#36 Bassem Youssef on How To Laugh In the Face of Danger

Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

Impact Theory

Education, News, News Commentary, Philosophy, Technology, Society & Culture, Business, Self-improvement

4.7 • 5.1K Ratings

🗓️ 29 August 2017

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Before he was the “Jon Stewart of Egypt,” Bassem Yousseff was a heart surgeon in Cairo with no online following. But when the revolution broke out in Egypt in 2011, he and his friend decided to take action, launching a satirical show that brazenly mocked the government in a way that had never before been seen on Egyptian TV. He became an overnight sensation reaching 5 million views within the first three months. His hit series named “The Show” became the most watched show in Egyptian television history, raking in 30 to 40 million viewers per episode. As he rose to stardom, detractors called for his death, and yet, Bassem continued to produce his show until it became too dangerous for any station to carry. He ultimately fled the country out of fear, not for his own life, but for the safety of those around him. Meet the man that Time Magazine named one of the world's most influential pioneers in this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu. PULL QUOTES “If you create good content, people will come.” [6:53] “When you are blinded by ideology, nothing else matters.” [20:03] “We have to break free from so many things that are holding us back.” [24:27] “The world is full of so many different things and you should keep an open mind.” [24:44] “Whatever time we have in this life, we are here to learn and we are here to accept.” [25:09] “We are born into a society that just wants to put you into molds and it’s a struggle to continuously break those molds.” [28:05] SHOW NOTES Bassem walks through the experiences that led to the birth of his political satire show. [4:03] Bassem shares why he stayed in the midst of revolution. [10:21] Bassem describes his reaction when he saw his documentary for the first time. [13:12] Bassem explains his motivation and what drove him to keep moving forward. [16:38] Tom and Bassem go deep on why ideology trumps facts. [20:03] Bassem talks about breaking free from what holds us back and why humans are fragile. [24:12] Bassem shares an important takeaway for his children and his conversation with Jon Stewart. [27:00] Bassem recalls his decision to become a surgeon and how his family handled the success of the show. [31:08] Bassem derives similarities between the political climate in the U.S. and political narratives in Egypt. [34:53] Tom and Bassem discuss why fear is a powerful motivator and why satire is a great weapon. [36:13] Bassem reveals his most frightening and most beautiful discoveries about human nature. [38:07] Bassem discloses his mission to educate people about food choices and how to change behavior. [41:07] Bassem defines the impact that he wants to have on the world. [44:13] MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Tickling Giants - http://amzn.to/2w8Eb72 [2:11] Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring - http://amzn.to/2g9BEpu [2:13] FOLLOW BASSEM: TWITTER: http://bit.ly/2x4zNpK INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2vS07VK FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/2v6zf13

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	You're listening to the Impact Theory Podcast, your source of empowering ideas and actionable techniques from the world's highest achievers.
0:08.0	Join host Tom Billio, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of the billion dollar brand Quest Nutrition, on a journey to unlock your potential and realize your vision of success.
0:19.0	Welcome to Impact Theory.
0:23.0	Welcome to Impact Theory.
0:26.0	You will hear my friends because you believe that human potential is nearly limitless, but you know that having potential is not the same as actually doing something with it.
0:34.0	So our goal with this show and company is to introduce you to the people and ideas that will help you actually execute on your dreams.
0:43.0	Today's guest is a former heart surgeon turned massive TV celebrity when Revolution broke out in Egypt in 2011, he and his friend launched a satirical YouTube show that brazenly mocked the powers of B, saying outrageous stuff that had never been seen on Egyptian TV before.
0:59.0	The show touched on an explosive nerve and became an overnight sensation getting 5 million views in just the first three months.
1:07.0	Television offers started pouring in and suddenly this heart surgeon found himself wildly famous in center stage during one of the most violent and tumultuous times in his country's recent history.
1:18.0	His newly minted TV show, named Simply The Show, was a bonafide cultural phenomenon becoming the most watch show in Egyptian television history with 30 to 40 million viewers per episode.
1:33.0	His social following ballooned up to over 15 million people and he couldn't walk through a crowd without getting mobbed.
1:40.0	But the government that formed in the wake of the revolution wasn't exactly a democracy and as he said, can you imagine trying to have a political satir show in the time of Mussolini?
1:50.0	Well that was exactly what he was doing and the pressure began to mount.
1:54.0	In 2013 at about the same time that Time Magazine named him one of the world's most influential pioneers, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
2:03.0	His detractors began burning his photo and calling for his death, yes death, but armed with Cajonets the size of the pyramids of Giza, he continued to produce his show until it became so dangerous he couldn't get a station to carry it anymore and he began to fear not just for his own safety but for the safety of those around him.
2:21.0	Eventually things got so bad that with only four hours to pack and catch a flight he had to flee the country.
2:26.0	I have come across few stories that have inspired me more than this so please help me in welcoming the subject of the documentary, tickling giants and the author of Revolution for Dummies.
2:38.0	The man who proved to joke truly can be more powerful than a gun, the John Stewart of Egypt himself, Basim Yusuf.
2:47.0	I'm sorry, but I'm going to go.
2:52.0	What an entourage we've come here every day.
2:55.0	And you've got life audience, thank you for having me and I really appreciate that you got inspired by my story but what are the other few stories that got you inspired more than mine?
3:07.0	I feel jealous already.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Impact Theory, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Impact Theory and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.