Ari Shaffir Quotes
One thing I hate in ethnic comedy is giving the audience the opportunity to laugh in a racist way at a thing. A lot of times dwarf comedians will do that, Arab comics, and gay comics will do it; everyone is laughing, but they're not laughing at the joke, they're laughing at this crazy character.
His reference was to ethnic Indians and Chinese living in Kenya and other countries of Africa. Asians are a minority group in African countries and the legally sanctioned discrimination against them is part of an ugly type of discrimination which still exists.
He was referring to the people of India and not the American Indians for who he also had little respect like almost any minority.
What he meant by “crosses” was cross breeding or what we would call inter-racial breeding. He was under the scientifically false assumption held by many racists that interracial breeding deteriorates the progeny. Actually, without diversity, species are subject to genetic problems which is why we have prohibitions on marrying siblings and other close relatives. He was also historically inaccurate in the Arabs and the other Semitic people of the Middle East were inbred with less intermarriage than most European whites.
He was a Senator from Pennsylvania when he made this remark.
Ari David Shaffir is an American comedian, actor, podcaster, writer, and producer. He produces and hosts the Skeptic Tank podcast. He also co-hosts the podcast Punch Drunk Sports with Jayson Thibault and Sam Tripoli, and is a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. He created and previously hosted and produced the This is Not Happening television series, an adaptation of his monthly stand-up show.
