This past homecoming week has been a blast, and I am actually a little sad that it’s coming to an end. But in the spirit of this week, I want to tell you about the best school dance story I’ve ever heard, and why you should watch the comedy special behind it.
I heard it during a speech tournament my sophomore year. The guy delivering the speech killed it – it was absolutely hilarious, he nailed every joke, and the whole room was laughing (which is pretty rare for high school speech tournaments). The speech was about a brown kid and his senior prom experience. When I asked him afterwards where he found the speech, he told me that he cut it from this Netflix special. That night, I went home and poured through Netflix, looking for it. There’s one comedy special that catches my eye, called “Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King”. It seemed promising (brown kid, school dance), but fifteen minutes in, I’m confused because it has nothing to do with prom or homecoming or any school dance for that matter, and I click out and forget about it.
Cut to last year. I am scrolling through Netflix, waiting for the next season of Santa Clarita Diet, and not in the mood for The Office. I scroll through my “Continue Watching”. All the way at the back, I find Homecoming King. So I decide to give it another try.
Best decision ever. I loved it. I can’t express how absolutely perfect it is. I recommend it to everyone I know. I won’t give it all away, but the premise is a story about homecoming that’s woven with other narrative snippets about his experience as an immigrant, an Indian, and a Muslim growing up and living in America. The humor is definitely there, but he also uses the special as a platform to address a more serious issues, and the balance between the two is perfect. I cried, I laughed, and I cried from laughing. There are moments that are bittersweet, but at its core, it’s still feel-good (just with some added depth and meaning).
Even though Minhaj himself is Indian, I promise you, his special is truly for everyone. And if you love Homecoming King, if you love Hasan, you’ll definitely love Patriot Act.
Let me tell you, I am not a politically savvy person. My knowledge of current events is much more limited than I’d like. I don’t watch any other satirical shows – no SNL, Late Night, Daily Show, John Oliver, nothing. I am a total newbie, and I still enjoyed Patriot Act, which is why I think you will too!
Patriot Act is Hasan’s Netflix web series – it’s political comedy/satire. Its 24 half hour long episodes can be found on Netflix and on YouTube. Hasan focuses on a new topic each episode, covering current political events, cultural trends, or just random, seemingly irrelevant topics that are actually (surprise surprise) very relevant.
The topics range from hip-hop to student loans to Indian elections and every random thing in between (my personal favorite is probably his episode about Supreme). The show can be very political (and yes, it’s also fairly liberal), but you don’t need to be uber-informed to watch it and understand. Hasan has a knack for spinning a story with each topic that makes it interesting and appealing to anyone, whether the topic seems overdone or the topic is totally random. He establishes enough background in the episode so that you can go from not knowing anything about the topic to jumping right in. Each topic is very well researched, but Hasan still cuts it down so everything presented is easily digestible and doesn’t try to cram too much into 30 minutes. Minhaj’s persona and energy really shines in this show, which to me, is what sets it apart from other shows in the “political comedy” genre.
The main reason I love both of these is because I just love Hasan Minhaj. I love his comedy style, and I love the representation he brings to the entertainment industry. As a comedian, he is very accomplished, starting his mainstream career as a correspondent on the Daily Show before moving on to Homecoming King and Patriot Act. He also performed at the 2017 White House Correspondant’s Dinner and was named by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in 2019. Despite being accomplished, Hasan’s personality is very down to earth. He is knowledgeable and relatable, and that comes across so well.
He also incorporates his ethnic and religious background into many of his shows and jokes, and for me, it has been so exciting and refreshing to see him speak so openly about it. I love that he leans into being Indian, fully celebrates it as part of the movement in media he refers to as the “Brown Come Up”, because it gives way to a whole new realm of Indian-culture-specific humor.
So here’s my final takeaway: please watch Homecoming King! If you like it, watch Patriot Act! It’s “beginner friendly”, it’s entertaining and informative, and not at all boring.
That’s all! Hopefully your Homecoming goes better than Hasan’s prom 😉
xx
Helenna Gu
Note: most links are to YouTube videos which would be blocked on Chromebook (but Homecoming King and Patriot Act are both on Netflix! I just couldn’t link them).
If you just can’t get enough of Hasan, definitely check out Deep Cuts, where he fields the Patriot Act audience’s questions, “But First, Tan”, a YouTube video where Queer Eye’s Tan France helps dress Hasan, and Patriot Act’s YouTube channel for fun extra content!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasan_Minhaj
Helenna, I love this piece! I watched Homecoming King last summer, and have loved Hasan Minhaj ever since. I love how you talk about the Patriot Act as well; though I am not a political person either, I think the show breaks down hard to talk about topics and makes them manageable, while also being able to find humor.
