Dean ObeidallahDean was born in Lodi, New Jersey in 1970. Before he started in stand-up comedy in the 1990s, Dean worked as a lawyer. His comedy comes in large part from his unique background of being the son of a Palestinian father and a Sicilian mother. [here]
Dean has increasingly received media attention in the past few years as he uses comedy to both entertain and dispel negative stereotypes of Arab-Americans and Muslims. He admits that before the terrorist attacks of 9/11 he was a white person, but he woke up as an Arab Muslim next day. This feeling has coerced him to begin using "the comedy to try to show the Americans we [Muslim Americans] are just like you." [here] Dean is the founder and editor of the blog The Dean's Report which addresses political topics of the day. |
PROJECTS:
-- in 2005 Dean has appeared in Comedy Central's The Axis of Evil television special in which a group of Middle Eastern comedians jokes about their culture along with being Middle-Eastern in America -- co-founder of the New York Arab-American Comedy Festival, highly-acclaimed, first of its kind festival which has received national and international media coverage --co-creator of Stand up for Peace along with Jewish comic Scott Blakeman which is the funny comedy show that brings Jews, Arabs, Muslims and people from all background to laugh and encourages a dialogue in support of a peaceful, political resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- co-director and co-producer of the documentary The Muslims Are Coming! featuring a tour of American-Muslim comedians who perform free comedy shows across America in the hopes of using comedy to foster understanding and dispel misconceptions about Muslims |
Comedy
Dean Obeidallah talks about media portrayal of Muslims.
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In this sketch the comedian makes an audience laugh with experiences of being an Arab and a Muslim in America.
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Dean jokes about the president Barack Obama being a Muslim and a new politically correct term for Muslims in America (5:20).
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Media Coverage
Comedian Dean Obeidallah on CNN talking about the growing worldwide Muslim population and countering the fear among the Americans.
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Dean on The View show making fun of his mix ethnic heritage with regard to being a Muslim.
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The Comedy Tour: Dean Obeidallah is running for Vice President to dispel the misconceptions about Muslims in the US. |