#402 - “Pure Evil” Bassem Youssef BLASTS Israel’s Plot Against America
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What is Bassem Youssef's backstory as a heart surgeon turned comedian?
Shout out to Beck Lover for hooking us up. Shout out to Beck. Beck is the man. Love you, Beck. The Albanian. Yes. The Albanian. He's a wild boy. But it's nice to meet you, man. Thank you for coming. No, thank you for having me. I think we should start this thing out by explaining your insane backstory. How you started as a heart surgeon and ended up in stand-up comedy. Has anyone ever done that before or are you the first?
that particular trajectory, I think I'm the first. Because I, so I was a doctor, 20 years in medicine, seven years studying, 13 years operating. And I hated every second of it. I hated every second of it. But you know why we go into medicine in the Middle East? Because you want to please your parents. Because in the Middle East, you're allowed to be one of three things, a doctor, an engineer, or a disappointment. So I didn't want to disappoint my parents. So I went into medicine. And I was never happy. It was a line of work that I was never happy. And so I always wanted to have event and I wanted to try things to kind of like get me out of that. So I would pick up crazy hobbies, like for example, salsa.
So as I was a doctor, I was actually a salsa teacher. I went to salsa, I came to Miami after I finished my medical school in 2001. And I came to Miami to learn Rueda de Casino. People who dance salsa who know what I'm talking about. This is the stuff that would people like dance in a circle and swap partners. And it's funny because that was 2001. i my return ticket was 17th of september 2001. oh but i ran out of money two days before 9 11 so i i just like uh booked a flight back and i went back home and i remember like my mom waking me up because i was jet lagged like get up see what's happening and i i go to see an end and i see the two tower fall and you're in age you're in egypt in egypt so i said oh my god i was in miami
where allegedly people got their training, the pilots. And then I went back to Egypt right before 9-11. And then I have a big salsa school. I was teaching people salsa while I was doing my medical training. So it was a little bit of a... It was a little bit weird. And then I continued with my medical school, specialized in heart surgery. And I passed my USMLE exams, my transfer exams to the United States of America. And I got accepted in a fellowship in Cleveland for, not Cleveland Clinic, it was the Rainbow Hospital, Sheldon Riemer Hospital in Cleveland. And I got accepted in pediatric heart surgery fellowship. 2011, the Egyptian revolution happens and the media goes crazy. I describe it as the media was like in Fox News, but on steroids.
It was, it was, they were spreading all kind of fake news, all kind of like crazy conspiracy theories. So I do have a couple of YouTube videos. They go viral. And then I get the offer to have My own TV show. And the same day that I'm signing the contract, the papers from Cleveland arrived, my H1 visa papers, and now I'm ready to fly. And I have to make a choice, you know. So on that day, I left medicine and I became a comedian. And because of that decision, many more patients are alive today. Wow. Oh my God. So I go into like three years doing that show and that show is insanely successful. 40 million people watching each episode. On YouTube? No, on television.
Oh, on television?
Yeah, 40 million people. 40 million people in Egypt alone. It was the biggest show in the Arab world. And then I got in trouble with all kind of governments, with the Muslim Brotherhood, the military. And then the Muslim Brotherhood, I was arrested. I was interrogated. I had like being interrogated for my jokes. And then the military had my... My shows are canceled a couple of times. And then at certain point it becomes, the pressure becomes too much and I leave. I leave, I come to the United States. Now it's like the perfect fall from grace scenario. Like I was like on top of the world and now I'm a nobody. I come into America, nobody cares. Nobody cares. No, it's like, yeah, yeah. You're the guy from Egypt who did that.
So who cares? And I went into a dark place for two, three years.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is Bassem Youssef's backstory as a heart surgeon turned comedian?
0:07–14:54
2
What challenges did Bassem face after transitioning to comedy?
14:54–16:39
3
How did Bassem's comedy show become successful in the Arab world?
16:39–19:14
4
What led to Bassem's exile from Egypt?
19:14–1:03:23
5
What are the implications of Israel's influence on American politics?
1:03:23–1:04:04
6
How is the funding for Israel linked to American evangelical groups?
1:04:04–1:04:39
7
What are the concerns surrounding Palantir's role in surveillance?
1:04:39–1:05:42
8
How does the conversation end regarding free speech and political influence?
1:05:42–2:06:52
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from Danny Jones Podcast
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