedic talents to slide in that “We’re all thinking two things: ceasefire now and Jeremy, please don’t do another Calvin Klein ad.”
One of the things that we love about Ramy is how he’s authentically himself. Whether it comes to interviews on screen, standup, or directing, he can bring his personality and message anywhere. It’s important to note that he has always been an activist unafraid to speak his mind. Additionally, he has been very well known in the industry as an activist for the racial justice movement and the Muslim community, but also for Arabs, no matter where they are from or what religion they practice. We can not wait to see what is in store for him next.
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