Off With His Head: Is Hasan Minhaj afraid of his own jokes now?

In September 2023, The New Yorker published an article titled, 'Emotional Truths' questioning the authenticity of personal stories told by Comedian Hasan Minhaj in his stand-up specials 'Homecoming King' (2017) and 'The King's Jester' (2022). Both the article and Minhaj's reaction to it took the internet by storm. 

The backlash stripped away his chance to be 'The Daily Show' host.

Now, almost a year after the turmoil his image went through, Minhaj has returned with a new Netflix special 'Off With His Head' which was released on 22 October.

'Off With His Head' presents a more honest, self-aware, and relaxed Minhaj compared to the theatrical standups we have seen from him previously. 

But is this shift due to the backlash?

It seems likely.

Once known for his impactful humour in 'Patriot Act' and 'The King's Jester', Minhaj's new special now seems hesitant, caught in the tension of trying to be authentic while wary of controversy. 

Directed by Tyler Babin, the hour-long show focuses very little on The New Yorker investigative piece, which fact-checked the comedian's material and found him guilty of exaggeration. 

"I don't know if you saw this. Last year, The New Yorker fact-checked my stand-up comedy," he said.  

"They were just like breaking news: Magicians aren't wizards," he laughed, adding, "I got caught embellishing for dramatic effect. Same crime your aunt is guilty of over Thanksgiving."

He later said how there's a controversy tab on his Wikipedia now and refers to it as the most "dorky" controversy.

Minhaj acknowledged using artistic licence but maintained that his stories, which depicted the racism he faced as an Indian-American Muslim post-9/11, conveyed "emotional truths" rooted in real experiences. 

He also clarified there was a distinction between his news-based shows, where "the truth comes first," and his stand-up performances, where "the emotional truth" takes precedence.

A journey through "Beigeistan"

Moving away from the backlash, he shifts the audience's focus to a term he coined called "Beigeistan" —to describe South Asian immigrant communities. 

With a witty jab, he describes his "Beigeistan" audience as "far more practical than progressives," drawing laughter and applause.

Once the crowd is on his side, he dives into a sharp critique of diaspora communities and their self-serving voting habits. 

Highlighting the four key issues these communities prioritise — "No 1: Give me a green card, No 2: Believe in God, No 3: I don't like paying taxes, and No 4: Don't bomb my home country" — he then, with a sly tone, adds, "But if you give me No. 1, I'll let you do No 4."

In a bold move, Minhaj discusses the experience of "Beigeistan," highlighting how South Asian immigrants often prioritise the "American Dream", turning a blind eye to broader injustices. 

He also touches on American foreign policy and the war on Palestine and the Middle East, remarking that "each president enters and leaves as a war criminal."

'Off With His Head' does not hit as hard as Hasan Minhaj's earlier specials—not due to any lost talent, but because it misses his signature style of weaving humour through deeply personal stories.

He touches on themes like Indians in politics, generational divides, and boundary conflicts.

While some moments were amusing, most were worth just a chuckle.

Reflecting on The New Yorker's investigation into Minhaj's storytelling, one wonders: was revealing the full truth worth it? 

Would it have been so wrong to let his artistic liberties slide? Hasn't such a liberty been offered to every comedian in existence? 

Or did Minhaj's emotional truths hit too close to him for a predominantly white audience, afraid to confront their inherent islamophobia?