Hasan Minhaj: The King's Jester

I dont know how much of what he was saying is true... if it is, then damn bro im sorry ... if not.. then it was just making me sad for you... i kept on watching not because i know you can be funny ... but because i felt pity for you... and it was just making me sad.. if i watch a stand up.. then i want to be laughing.. but with this ... the bits that made me laugh where overshadowed by all the sad stuff.. even at some points i felt there were the 'laugh at anything person' sprinkled all over...

make me feel like you are only good at comedy when someone else is writing stuff for you to say on screen. U were awesome in patriot act... but this was just like... well let me say it like this.. it was like i was the plane going into the tower and this is what it felt like.

My first exposure to this comedian -- at the first 5 minutes I thought this special was a bit crude with the infertility jokes. But then, I saw it was talking about his real-life experiences, with him mentioning his daughter.

Each mention of Hasan's increasingly wacky stories made me laugh more. First, a wheeze; then, a chuckle; then, full-on belly laughing! You should also know as he is telling his biography, you get some insights on how the American governmental/economic system works from the perspective of an immigrant.

The sex jokes at the middle and end of the special were a bit uncomfortable, but I saw that was the point. The occasional call-backs to Hindi-Urdu were also fun, even as someone who barely can use the language.

Usually, in mainstream standup, you'd get sex jokes, jokes based on racial/gender stereotypes with very little to no storytelling. Comedians getting up stage and talking about the above, IMO, is taking the easy way out. Sure it's get you some laughter but...that's cheap laughter and not sustainable in the long run.

Very rarely do you get comedy that's right on the edge of going too far but tends to stay on the "LMAO!! Nuh-uh, he did NOT just say that! Haha." Even better, if it's well written from a storytelling standpoint.

And this special is just that; the writers/Hasan have brilliantly written TH outta this show and wow, what flow to the story!!

Now, this isn't your straight-up ROFL kinda comedy, it's certainly not for everyone (especially if you get BHurt) and I'll be honest, I only laughed out loud a couple times, but there were a lot "Haha, he did NOT just say that!" I chuckled a lot but every time I do, the content made me think about the undertones and made me appreciate the writing.

Dude talks about his life, the ups and downs and turns the content around in his favor. That's not easy to do. He doesn't take the easy way out, and by simply telling you a (possibly relatable) story, he not only takes you on a journey and saying everything he wants to say indirectly.

Finally, I think people who want to get into standup could watch and learn a thing or two from this special on how to write a complex set while addressing something deep. This was a Masterclass.

Would totally recommend. Again, you may not like it for the comedy but you have GOT to appreciate the writing and the storytelling.

'The King's Jester' is not quite the 'Homecoming King' but it is brilliant nonetheless.

Hasan Minhaj is a master storyteller, an excellent comedian, and the way he holds onto your attention--never to let it go--is a rare ability indeed.

He has weaved the personal with the politic here again, the satire with the sincere, and the ecstatic with the horrific. You learn when you listen to him, and you laugh, you cry, and you feel. You feel all the joy, the anger and the grief, the irony and the stupidity, and everything and anything else he wants you to feel.

I loved this piece nearly as much as I loved his 'Homecoming King', and I cannot wait to watch and listen and learn when he does another special. Here's hoping he does it soon.

First of all, few comedy sets legitimately give you goosebumps and makes you teary. Hannah Gadsby created the mood in Nanette but it had all soul and little laughs. Hasan succeeds on both, it's a set with a lot of heart, and a lot of laughs.

But more importantly, Hasan changes the game of stand up in a significant way with this set. When this set will be closely examined by art historians in the future, they should be able to delineate the new era Hasan heralds with the show. This is my version of it. Without going into any spoiler, the show broadly consists of two stories, Hasan growing up in a Indian Muslim community and Hasan antagonizing world's most powerfuls through his Netflix show "The Patriot Act" and earning fame in the process. The show starts with a narrative on his marriage, having his first child and it is a recurring thread that gives the two main stories some context.

In the first half, Hasan fully embraces his racial-religious identity and talks about his personal experience. In the second half, Hasan dons the hat of the presenter as in his Netflix show and go behind the scenes.

Hasan, never a very keen observational comic, goes high on drama through the set. His body language is exaggerated, expressions loud, movements are theatrical. His props appear at the right times behind him in a large screen. Hasan even name calls Aziz and Kumail in his set.

However, the real reason the set reaches the unbelievable crescendo, the epic high, is how the set incorporates all the tropes and tricks of a summer blockbuster. It has named and identified villains, it has the villains menacing with others and attacking his family, it has a story where the underdog Minhaj smokes them in his own way. It has the revenge drama, the satisfaction of a earned victory, the adulations of the crowd, the jubilations and the actual cheer of the audience. This is a new style of stand up. Stand-up traditionally stayed true to everyday experience of a common man, but Hasan with his theatrics, gives his story a dramatic high and makes it a terrific production.

I do not know whether some of the future comedians will venture into this dramatics, but this set is thoroughly enjoyable. Jokes are few and far between but the atmosphere is electric and you enjoy delivery of every single line which are precise and punchy. It is like you bought a ticket for a pop concert and you get the production value of a super bowl halftime show. Nice work, Hasan! Great job.