By Rusheen Bansal
Patriot Act, the name itself, makes you wonder what all this fuss is about? Who is Hasan Minhaj and why is everyone suddenly talking about him? Well, he is the “homecoming king,” and unlike every other talk-show host, he stands! He walks around his set, which has an ever-moving kaleidoscope of multimedia in the background that seems designed specifically for our generation that, whenever the mood strikes them, is quite comfortable with accessing multiple screens at once. There are no interviews, no sketches or no pointless games with celebrities. It’s simple Minhaj, speaking for 30-so minutes on one subject for an entire episode.
After years of Colberts and Fallons, white liberal men who address the latest Trump debacle with a sing-a-long and a wink, Hasan Minhaj feels like a relief. His unapologetic attitude is so refreshing, it’s easy to forget that Patriot Act isn’t that much different from the other talk shows where liberal comedians spoon-feed you the center-left take.
I heard it in passing from a friend that this is a great show so I decided to give it a try. Let me tell you how surprised I was. Like every other talk show, I expected a desk, a celebrity or at least a small sketch. Instead, Minhaj threw that out and lit up the stage with his charismatic smile, winning aplomb and the fact that he is the first Indian-American to host a talk show (wohoo india!). I was hooked.
One thing that I absolutely loved was that Patriot Act focused more on evergreen topics, like the Rise of Amazon, the disguised oil-spills, affirmative action and so on. However, in the chase of laughter, he can flatten his opponent with irrelevant side tangents that attempt to undermine their credibility and because it is such a short episode, it always feels like he’s rushing. Personally, I prefer the fast pace.
On the whole, Minhaj is making the most of the international platform he has been presented with, and his international audience is absorbing all of the unique perspective that he has to offer. In a way, each episode of Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj is a 26-minute stand-up set, which will give you the perfect topic to discuss at your next awkward conversation.
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