Cairo, Egypt--After four month’s absence, the sarcastic Bassem Yoseph (‘Egypt’s Jon Stewart’) returned to the television screen with his sarcasm for all political symbols in Egypt. Yoseph’s brand of sarcasm contributed significantly to motivate people to changing their feelings against former President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. His comedic style broke the longtime restrictions that shackled Egyptians from ridiculing their leaders, in public or private for fear of imprisonment, part of Egyptian life for more than 60 years since the end of the kingdom era.
Yoseph’s program has the highest viewer rating not only in Egypt, but throughout the entire Arab world, with an hour of satire directed against rulers and politicians, fabricated Constitution and laws restricting freedom of speech by the Muslim Brotherhood and their followers notwithstanding.
Before Yoseph’s new season began, there was a lot of controversy about what he could now get away with. Before the overthrow of Morsi, Morsi himself was the favorite subject of ridicule along with his fellow islamists, but now after the intervention of the army, people feared the return of restrictions on freedom of opinion and the return of cultural taboos, especially since it is known that military personnel do not accept criticism well and don’t have an open mind. Military rule of the ‘You’re in the Army now’ mindset does not operate as a democracy.
Everyone was waiting to see how Yoseph would deal with the new power structure in Egypt and how he would portray Gen. el Sisi--the most powerful man in Egypt--its most dominant man behind the scenes.
In the end, Yoseph came out in his program announcing to all that he was and still is the bravest person in the land; the only one who dares to poke fun at all politicians. He made jokes about the Brotherhood as usual, scoffing at interim President Adli Mansour, went on to joke about el Sisi himself, and along the way ridiculed the Egyptian people. Yoseph openly declared himself as the new ‘King of Freedom of Speech in the Middle East and the man who will not stop using levity to fight at the sad situation of the Egyptians.
Yoseph said that Egyptians differed about even naming what took place on June 30--was it a coup or revolution? He summed up the events in a fast moving monologue that concluded you’re either a terrorist, an agent or a betrayer, no matter what side you’re on.
Yoseph did not spare fellow broadcasters with his jokes, and used clips showing them making differing statements at different times over the past two years.
A storm of controversy broke after the program with people taking to social networks like Facebook and Twitter both praising and condemning program content and going after Yoseph’s performance.
Not to be outdone, Yoseph wrote on Twitter. Legend has it that the Egyptian people, who have a sense of humor, are tolerant of criticism when it comes in jokes. But it should have added, “only when the jokes are not about us.”
