It’s a unique moment in time for Hasan Minhaj. Actually every moment in time is a unique moment in time for anyone. That’s how time works. One moment is different than the previous moment or the next moment. That constant change makes staying in the present challenging to say the least. So, to put things another way, the present is presently special for Hasan Minhaj.
Who is Hasan Minhaj one might ask? And one would be forgiven for asking. You have my permission not to know. In fact, the discovery of him may even be somewhat illustrative.
Hasan Minhaj is a comedian. He’s a correspondent on the Daily Show. He hosted the most recent White House Correspondent’s Dinner, an annual celebration of free speech and the First Amendment usually, but not necessarily always (as demonstrated this year), attended by the present administration in the White House. I heard Minhaj discuss the experience of the dinner on Bill Simmons’ podcast. He also discussed his upcoming (at the time; now available) Netflix comedy special entitled, “Homecoming King.” It’s really more of a comedic one man play than a traditional stand-up special.
What makes this particular special special is that it details some of the experiences of immigrants and the children of immigrants. Experiences I cannot summon to my own memory because they do not exist for me. Luckily, “Homecoming King,” assists by laying out the unique Minhaj experience complete with visual aids to help. Images that support and emphasize, making everything more visceral.
The benefit of watching this special is that it describes a foreign experience foreign to many who might see it. The special helps cure some of the deficit a viewer may personally posses. But it does so by relating experiences and real life and real people. As a result it feels real. Funny and real. Expansive and enlightening and real. To make your own human experience presently more full you can use, “Homecoming King,” to introduce yourself (if necessary) to Hasan Minhaj. It might also help make the entire immigrant experience more real for you too.