>>> This is KPBS Midday Edition I am Maureen Cavanaugh. If a joke works in San Diego will someone laugh in Lebanon ? it sounds like is in question. It is the fundamental concern of comedian Imer.'s standup comedy has taken him across the U.S. and across the Middle East.'s breakout TV special last year no bombing in Beirut was filmed in LA and Lebanon and was a hit with both audiences. He is bringing his national tour to San Diego this week. He joins me by skype. Welcome to the show . >> think you for having me how are you ? >> I am great. Thank you for having me -- doing it. San Diego holds a special place for your history you did a lot of growing up here . >> yes. That is my childhood. My family moved to San Diego from Beirut when I was two and I did not leave until I was 11 years old back to Beirut. I grew up in San Diego. >>> What was that transition like for you to go back to Lebanon at 11? >> It was horrendous. I knew nothing about Lebanon. All I knew was America was San Diego and we went back to a post-Civil War war-torn country 1993. For the first six months I hated everything about it but I fell in love with a fiercely now it's one my favorite places. >>> You draw a lot of comedy from that transition that juxtaposition of San Diego and Lebanon. >> There is no big rich expedition between a nation -- the biggest nation on earth, not only the transition but my time spent over there and traveling back and forth, it has given me a unique perspective that has leaked itself perfectly for the laughs. >>> Where did you start your standup comedy career. >> That I started in Beirut. I started the industry from scratch from Beirut in the Middle East. From about 14/15 years spreading across the Middle East spreading male competition and working with promoters in regents. We did the first stores -- shows of standup comedy because at the time you could not get crowds to mix in Saudi Arabia. We did not want to be up part of what was holding that country back. A lot of change, positive impact, making life happen. I moved here in 2014. That is when I pretty much that we've done what much needs to be done. >>> You performed in Beirut special in English for both American and Middle Eastern audiences. Why did you make that choice ? >> what I chose to do in that special is to show people what they don't know which is the truth in the fact that we are all very similar. The fact that I could film a special one continent in the Middle East and in the same joke starting in Beirut finishing on the other side of the planet in Los Angeles and jumping back to Beirut and if you're watching and you don't know you are transitioning and it feels like one show and one energy, doesn't it say a lot about who we are as a people worldwide. I was trying to visually show without saying that we have been lied to and there is a lot we have the gain from each other by sharing our perspective. >>> You avoid certain subjects in your routines ? >> with my style that is who I am. I avoid getting into politics and religion by name. I get into it by philosophy. So for instance calling out president donald trump or Hillary Clinton I would rather get into the philosophy of why we get and make certain choices. I just feel like I try to bring people together. I know sometimes there are words and you can say things that will automatically predispose people. >>> Do you find yourself in danger during this act either here or in the Middle East? >> Not at all. I have done this in the Middle East for a long time. The only sense of danger I felt was what would happen if people didn't laugh. That was the biggest threat to me. I didn't want to disappoint people. Apart from that, I felt it was funny. I watched the media here and the media there. everyone has a misunderstanding of everything on all sides. For me it was kind of like we have to set the records date -- Street. That is what I do with the bombing of Beirut in the answer to my new show in the one that we do for the San Diego Road best overall tour as well. There is humor that can be found in the absurdities in all of us. >>> Let's talk about the new comedy tour it's called love is not the answer. Do you mean love will not solve the roles problems? >> Yes, hands-down. Not only do I mean that love will not solve the roles problems but the cliché of spread the love, one love, immediately shy away from hate and say I am just going to ignore it and things will sort themselves out that is what the show is. It's a bit deeper than that. I imagine the line where when two people love each other and with that school they want to be together, and when they don't want to be together, they fight and stay together not because they love each other but they hate to be a part. It just shows how a positive force of change hate can be. This is me talking philosophically. In the show, I don't mention it, I tell stories and you seem to come to a conclusion that maybe if you had a different association with the word hate we might be able to adjust it -- address it. >>> The new show love is not the answer the Saturday night at the Balboa theater. Thank you so much. >>> Thank you for having me, I appreciate it.
Nemr Abou Nassar's stand-up comedy has taken him across the Middle East and the U.S.
His breakout TV special last year, "No Bombing In Beirut" was filmed in Los Angeles and Lebanon and was a hit with both audiences.
Now Nemr is bringing his national tour to his hometown of San Diego on Saturday. The tour is called “Love Isn’t The Answer.”
Nemr joins Midday Edition on Tuesday to talk about the show.
