Iraq comedy set in 2017 stars last Iraqi alive (Americans are still there)

[DeepModem Mom]

Iraqi comedy show pulls no punches
By Nancy A. Youssef
McClatchy Newspapers


SAAED KHALIFA
It's the year 2017, and Saaed wakes up at the seashore to find he is the last Iraqi alive. So goes the plot of the Iraqi television comedy, "Hurry Up, He's Dead," which stars Saaed Khalifa.

BAGHDAD, Iraq — The year is 2017, according to the opening credits of the fake news broadcast, and the last man alive in Iraq, whose name is Saaed, is sitting at a desk, working as a television news anchor. He sports an Afro, star-shaped sunglasses and a button-down shirt.

The Americans are still here, the government is still bumbling and the anchor wants his viewers to drink their tea slowly so they don't burn themselves. "You cannot go to the hospital during the curfew," he warns. For Iraqis, the remark is outrageously funny, if only because it's so close to being true.

After a summer of the worst violence since U.S. troops toppled Saddam Hussein's regime, tens of thousands of Iraqis are finding solace and amusement in a new television show whose dark satirical humor makes it an Iraqi version of Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show."

The nightly send-up of a newscast includes weather, sports and business segments and features six characters, all played by the same actor.

With seemingly no sacred cows, it provides insight into how Iraqis see their country's problems, through its lampooning of the Americans, the Iraqi government, the militias and the head of Iraq's state-owned media company....

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003291400_ramadan06.html

[ThomCat]

1. That sounds like an absolutely hillarious show.

:)

Irreverent, satirical, and right on the money.

[bryant69]

2. It's interesting

My initial reaction to the title and the description was that it's not funny because I thought of it being performed by Americans.

Then I got to the end of the second paragraph and read that this was an Iraqi show (I missed the Baghdad tag because I'm not very observant), and thought, "Actually this might be very funny."

I'm not sure what that means - other than I find ideologically driven humor tedious for the most part, and if put on by American Liberals who think they are comedians, I think it might well be tedious (could be funny too, but odds are against it). On the other hand a guy doing this in Iraq as an Iraqi, well he damn well better be funny.

I wonder if it will ever show up over here, either subtitle (preferably) or dubbed.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DeepModem Mom]

3. I edited to make it clear that this was an Iraqi show -- thanks! nt

[Geoff R. Casavant]

4. We SO need this on DVD!

There must be some way to get it in a few months, with subtitles or dubbed.

I recall an Albert Brooks movie a few months back about finding comedy in the Muslim world -- this new show would be interesting to see in part to see how close Brooks came.