How to Make White People Laugh

From the acclaimed writer, director, and star of the hit documentary The Muslims are Coming! comes a memoir in essays about growing up Iranian-American in a post-9/11 world and the power of comedy to combat racism.



Negin Farsad is an Iranian-American-Muslim female stand-up comedian who believes she can change the world through jokes. And yes, sometimes that includes fart jokes. In this candid and uproarious book, Farsad shares her personal experiences growing up as the "other" in an American culture that has no time for nuance. In fact, she longed to be black and/or Mexican at various points of her youth, you know, like normal kids. Right? RIGHT?

Writing bluntly and hilariously about the elements of race we are often too politically correct to discuss, Farsad takes a long hard look at the iconography that still shapes our concepts of "black," "white," and "Muslim" today-and what it means when white culture defines the culture. Farsad asks the important questions like, What does it mean to have a hyphenated identity? How can we actually combat racism, stereotyping, and exclusion? Do Iranians get bunions at a higher rate than other ethnic groups? (She's asking for a friend.)

How to Make White People Laugh tackles these questions with wit, humor, and incisive intellect. And along the way, you might just learn a thing or two about tetherball, Duck Dynasty, and wine slushies.

Negin Farsad is an American comedian, actor, writer, and filmmaker of Iranian descent based in New York City. Like most comedians, she has a master's degree in African-American studies. She was named one of the 53 Funniest Women by the Huffington Post, one of 10 Feminist Comedians to Watch by Paper magazine, and was selected as a TEDFellow for her work in social justice comedy.

She has written for and appeared on Comedy Central, MTV, PBS, IFC, Nickelodeon, and others. She is director/producer of the feature films Nerdcore Rising starring Weird Al Yankovic and The Muslims Are Coming! starring Jon Stewart, David Cross, and Lewis Black (both available on Netflix). Her film 3rd Street Blackout, starring Janeane Garofalo and Ed Weeks, was released in 2016.