Ramy Youssef’s ‘Saturday Night Live’ Monologue Was Courageous and Politically Potent—Without Sacrificing Laughs

Yet his monologue wasn’t only that: While Youssef’s comments about Palestine were clearly heartfelt and genuine, that anecdote ends with a joke about his buddy Brian’s dog. (And, leading up to it, there are references to—among other things—Ramadan, Michigan vape shops, wanting a trans woman for president, and Uber drivers.) He deftly manages to toe the line between comedy and politics without making light of a humanitarian crisis or sacrificing a good punchline. (SNL is a late-night variety show, after all.) But he’s well practiced at this by now: Youssef’s most recent stand-up special, More Feelings, is an hourlong master class in this same kind of stage work, expanding on the themes of faith, loss, love, political anguish and Arab American identity that Youssef touched on on SNL.

Youssef isn’t the first celebrity to use their public platform to call for a ceasefire or increased aid in Gaza, where the death toll now far exceeds 30,000. At the Oscars last month, Youssef and celebrities including Billie Eilish and Ava DuVernay wore red pins representing Artists4Ceasefire, identified as a group of artists and advocates “witnessing the devastating loss of lives and unfolding horrors in Israel and Palestine.” Still, in a grim political moment that just keeps getting more contentious, watching Youssef—a practicing Muslim born to Egyptian parents in Queens, New York—making a case for peace is a reminder that daring to speak up is always, always worth it. (At the risk of trivializing Youssef’s words, it’s also extremely crush-worthy. What can I say? People who stand for something are just hotter.)