I’m so glad that other people like him!! He is truly such a gem. With Patriot Act, he picks such relevant topics, and really explores them in depth. I can’t think of any other political comedian who would do a whole episode about cruise lines, but he does. I definitely recommend Deep Cuts, especially if you want to see more of Hasan in a casual, non-political context.
Wow! Right after I read this piece, I was inspired to go watch the comedy special, and it blew me away!! This review is very well written and (in my opinion) an accurate representation of how Hasan Minhaj, and the show overall functions. I love the representation of minorities and the “immigrant experience”, as well as how his humor is clear-cutting and on point. Looking forward to The Patriot Act as well!! Thanks for the reccomendations!!!!!!!!
Yay I’m glad you watched it!!! I feel like you would really like Patriot Act, especially the more “fun” episodes that cater more to our age group. I recommend Supreme, Affirmative Action, Cruises, and Student Loans.
Ahh, this was such a fun read! I will definitely be checking out Hasan’s comedy more now when I get the chance. I actually tried to watch Patriot Act a while back but couldn’t get into it but I think it might be worth revisiting based on your word. However, I do remember when I watched the first episode of Patriot Act, like you said, I found his energy level to be very unique and authentic. Also, given that there aren’t a ton of mainstream stand-ups that hone in on ethnic or religious themes, I think it would be really interesting to see Hasan’s take and if I would be able to relate to it. On another note, though, if you like Hasan you should definitely check out Dave Chappelle’s comedy as well. I love Dave Chappelle’s specials on Netflix and I think at some point Hasan said that one of his comedy idols was Dave. His comedic timing and storytelling abilities are unparalleled (he’s like the godfather of comedy) and though he’s much more cynical than Hasan, they both are so real, so I would definitely recommend him if you like Hasan.
I felt the same way about Patriot Act at first, but I think watching Homecoming King definitely helps you warm up to his style. I’ve seen some clips from Chappelle’s specials (I saw the bit where he talks about taking his son to see Kevin Hart) and it was really funny, so I’ll definitely check him out too – thanks for the rec!
I have been wanting to check this comedian out for a while (I saw him on “But first, Tan”) but your article has definitely convinced me that I need to move his specials up on my to watch list. He seems very talented in his craft, and your personality really comes through in the post in regards to just how much you enjoy his shows. I loved how many links you took the time to put in, and will definitely be going back later to click on all of them. I have been in search of a comedian since I finished all of John Mulaney’s specials, and I appreciate your assurance that it’s not too political because that was honestly one of the main things holding me back (most political humor has gotten too partisan for me to enjoy.) I am definitely going to use the Homecoming King in my future procrastination- I mean relaxation- sessions.
But first, Tan is so fun!! I’ve seen and loved all of John Mulaney’s specials as well. I think with Hasan, his episodes definitely do have a liberal lean, but if you want to avoid heavy political topics there are definitely lots of more lighthearted, pop-culture themed episodes for you! I’m glad you enjoyed the links, even though they don’t work on the chromebooks. Definitely check them out when you can (when you need a break from college apps :))
I absolutely loved Hasan Minhaj’s Homecoming King Netflix Special. He’s one of those standup comedians that I can relate to. One of my favorite parts of Patriot Act is a section called Deep Cuts. He answers questions from the audience and it’s hilarious how he interacts with the audience, specifically the ones that asked the question. Hasan Minhaj is very similar to John Oliver in that they both do great research into issues that most of the public may not know. Hasan’s brilliant and funny ways of retelling stories from his life is what makes this Netiflix special…special. I don’t think many comedians are willing to go as personal as he did. I really hope that he will make more awesome Netflix specials, like the kid at the speech tournament he is inspiring a lot of kids with similar backgrounds as him to branch out and do things that they enjoy.
Deep Cuts is also really fun to watch. He has such a good repartee with his audience, and I think it’s a further testament to his warmth and personality. I love all the inside jokes the audience has developed **hand gestures** and the way he interacts with them. I definitely agree that his willingness to be vulnerable in his special really makes it particularly impactful, and more than just any comedy show. I think the speech kid is just one example of someone who is touched by Minhaj, and I think he’ll be able to continue to have that effect.