Arab comedians bring down house

The show, sponsored by the Arab Society of Princeton, brought Arab-American comedians Dean Obeidallah, Maria Shehata and Nasry Malak to the classroom’s stage.

The comedians used their humor to illustrate the challenges of growing up as an Arab American in the United States.

Shehata, who grew up in Ohio, joked about her life and her experiences growing up as an Egyptian-American woman. She listed some of the outrageous questions she frequently received about her heritage from her friends in Ohio: “Do you guys, like, speak hieroglyphics?” and “Do you really walk like that?”

She noted that she doesn’t feel as special in New York City, where she currently lives, because “there are Arabs running around everywhere in New York, and if you tell someone you’re Egyptian, they’ll say, ‘So is the man who made my hot dog.’ ”

All three performers have starred on Comedy Central’s show “The Watch List,” which features stand-up and comedy sketches by Middle-Eastern comedians. Obeidallah currently produces the show.

Arab Society vice president Sami Yabroudi ’11 noted Obeidallah’s accomplishments, citing his performances in Comedy Central’s “Axis of Evil” and his appearances on CNN and ABC’s “The View.”

Obeidallah frequently performs in top comedy clubs in New York and in the Middle East. He has also put on shows in Ramallah, Haifa, Dubai and Beirut.

Arab Society president Sarah Mousa ’10 cited Obeidallah as an example for other Arab Americans to follow.

Shehata used the various heritages of the students in attendance in a joke, saying, “How many Palestinians are here? Oh, they’re all sitting together over there. How many Egyptians are here? Ok, Egyptians meet the Palestinians.”

Malak, also an Egyptian American living in New York, described the racial profiling and racism he encountered throughout his life.

“You never see an Egyptian parade in New York,” he said. “If there is a group of Egyptians walking down the street, they don’t call that a parade, they call that an insurgency.”

He also noted that as a Christian, some may see him as less Arab. “I’m like Arab Lite ... all of the Arab without the jihad,” Malak said.