Bassem Youssef: Sarcasm still has a profound ability to shape public consciousness
Abu Dhabi, December 10 / WAM / Journalist Bassem Youssef confirmed that sarcasm still has a profound ability to shape public awareness despite the rapid transformations the world is witnessing, indicating the possibility that laughter is what protects people from losing their minds while they watch the world collapse.
Youssef explained that sarcasm turns anger into a form of entertainment, describing it as “the perfect modern drug,” stressing his determination to continue making jokes at the powerful, who in turn will continue to ignore him, stressing the importance of adhering to a sense of humor because it “changes us even if it does not change everything.”
This came in a special interview with Bassem Youssef entitled “A Decade of Satirical Content. Did It Succeed in Its Purpose?” During the first session of the “Bridge Summit” 2025, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), during which he reviewed the role of political satire in the contemporary media scene.
Speaking during the summit, Youssef pointed out that his name has become associated with wars, revolutions, and human tragedies despite being a comedian, adding: “I became popular because of my political views and not because of my jokes. For some reason, people take the jokes I make more seriously than they should.”
Youssef explained that the question, “Did sarcasm work?” It should turn into a question of how it works. He said: Here at the Bridge Summit, I was asked to give a speech entitled (A Decade of Sarcasm. Was it successful?) The short answer is: Of course not. But let me give you the longer answer.
Youssef described satire as “an exaggerated reflection of reality,” before moving on to explain the nature of the satirist’s work, explaining that his job is based on two parts: criticism and entertainment together. He said: This is all it is, it is criticism wrapped in entertainment.
He added that satire turns anger into a form of entertainment, likening it to a “modern wrestling ring” that releases the audience’s anger to the extent that it allows them to feel better about the world.
Youssef pointed out that sarcasm gives the audience space to express without bearing responsibility, saying: All this anger is without responsibility, and all this awareness is without action. This is precisely why our relationship with sarcasm seems ambiguous. It’s fun and frustrating at the same time.
According to Youssef, the satire did work, but not in the way many hoped.
Bassem Youssef, who is famous for presenting the program “Al-Bernameh,” is considered the first to transfer political satire from digital platforms to television in the Arab world, after his YouTube episodes achieved widespread popularity, later reaching more than 30 million viewers weekly. During his career, he was chosen on “Time’s” list of the 100 most influential people, and he received the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
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