Dina Hashem believes the gulf is a distance between what audiences need to pay to listen to and what she desires to joke about. The comedian makes it sound liberating and worrying, virtually a possibility for each artistic freedom and distancing. Hashem’s get up can equally embody a number of contrasts, effortlessly and effortfully.
For instance, Hashem seems each assured and uncomfortable on stage.
Look no additional than her most up-to-date particular, Dark Little Whispers (now obtainable to stream on Amazon). The comedian scores massive laughs and not using a complete lot of bells or whistles. Hashem’s low-key supply usually simply highlights how sturdy her materials is; it doesn’t want a whole lot of seasoning or sugar, if you’ll.
How do you are feeling after the discharge of your particular?
Principally anxiousness.
So that you’re not having fun with the sense of accomplishment?
Oh no. I by no means really feel that manner. I’ve been ready my complete life to really feel a sigh of aid that I’ve completed one thing correctly. Perhaps that’ll come sometime.
Perhaps a 12 months from now you’ll be able to breathe that sigh of aid concerning the particular?
A 12 months is optimistic. We’ll see. We’re all going to die, aren’t we?
Very true. Do you look into how individuals react to the particular or simply put it on the market and let or not it’s?
Effectively, it’s not even that I’m afraid of what individuals will say. I’m afraid individuals received’t say something. I’m simply afraid individuals received’t see it with the fucking algorithms. They get in your head the place you’re like, oh my God, I can’t attain the individuals I’m attempting to achieve. It’s very, very irritating, however no matter.
I really feel Darkish Little Whispers would deliver consolation to shy individuals or anybody with anxiousness simply to know, Hey, this particular person acquired by theirs, and take a look at them on stage.
Yeah, that’s actually really one of many issues that I hope, that individuals can recover from the issues that block them from speaking.
Your supply is totally much less is extra. When have you learnt your shyness, actually, is advantageous on your comedy?
I do have a low key demeanor, however my ideas don’t essentially match that power. I believe it does work for comedic impact. I do suppose it permits some flexibility to go a bit of more durable. If I used to be screaming about Jihad, I believe that’d be a special vibe. That was a reference to certainly one of my jokes, simply to be clear for the readers.
You appear to take pleasure in it when the group goes uncomfortably quiet after a joke.
Positively for my grandma joke. I imply, that joke generally doesn’t even get amusing. Persons are simply shocked after they course of the data. For something spiritual or political, that makes the stress launch of the punchline even higher.
Just like the Trump factor, every time I ask if individuals voted for Trump, the room all the time will get very tense. That’s a enjoyable highway joke as a result of relying the place you’re, the response can be completely totally different. However what I like about that joke is that it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who individuals voted for as a result of the joke works for everybody more often than not. So it’s extra of only a enjoyable manner of getting the temperature of the room and making all people uncomfortable and seeing who’s courageous sufficient to clap for that.
When the group doesn’t snicker and must course of any data, do you form of get to take a seat again and luxuriate in, like, this second is for me?
Positively. I imply, the longer I do that, I care much less and fewer about what the viewers thinks, and I’m simply attempting to have enjoyable and entertain myself, which is egocentric and never the precise factor for a performer to do. However you simply get bored doing the identical factor again and again. You get bored wanting to simply make everybody joyful. Generally you simply need to make them upset.
Is that actually egocentric? For those who take pleasure in what you’re doing, others will too, proper?
I believe that’s true, however you’ll be able to’t go too far into that as a result of then you definately begin shedding individuals. It’s such a fragile stability between doing issues that I believe is humorous and what an viewers would possibly suppose is sweet. Generally I really feel just like the chasm between these two issues is rising up to now that I’ve to cease doing this. However yeah, discovering that center floor continues to be crucial if you wish to make any cash.
When did you start to have a great sense of what you want and don’t love to do as a comic?
