Aron Kader, the Arab American comedian and a founding member of The Axis Of Evil Comedy Tour just wrote to us about his most recent trip to Amman, Jordan. In 2008 Aron became the first person to formally teach comedy in the Middle East. Aron took part of a Stand-Up Comedy festival, here is what Aaron told us:
Just got back from the 2nd annual Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival, in where else? Amman Jordan….
It was a magical year again for seven sold out nights of comedy. Two of the nights were done completely in Arabic, I didn’t perform in those nights since my Arabic sounds completely like English.
But it shows the increase in Arabic speaking comedy since last year only had one show, this year two shows and all with minimal security. The shows had monster headliners Maysoon Zayed, and the legendary Nabil Sawalha. Anyone who knows the 8circles of Amman knows Nabil right?! Of course you do.
I was proud to attend the event sponsored by the city of Amman, a vision of the municipality led by the Mayor, the main man Mr. Mayor. Maani.
Anyone who knows the 8circles of Amman knows Mayor Maani right? Then you would also know that he loves that big sculpture that sits on the 7th circle. I mean what is that thing?! Can anyone help me with this? Looks like an giant children’s book exploded! You can see it in this link
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Yes indeed …Aaron, as all Palestinians knows all about the 8 circles of amman…we built the first 7!
That statue thing on the 7th circle symbolizes the ability to change and mould peoples identity using brutal police force.
It was a gift from Ariel sharon symbolizing the strong bond between Jordan and Israel in their creation of the "New Jordanian identity" , or as the israelis like to call it : "The alternative Palestine" The majority of the innovators of the New Jordanian identity are yet again..Palestinian…but the very rich ones..(dont get me wrong im not speaking about the culturally rich, you know not those old school rich people but the ones that have directly benefited from building the 8 circles of Amman and suppressing their own (and others) Palestinian identity and more recently the Iraqis have joined in on it in Amman – Some Palestinian are irritated at the Iraqi newcomers…and dont think that so much "immigration"should be allowed – JOKERS!)
All those people off course were at the 2nd "Amman Comedy Festival"….and they will also off course, all be at the first "international Jordan Tango Festival".
You see when you lack your own culture and identity…(Tel Aviv – Amman – Dubai) then you either steal it from someone else (for example the other day i read somewhere that "Musakhan" was Jordanian food!) and claim it as your own.
Or the elite (Newly rich as discussed earlier) become so obsessed with being accepted and creating this new identity that they start to try to create any kind of hype around anything and everything…making sure at every corner and at every chance they get to change Palestinian to Jordanian when they can…or simply not mention it…(you know, so rather than Palestinian actor bla bla bla then its Arab American bla bla bla …or…Arab American who's parents once lived in Jordan or something..) and when not just dont mention the nationality..or just say ARAB!
It dosent click in their head..when they see proud palestinian grinding and hustling all over the world shining at what they do because they are true to themselves and they are hard working people that tasted the shit and want to never again taste it.
It dosent click in their heads because they believe they are on the right path(peace with israel and ass kissing the US)..while the Palestinians are not..so how is it that the Cannes Film festival is screening a Palestinian film almost every year…the Venice beinnale has the Palestinian Pavillion…they dont understand…they hate it..they fight against it…some even start to claim their Palestinianness again thinking if they say that they can get in on it….its about how true you are..how real you are…not about the number of circles or the number of high rise buildings you have… Nevertheless i hope these comedy festivals and these activities in amman can open up the mind of the public a bit…i hope… and expose them to other way of thinking in the world..at the end of the day, these are my people i just hate to see them in such a bad state…this state of mind they are in is very hard to combat..
When i see amman and the gulf states , i see the future of the Arab world…ultra capitalist..white washed, completely controlled and de-politicized culture that is heavily being promoted. On the other side i see alot of Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Algerian, Palestinian, Tunisian, Morrocan, Algerian , Egyptian artists, thinkers and innovators trying to pick up the remainders of whats left and fight for it…Tottaly against the "Ammanization" of the arab world..which takes as its model dubai…(in its dreams)
While you can claim other peoples culture for yourselves with money…know that even with the Palestinians that live in Palestine under occupation and extreme conditions, they are still a million times more free than you will ever be…and a million times more likely and able to make a film, write a song or even become a comedian one day. We do still want your money though( The gulf countries, Jordania and any other country that would like to market themselves as the leaders of "Arab culture" )..so until you figure things out..please do keep bringing "Arab" artists to your country, and paying them!
We love you Aaron!..dont believe the hype!
Posted by pooltickos | December 20, 2009, 7:03 am…so how is it that the Cannes Film festival is screening a Palestinian film almost every year…
That's a good question! But I'd rather find out why they are so obsessed with Jerry Lewis. What's that all about?
Posted by programmer craig | December 20, 2009, 9:06 ampooltickos makes a strong point here. why isn't it mentioned here that Aaron is Palestinian?
Posted by m7amad | December 21, 2009, 11:05 amWhy isn't it mentioned he's an American mormon?
Posted by programmer craig | December 21, 2009, 11:38 amwhy isnt it mentioned that you're an American moron?
Posted by m7amad | December 21, 2009, 7:44 pmOh, is that righteous Palestinian anger there!? lol
Posted by programmer craig | December 21, 2009, 10:36 pmyes its that middle eastern anger that we palestinians posses… why ofcourse what else did you think it was?
Posted by m7amad | December 25, 2009, 2:11 amTrue he is a Palestinian (from his Father's side) he is also half member of the LDS (Mormon)….
Posted by Hanitizer | December 21, 2009, 8:07 pmI think that the guy is hilarious, and quite an observer!
Posted by Hala El-Desuqi | January 2, 2010, 11:12 am