The Bipartisan Comedic Genius of Hassan Minhaj and Patriot Act
(And Why We Could Really Benefit From a Series Renewal)
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj was the perfect political comedy show… until it was cancelled. (Why Netflix, why!?) The premature conclusion of the show was and remains, to this day, hands down, my biggest disappointment from the streaming service. Quick rundown: back in 2018, Hasan Minhaj had wrapped up his time as a primary correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show to host Netflix’s brand-new, commentary, sometimes pseudo sketch, investigative journalism, political comedy show. Patriot Act consisted of 6 volumes with 6 episodes per volume, all skillfully pieced together with unrivaled background digital graphics, hard hitting topics and the impeccable comedic timing of Hasan Minhaj.
Now before criticizing the Netflix too hard, we cannot ignore the fact that the show was botched due to allegations of an extremely abusive work environment as stated by some background players of the show. Thankfully, many ex-Patriot Act employees were quick to exclude Hasan from the allegations. Condoning the actions of various producers and show runners involved in the project would be insensitive and wrong and many patrons of the show believe the show could have been saved once the parasites were eradicated. Nonetheless, the product that was Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj was nothing short of brilliant.
Most news and media outlets are immensely informative but fail to hold the attention of viewers in the 21st century. On the other hand, the art of comedy allows people to step back and take an honest look at any given topic/social issue without the need to take things too seriously and flail your party’s political flag. However, comedy can often sacrifice its substance and ability to influence individuals on a deeper level. Patriot Act was the perfect fusion of both. The show took a libertarian stance and dissected issues topic by topic, steering away from inherent bias and focused on the best argument available.
“How do you define best?”
Glad you asked. I define it the same way EP McKenzie McHale from HBO’s the Newsroom does: “I define it by the source, and the number of relevant facts it contains.” I also define it by diving deep into the sources and data that is given. In his book Damn Lies and Statistics, Joel Best (no pun intended with his last name) says, “…because all statistics and data are made by human beings, every statistic has bias.” Best goes on how some institutions will even pay organizations to create “statistics” that are in their client’s best interests. After looking into multiple sources used from a number of episodes, I can confidently say Hasan’s sources fill the gamut.
And I get it, there are more than enough political commentary shows that infuse humor (or at least attempt to) across the airwaves and streaming services. But Patriot Act did what no other show does. They took stabs on both sides if the political aisle. They were critical of radicalism and exhumed fairness where it was earned and did it without diluting its comedic aspects. Joshua Rivera of The Verge put it best, “It helped that the show didn’t position [Hasan] as a neutral host but as an individual.” He is an incumbent of opposition without hatred. Hell, Hasan even gave some unforgivable blows to the streaming service that funds and distributes his show. (Watch Patriot Act: The Ugly truth of Fast Fashion 9:40)
Yes, it is a well-known fact that objectivity is a myth within the media (politics at the forefront) but the strive to find it should be emulated across the board. Whether you are a reader, writer, or critic, the goal should be to discover what is right. It should be what policies and viewpoints make the global society better (it also helps that Hasan has an encyclopedic frame of reference in pop culture, sociology, and political science).
While on the subject of a show built different, Patriot Act put their money where their mouth is. Subsequent to Hasan’s rants, often times he would propose ways you could get involved in solving the issue that was a presented. For example: in the Patriot Act episode of Brazil and the Amazon, the over animated host talks about deforestation within the tropics of South America, much of it accredited to corrupt legislation and Brazilian leaders. To end this episode, Hasan and his team got the rights to a website domain for viewers who wish to donate to the indigenous people of the Amazon affected by the destruction of the rain forest. In another episode Hasan uncovered the environmental and economic strain fast fashion causes on a global scale. He then cited a solution to keep our clothes longer before they are shipped to burning African wastelands. A practical solution anyone can participate in.
If you longer have your ex’s login info and don’t have Netflix in your monthly budget, you can watch every episode on YouTube for free. Hasan and his team of patriots turned unwatchable local and national news into an enveloping, entertaining news experience. This Netflix show understood that people tune out very easy, that our goldfish-like attention span as a society requires eye catching bits of humor and self-degradation to fill in the space between crucial, informative news to provoke our attentiveness. This is the type of news that can shape human thought and promote a discourse towards truth and real world solutions.
To see more of Hasan Minhaj, check out his Netflix special Homecoming King (not on youtube unfortunately). Want my two-word review of the special: relatably awesome.
