New Yorker profile finds comedian Hasan Minhaj made up stories about racism against Muslims in the US
A New Yorker profile found that Muslim comedian Hasan Minhaj had exaggerated or outright fabricated details and events he told about racism and discrimination in the U.S.
A reporter for the New Yorker tried to confirm the details in many of the stories with people involved, but found they were inaccurate.
"In Minhaj’s approach to comedy, he leans heavily on his own experience as an Asian American and Muslim American, telling harrowing stories of law enforcement entrapment and personal threats. For many of his fans, he has become an avatar for the power of representation in entertainment. But, after many weeks of trying, I had been unable to confirm some of the stories that he had told onstage," wrote Clare Malone.
She said that Minhaj had confirmed that many of the stories were untrue but that he stood by his work.
“Every story in my style is built around a seed of truth,” he said. "My comedy Arnold Palmer is seventy percent emotional truth — this happened — and then thirty percent hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction."
In one story, Minhaj claimed that someone had sent him an envelope with white powder and he was afraid that he might have exposed his daughter to anthrax.
Another anecdote had to do with an undercover FBI agent who had supposedly investigated Minhaj's mosque.
“The punch line is worth the fictionalized premise,” said Minhaj to Malone.
Another alarming incident involved his exaggerating a supposedly racist incident with a white family while he was in high school. The target of his anecdote claimed that she had received online threats over his story but that he only suggested that she scrub her social media presence to deter more threats.
Many people online reacted to the New Yorker expose with disgust.
"I rolled my eyes when I first saw today’s Hasan Minhaj article because we all exaggerate and edit stories for the stage but after reading it I’m actually floored, this is psychotic behavior and it defeats the entire purpose of standup comedy," replied comedian Jeremy McLellan.
"Yes, comedians are allowed creative liberties," responded comedian Sarah Harvard. "But Hasan Minhaj brands himself more than just a comedian. He branded himself as a truth teller with journalistic integrity. So telling lies that exploit the traumas of our communities and masquerading it as truth is gross."
Minhaj was floated as a possible host for "The Daily Show," but the expose has cast a dark cloud on his future.
Here's more about the Minhaj controversy:
Hasan Minhaj Admits to Embellishing Stand-Up Stories, Defends "Emotional Truth" | THR News www.youtube.com
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Fraud EXPOSED: Comedian under fire for INJURIOUS lies in his highly political comedy
Usually, no one bats an eye if someone lies in a comedy routine. But Hasan Minhaj might have gone too far. The comedian has recently come under fire for having fabricated many of the stories in his comedy, which is very political in nature.
“I mean, calling it comedy is kind of a stretch, in my opinion, so let’s just say his style of commentary/stand-up material,” Lauren Chen notes before diving into exactly what Minhaj has been accused of.
“You see, as part of his social justice advocacy, Hasan likes to talk about different experiences that he has had as a person of color, as a Muslim in America,” she explains.
While Chen is well aware that he’s using these stories for a comedy routine, whether they’re funny or not, she is also well aware that lying about stories that are being used to illustrate how bigoted America is completely crosses the line.
“If you ask me at least, it is kind of a big deal that these stories aren’t even real. Like, if America is so bigoted and racist and Islamophobic, wouldn’t you have real stories you could use to illustrate that point?” she asks.
In a recent New Yorker article, which Chen is surprisingly impressed by, Minhaj is quoted as telling the journalist, “Every story in my style is built around a seed of truth.”
“It seems like a stretch to say that there is any 'seed of truth' in these stories because they are completely fabricated,” she comments.
One of Minhaj’s stories involves an FBI informant, “Brother Eric,” who attempted to infiltrate his Muslim community growing up. The man was later identified on the news as Craig Monteilh, and Minhaj recalled recognizing him in his story and telling his father, “Well, well, well, Papa, look who it is. It’s our good friend Brother Eric.”
Monteilh told the New Yorker reporter that Minhaj’s story was a complete fabrication.
“I have no idea why he would do that,” Monteilh said.
Minhaj also reportedly included a story in his special that claims he was sent anthrax as a result of his show “Patriot Act.” In his joke, Minhaj claims his daughter was then rushed to the hospital.
According to the New York Police Department, which investigates these kinds of incidents, no such incident involving Minhaj or his daughter was ever reported. Former employees associated with Minhaj’s show do not recall the incident either.
“That’s right, Hasan Minhaj lied about his daughter being rushed to the hospital after potentially being exposed to anthrax powder,” Chen says, bewildered.
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