For his third HBO stand-up special, Ramy Youssef headed back to Chicago to interact with an intimate audience over topics such as wondering whether you want to really know what your rescue dog is thinking, how much of a threat AI poses to all of our jobs, and whether Islam might just have some great ideas for problems we face today.
The Gist: Ramy Youssef’s second HBO special, Ramy Youssef: More Feelings, earned the comedian nominations for the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and Writers Guild honors last year.
He’s also earned plaudits for his onscreen roles in projects from HBO’s Mountainhead to Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things.
And of course, there’s his TV work, creating and starring in the Peabody and Golden Globe-winning Hulu series, Ramy; co-creating the Peabody-winning Netflix series, Mo; and co-creating the animated series, #1 HAPPY FAMILY USA. Not to mention his DGA-nominated work helming an episode of The Bear, where he’s connected with Christopher Storer, who directs Youssef here.
What Comedy Special Will It Remind You Of? I’m actually kinda shocked that more comedians haven’t developed more material about their sojourn to meet the late Pope Francis at the Vatican, but none of them went with the same vibe at Youssef, who has a cheeky way of reminding all of us that he’s Muslim and that that’s still not a bad thing.
Memorable Jokes: Did you see Youssef onstage with newly-elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last November? In case you hadn’t, the comedian will remind you that FOX News made sure to remind your parents and grandparents that he’s supposedly “one of the liberal elite” now. Which made him chuckle. “It’s very stressful to win,” Youssef joked, adding: “It’s easier when you lose and then say, ‘F— the government.’ But then when the government is someday that everybody thinks is your friend,” then what?
We learn quite a bit about the comedian’s domestic life. He and his wife don’t yet have kids (finding it difficult to schedule around peak ovulation than he might like), even though that might help Ramy’s relationship with his own parents. They do have a dog, though, which Ramy rescued during the pandemic. He can joke now about how competitive it felt just to get his dog, how wild it is to live in a country where his dog’s health insurance is more comprehensive than his uncle’s, and wonder what would happen if he could speak to his dog for a day. Would he like what he heard? How much would you be willing to pay for the experience?
This is one of several instances where his crowd work serves the material. When he finds few audience members willing to cough up much dough. One woman suggests cutting off an appendage, prompting Youssef to crack: “This really is a f—ing free show. People would rather cut their body parts off than throw in a little money. And I think that’s really where are economically, as a country.”
He also shares his frustrations with technology, from Grok to Sam Altman; the ironic hypocrisy of Trump hating Muslims but welcoming all sorts of money and gifts from the Middle East, such as the potential new Air Force One from Qatar.
Youssef also shares stories about why he didn’t perform at last year’s Riyadh Comedy Festival and what happened when he did stage his wedding in Egypt.
Our Take: Stand-up thrives on mirthful misdirection, and Youssef’s hour demonstrates just how delightful that can be, from start to finish. His segues, pivots and callbacks, all top tier.
You may recall Youssef in his previous special struggling with how he should handle becoming politically active (if at all) with the Biden campaign. In stark contrast, he did find himself front and center with Mamdani, but with a twist. Here Youssef reveals he doesn’t really know the mayor; moreover, that gives him just enough pause to muse about defending someone who might’ve appeared in a photo or two with Jeffrey Epstein. Almost.
The chunk about wanting to talk to his dog (how come nobody has learned to speak dog by now, anyhow?!) goes to hilariously dark places, including one tangent where his dog admits to criminally perverse behavior. Youssef’s response to that hypothetical could apply to too many bad men, in and out of comedy, right now: “I don’t know dude. Society has not figured out what an apology looks like for this kind of behavior. This is awful. Why are you like this?”
Speaking of problematic comedians, nobody has quite the take on Riyadh as Youssef does, confessing that he cannot figure out why he wasn’t even invited, considering not only who booked the festival, but also that he visits his wife’s family in Saudi all the time, spending $10,000 per trip, when he could’ve earned millions. “I’m the only guy in Hollywood who loses money going to Saudi Arabia.”
Even his perspective on the comedian communion with Pope Francis is unique, not just because Youssef is Muslim, but also because he finds ways to make the moment more uniquely funny to him and his point of view.
Our Call: So cleverly written and constructed, it’s not surprising why people like Storer, like Jesse Armstrong, like Yorgos Lanthimos want to work with him. The only surprise is that Youssef himself isn’t as famous in America as he is in Egypt. He deserves to be. STREAM IT.
How To Watch Ramy Youssef: In Love
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Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat. He also podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.
