This Isn't a Puff Piece About Hasan Minhaj
It was only a few administrations ago that Jon Stewart, while helming the desk at Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, created a formula for distilling the latest headlines into comedy gold. In Stewart’s wake has followed a stream of talented TDS personalities—Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, and Trevor Noah among them—each of whom manages to challenge our President and his party between a steady cadence of commercial breaks.
A Brand-new POV“The perspective I have as a child of immigrants in America needs to be heard,” Minhaj says.On her: G-Star Raw coat, $200. Tory Burch turtleneck, $258. Self-Portrait skirt, $325. Mounser earrings, $475. Lizzie Fortunato belt, $240. Sam Edelman boots, $225. On him: The North Face jacket, $249. Officine Générale blazer, $740, pants, $415. Adidas Originals sneakers, $80.
Now add Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj, Netflix’s newest addition to the political comedy fray. But 33-year-old Minhaj (Stewart’s final hire in 2014) wants to do things a bit differently. “The medium of TV is reductive. You’re taking coffee and making 30-minute espresso. And to me, one of the things that’s dividing this country is the lack of nuance,” he says. “I’m not chasing ‘covfefe.’ I don’t have to be like, ‘Scaramucci is out,’ then make a bunch of Mooch jokes. I can pivot away from Trump and talk about the larger questions we’re going to face long after him.”
Z Zegna Jacket. Calvin Klein Jeans shirt, $98. Frame jeans, $195.
As the son of Muslim immigrants from India, Minhaj, a former “high school public speaking and debate kid” from Davis, California, has always viewed the world from another vantage point. “Growing up, Jon, Stephen, these guys were my idols, but our lives could not be more different,” he says. Despite his innate knack for storytelling—“My friends would go, ‘Don’t let Hasan tell the story, because he’ll embellish or make it sound crazier than it really was,’” he says—Minhaj considered a career in comedy only after watching Chris Rock’s 2004 stand-up special, Never Scared, while studying political science at UC Davis. “I go, ‘Oh, shit. It’s funny speech and debate,’” he recalls. “That opened up everything for me.” (Not that his parents are fully on board just yet. “My dad still thinks I’m saving up for grad school,” he jokes.)
The Sky’s the Limit“My goal,” Minhaj says of his new Netflix show, Patriot Act, “is to fly at a bit of a higher altitude.”On her: DKNY Sport coat, $149. Rachel Comey turtleneck, $265. Mara Hoffman skirt, $325. Dannijo earrings, $328. Beltology belt, $125. Ash sneakers, $225. On him: Hilfiger Collection jacket, $590. Armani Exchange T-shirt, $30. Mr. P trousers, $225. Grenson sneakers, $260.
Much like Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King, his Peabody-winning 2017 Netflix special about being a first-generation American, Patriot Act is filled with LED screens that turn any reported story into a multidimensional event. “The whole stage is my canvas,” he says before whipping out his iPhone to scroll through a gallery of screenshots of his competitors’ single-desk, fake-skyline newsrooms. “Every. Single. Show. Looks. The same,” he says. “Doesn’t matter the host.” He laughs. “These people are my friends, I swear!”
Style and Substance“We are living in a time when journalism is under attack,” Minhaj says. “I think journalism, along with civility, is worth fighting for.”On her: Maje jacket, $560. Rag & Bone hoodie, $395. H&M skirt, $30. Lizzie Fortunato earrings, $240. Louise Olsen ring, $180. Nicole Saldaña boots, $470. On him: G-Star Raw parka, $120. Frame hoodie, $215. Boss trousers, $348. Harrys of London sneakers, $495.
Ultimately, his M.O. is what Minhaj calls “an angry optimism. I’m definitely not happy with the state of the country right now,” he says, “but I’m incredibly optimistic about the potential for change.” And each episode of Patriot Act lives up to its host’s big-picture vision. “One of the things I learned on The Daily Show is that our responsibility is to comedically tell you what’s happening,” he says. “If you’re lucky, the pieces that pop tell you not only what’s happening but also why it’s happening and what greater questions it raises for an American. My goal is to fly at a bit of a higher altitude.”
Patriot Act With Hasan Minhaj premieres on Netflix this month. Seth Plattner is a writer and editor in New York City.
Lede image by Brian Higbee. On her: Calvin Klein Jeans puffer, $298. Bijou Van Ness hat, $285. Mounser earrings, $225. On him: DKNY parka, $300. John Elliott turtleneck, $198.