Hari Kondabolu has just released his second album, Mainstream American Comic, following up Waiting for 2042. You can also find him on tour now, doing the podcast Politically Re-Active with W. Kamau Bell, and to cement his command of all forms of media, he’s working on a documentary, tentatively titled “The Problem with Apu,” for Tru TV. Video of his take on “All Lives Matter” is below.
Laura Clawson: In "a special blend of South Asian humor," you talk about one of your shows being advertised with curry and rice references. Obviously massive racial hamhandedness is the primary factor there, but I feel like it also partly gets at South Asians being the less-known Asian group in the United States and people sort of groping for a way to talk about you. Then your YouTube clip on South Indian pride gets at how South Indians can be overlooked even within Indian-American contexts. How does being from a doubly overlooked ethnicity inform your perspective as a mainstream American comic?
Hari Kondabolu: Historically, being an outsider can be a very good thing for comedy. You observe what you are not included in and have a unique point of view which will throw an audience off-guard. I have angles that other comics may not have. Also, if surprise is key to comedy, being positioned off-center gives you an advantage since you are less predictable.
It's funny because growing up in Queens, NY, I never really felt like an outsider. I always had a big South Asian community around me. I really felt the full effects of being outsider when I went to college in Maine and all of a sudden, my skin color became a topic of interest. September 11th, of course, certainly made my status clearer. Since comedy has always been my way to deal with pain or frustration or anger, being an outsider in that climate certainly gave me a lot to work with.
LC: In "2042 and the white minority," you point out that Irish people weren't always considered white. What do you think is the next group that gets to become magically white?
Kondabolu: I can't really imagine anyone else getting white status, at this point … unless there are Martians who happen to be white.
LC: One of the tracks on your new album is #BobbyJindalIsSoWhite. Most Indian-Americans are Democrats, yet Jindal and Nikki Haley, the most prominent Indian-American politicians, are Republicans. Is this more good for your comedy or more frustrating politically?
Kondabolu: Oh, it's certainly good for my comedy since it provides me with clear arch-enemies that are complicated & layered. They are not rich, old white men who fit your standard villain archetype. We're talking about brown people with immigrant parents who believe in assimilation and don't seem to love immigrants. It's much more insidious and bizarre. Also, the more frustrating something is for me politically, the better it usually is for my comedy. My point of view & my politics are intertwined.
LC: What do you see as the role of political comedy in comedy or politics?
Kondabolu: Well, I feel like "political comedy" in comedy is somewhat stigmatized since it potentially triggers thoughts of corny Republicans vs. Democrats jokes. These aren't jokes I really tell since I'm more concerned with the big issues that affect people. Talking about politics and elections, in particular, is just like talking about sports. Not everyone likes hearing about sports and they can easily tune out.
Also, to be honest, I hate the term "political comedy," when it is used to describe what I do. It's not like I put on special glasses to make "political observations." My point of view is a politicized one. Power dynamics, inequality & inconsistency are what I generally see before anything else. I'm programmed this way. I'm a killjoy who does comedy.
The comedy that I love involves a person sharing their personal truth & calling out injustice without fear. Comedy can shape culture and bring truth to power. In terms of its impact on politics, comedy is an accessible way to educate your electorate and start debates. Not everyone is reading political magazines or political theory … but they listen to comedy. They understand comedy. They trust comedy. There's a responsibility in this.
LC: What other comedians should your fans be looking into?
Kondabolu: W. Kamau Bell, Aamer Rahman, Wyatt Cenac and Elicia Sanchez.