I solely not too long ago began feeling snug being one thing nearer to who I’m. I don’t suppose I’m there but, as a result of my demeanor or character or no matter on stage initially simply got here from the truth that I used to be extraordinarily nervous. Folks would suppose I used to be simply doing this shy, awkward character and I might cover behind that when, in reality, that’s simply how I felt. I had by no means been snug on stage. I imply, performing shouldn’t be pure to me in any respect.
I suppose that was type of informing my comedy for many of my profession, and it was solely up till a couple of years in the past, I began to loosen up and will do greater than that type of character. I suppose I acquired bored of ingratiating myself to crowds. In my view, it’s simpler to get amusing while you’re being timid and asking the viewers to, in a manner, discover you cute, which is ok, and a few individuals do that actually nicely. However for me, it’s extra attention-grabbing if I might simply problem them extra and nonetheless get amusing. It’s an even bigger win.
Which comedians do you admire in that regard?
Tim Dillon is certainly one of my favorites. I really feel like his presence is extraordinarily difficult [laughs], however that’s what’s thrilling about it. My favourite comedian of all time is Norm McDonald. I don’t know if he would essentially fall underneath that class, essentially. I imply, possibly his panel interviews, however he was simply all the time doing precisely what he wished and saying what he wished and trusting in his personal humorousness. I really feel like that’s what all people desires to get to. What was loopy was that he was all the time simply saying what was in his head, and it was all the time hilarious. Only a magical human being.
Was there a lightbulb second that made you belief your personal humorousness extra?
Actually, it was being trolled relentlessly in 2019. There’s this complete factor the place Comedy Central posted this joke I did a couple of celeb, and I didn’t know he had a cult following. I simply acquired spammed with threats and hate for a 12 months. A kind of messages actually acquired to me much more than any of the dying or rape threats acquired to me. He was like, “You look scared on stage.” And I used to be like, oh my God, nobody has ever stated that to me earlier than, and it’s true. He nailed it. I can’t even be mad. It’s true. I’m scared and I look scared, and it bothered me a lot.
Simply that on prime of every part else I used to be going by at the moment with all of the messages, one thing in it simply broke me a bit of bit and made me let go and simply realized that is silly. What I do is silly. Standup is silly, and I ought to simply attempt to have extra enjoyable. If I’m going to be placing myself liable to these assaults and being misunderstood, then I would as nicely be doing one thing I need to do.
Did weed or psychedelics enable you in any respect with performing?
I’ll sometimes get excessive and consider a joke. I want it occurred extra, however there are positively jokes I considered whereas I used to be excessive that I most likely wouldn’t have considered in any other case. I suppose in that sense, it’s helped. Doing psychedelics has positively simply opened my mind in a manner that nothing else can. Clearly, I’ve jokes concerning the expertise of doing these issues, in order that’s useful.
Do you really take heed to REM whereas doing psychedelics, or is that simply the character?
Yeah, that one’s not totally correct. Most of my jokes, I attempt to preserve true to life. I believe it’s extra attention-grabbing, however that one’s a bit of cobbled collectively. I do love listening to music whereas I’m on any type of drug like that. I believe it’s the very best, however I don’t know if I used to be listening to that REM track [referenced]. I had simply began listening to REM solely not too long ago in my life, so it was type of thoughts boggling to take heed to them. They’re nice.
What else do you prefer to take heed to while you get excessive?
The Pixies are my favourite band, and their lyrics are already simply so fucking out of this world that after I’m excessive, particularly for a visit. Their lyrics are so visible. This track, “The Happening,” it’s about aliens coming down, and it simply actually hits in another way while you’re excessive.
How was rising in Jersey for you? Did that surroundings encourage you to enter comedy in any respect?
I dunno, I lived a lot simply in my very own head that I really feel like my surroundings, regardless of the place I used to be, it wouldn’t have actually mattered simply because I had such a sheltered upbringing. I spent a lot time alone in my room. I’m actually not really a really observant comic. I’m not observant of my environment in any respect, so I can’t fairly say if New Jersey actually had an affect. Perhaps after I first began doing get up, I positively felt just like the odd one out at open mics and stuff. There was positively a brasher sort of power, after which I might go up and it’d simply be a document scratch. So in a manner, it helped me be snug doing my very own factor on stage.
