While I was in Boston for my show at the Wilbur Theatre, I was invited to talk at Harvard in what would turn out to be a truly unique experi...
While I was in Boston for my show at the Wilbur Theatre, I was invited to talk at Harvard in what would turn out to be a truly unique experience for me and hopefully for everyone there. The talk was co-sponsored by the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE referred to as HUGSEY in the video) and The Voice. nnThis was the description we used when we announced the talk:nnLebanese / American Stand Up Comedian NEMR (www.nemrcomedy.com) will be in Boston for his new show "No Politics No Religion One Love" at the Wilbur Theatre on April 8 and will be stopping by the Askwith Hall on April 5 for a special event - ARABS: America's Imaginary Enemy, a talk from the front lines of Comedy in the Middle East, a talk about the "Arab Problem" and how to solve it.nnNEMR singlehandedly established and pioneered the stand up comedy industry across the Middle East and has a unique perspective on how to bring two parts of the world together, in a way he's been able to do for hundreds of thousands of audience members for the past 17 years, marrying Stand Up Comedy, an American cultural phenomenon, with Arabs, or as many American's see them, a problem.nnAs things stand, the Arabs are a problem for the US and the Arabs themselves have a problem. Both of which need to be solved. nn1. On one hand, the Middle East is seen as a massive headache by America. An enemy that is only growing in numbers, constantly cited as a hotbed of extremism, and having nothing to offer in the way of the world besides a proverbial pain in the ass at best, and an uncanny threat at worsenn2. The perception that Arabs have, the "image" that the Middle East currently has, is a problem, for the Arabs. It hurts all aspects of life for its citizens who are some of the most brilliant achievers the world has known, both past and present, and who are constantly pushed back from achieving their maximum potential because they are considered to be feared, subsequently, not welcome.nnThe solution to this two pronged problem is the understanding that the West and the Middle East have identical objectives and share identical values, and where there is trouble for the people on either side achieving what they desire, the other side should be helping rather than fighting a war that exists in rhyme but not in reason.nnThe talk will establish exactly what the current state of the Middle East really is today, and what the US can stand to gain by understanding this, and that the burden of this explanation falls on the Middle East and not the US.nnThe problem is clear, the solution is clearer, and that is a realistic conversation without any politically correct restrictions of exactly where we stand today, the power of hate that has found its way into every facet of our lives, and how embracing, understanding and most importantly, rationalizing that hatred, will lead to an objective oriented approach to making two people facing the opposite direction but standing back to back, turn around.nn-------------------------------------------------------------------------nnWATCH NEMR LIVE AT A CITY NEAR YOU! HEAD TO NEMRCOMEDY.COM FOR TICKETS!nnNemr is a Lebanese/American Stand-Up Comedian who is credited with establishing and pioneering the stand-up comedy scene throughout the Middle East where he performs in English. Nemr grew up in San Diego and then moved back with his family to Lebanon. He went on to break down barriers and unite people in a region where bombing on stage can have a completely different meaning.nn“A Comedy Superhero... If there's one comedy show you attend this year, this just might be the one” - AXS.COMnnAs an accomplished comic with seven full feature shows, it’s no wonder Nemr’s latest tour was met with unprecedented success, selling out across the globe from every major city in the U.S. to London and across the Middle East, his international tour became the first global comedy event to successfully stretch from the US to the Middle East, with crowds of up to 5,000 people at every show.nnNemr has numerous television credits from major networks in the Middle East, has been seen on CNN and recently appeared on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.” He has also released two feature specials as cinematic experiences and had his own prime time TV show. In May of 2014 he was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine (Middle East) solidifying Nemr’s legacy as the biggest name in stand up in the Middle East.nnOn the heels of his hugely successful world tour in 2016, Nemr is coming with a brand new show, bigger and better than ever, 'No Politics No Religion One Love' will make its mark on 2017 as not only a show the likes of which the world has never seen before, but also one the world badly needs.nnIn short, there is no stopping Nemr from accomplishing in America and worldwide what he did across the Middle East, bringing people together through laughter and merriment.nnHe comes bearing gifts of myrrh and frankincense. nnNo you can't smoke them. Less