Revolution for Dummies: The Arab Spring and Political Satire
Monday, October 24, 20167:00 PM - 8:30 PM (Pacific)
Cubberley Auditorium
485 Lasuen Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
This event is hosted by the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law. Bassem Youssef's fellowship at CDDRL is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Stanford Arts Office of the Associate Dean.
Event Details
- This is a ticketed event, only guests with tickets will be admitted. Please print out your tickets before the event and present them at the door. All persons, regardless of age, require a ticket.
- The event will be held at Cubberley Auditorium at Stanford University. More information on directions and parking is available below.
- Doors will open at 6:30 pm. We ask that you please be seated by 6:50 pm. Any unclaimed seats at that time will be released to the stand-by line.
Join the conversation at #BassematStanford
Abstract
The Arab Spring and the political changes it accompanied brought to the forefront of the public realm a wide range of satirical political expressions, whether through talk shows, social media channels and pages, and even repertoires of political protests. In this talk, international media figure and political satirist Bassem Youssef will reflect on the popularity these forms of expressions have gained in light of the Arab Spring, and why states and their advocates found them threatening and were quick to limit and undermine them.
Speaker Bio
Named one of TIME’s “100 most influential people in the world” in 2013, Bassem Youssef is an Egyptian satirist, columnist, and talk show host. A cardiac surgeon by training, Youssef turned to comedy after he was inspired by the Egyptian revolution. He uploaded the first episode of his homemade newscast, “The B+ Show,” to YouTube in May 2011. After it garnered more than 5 million views in three months, Youssef was named the host of “Al-Bernameg,” a satirical newscast modeled after Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show.” Youssef’s bold, intelligent, and humorous critiques of Egyptian politics quickly became a hit with audiences in the country and garnered more than 40 million viewers. Due to its sharp criticism of Egyptian leaders, Al-Bernameg faced political pressure from successive governments until it was finally taken off the air in the summer of 2014. Recently, Youssef launched “The Democracy Handbook,” a Fusion TV digital series that satirizes American politics through a Middle Eastern perspective. Youssef is currently a Visiting Scholar at CDDRL's Program on Arab Reform and Democracy. He served as a resident fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 2015.
Directions
FROM 101: Take the University Avenue exit west. University will change to Palm Drive once you get onto campus. Take a left onto Campus Drive East. Take a right onto Mayfield Avenue. Take a right into the Tressider Union parking lot and park. Walk towards White Plaza (Bookstore), then towards the Clock Tower. Cubberley Auditorium appears after the Clock tower on the right.
FROM 280: Take the Sand Hill Road exit east. Follow Sand Hill Road, then take a right onto Junipero Serra Boulevard. Take a left onto Campus Drive East. Take a left onto Mayfield Avenue. Take a right into the Tressider Union parking lot and park. Walk towards White Plaza (Bookstore), then towards the Clock Tower. Cubberley Auditorium appears after the Clock tower on the right.
Parking Information
Meters and permitted parking is generally enforced 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., unless otherwise posted. You are free to park in these areas after enforcement hours.
Park either on the main Oval, or the Memorial Lot just north of the Memorial Hall on Memorial Way, or South of the campus union at Mayfield Ave.
For map and additional parking information visit http://campus-map.stanford.edu