Which rooms or venues on the highway do you discover difficult?
Actually, any highway room that’s full of people that don’t know who I’m, which is a whole lot of ’em. I did a bit of run of reveals in Wisconsin and I by no means kept away from telling jokes about rising up Muslim or something, simply because I used to be curious myself to see how they’ll go over. However these jokes can positively be a problem in locations like that. Not that they’re like, we don’t need to hear this, however simply they’re not accustomed to it, so it doesn’t hit as laborious.
The Mecca joke, individuals will simply not likely get it when you don’t have the foundational data of sure issues. However I by no means really feel alienated wherever. I really feel like there’s this notion that, oh, when you’re a sure id, you’ll be able to’t inform jokes in a sure space, however that’s not been the case in my expertise. I imply, generally I simply leap ship. I’m like, “You already know what? They’re not right here on a Saturday evening to listen to about Islam, so let me simply pivot away.”
Ought to we additionally discuss concerning the Sheraton Lodge? Any feedback there? [Note: The Sheraton Hotel once turned away Dina’s family in need of shelter after they lost their home]
Again to Sheraton, that could be a core reminiscence I might say in my life. Truly, somebody solely not too long ago advised me that they thought I used to be doing a parable of the story of Jesus, which I’m not accustomed to. Is that the factor that Jesus was turned away from an inn? Is that a part of the lore of Christianity? I do not know, however somebody introduced it as much as me. I used to be like, oh, possibly I ought to work that in. However yeah, they need to be out of enterprise most likely. Are they? I haven’t regarded up the Sheraton not too long ago.
I imagine they’re nonetheless in enterprise.
That’s a disgrace. I virtually drowned of their pool as soon as, as nicely. That’s one other core reminiscence.
So, a whole lot of grievances in opposition to the Sheraton.
Not a fan.
I’m joyful your Amazon dig stayed in your particular.
Oh, the Bezos factor? I wasn’t positive in the event that they have been going to go away that in or not. They most likely didn’t even watch the particular. I wasn’t positive if that was going to fly, however Bezos, you recognize, he looks like an actual all the way down to Earth billionaire with a humorousness, you recognize?
[Laughs] They stream a lot anti-corporate stuff on Amazon, I ponder, does Jeff even watch these things?
I can’t think about he is aware of what’s happening there. I’ve seen that as nicely. I imply, The Boys is such a great present, nevertheless it calls out all that shit.
I all the time surprise about that, too. Is that punk rock or contradictory?
I even have a conspiracy concept about that. You discover this development of all these reveals and films speaking about how dangerous wealthy persons are? I really feel they’re simply setting an higher restrict for what we’re allowed to do to wealthy individuals. It’s like, “Oh yeah, go forward and use your artwork to make enjoyable of us. Simply don’t present up at our doorsteps with pitchforks.” Like, “Oh, you bought us good along with your little film, simply go away us alone.”
[laughs] I believe there’s one thing there. Then they stability it out with tales like Air, you recognize? “Hey, capitalism, it may be fairly cool, too, proper?”
That’s true. They do stability it out with all of that rubbish as nicely.
What are you engaged on now?
I’ve a bit of film concept that I’m engaged on a couple of lady who, nicely, I don’t need to give it away, nevertheless it includes porn and a lady, however there can be no porn within the film. However I’m very enthusiastic about this concept, after which I’m engaged on constructing a brand new hour of fabric, which I don’t need to do in any respect. And yeah, and I’m entering into a bit of little bit of voice work. If anybody on the market desires a voice for his or her factor, I’m joyful.
So, no pleasure in any respect about constructing one other hour of fabric?
No, actually, that is essentially the most sincere I’ll ever be with any individual. I don’t need to do it. I don’t suppose I’ve something left to say. As I stated, the gulf between what I need to say and what a paying viewers desires to listen to is big. I actually don’t know what I’m going to do, and I’m very afraid.