The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi On Representation, Identity And The King Of Pop
Although he's best known as the "Senior Muslim Correspondent" on The Daily Show, Aasif Mandvi self-describes as an "Indo-Muslim-British-American actor who has spent more time in bars than mosques over the last few decades." Confounding cultural stereotypes has been part of his identity since he came to the United States as a teenager.
In his 2014 memoir, No Land's Man, Mandvi describes moving from a "cold, industrial mining town" in Northern England to Tampa, Florida after his father fell in love with the American institution of brunch, and how he grew comfortable in an American high school by exploring acting and honing his impersonation of Michael Jackson.
"I was 120 pounds, a junior in high school, and at that time, and both Michael and I looked like an Indian girl," Mandvi told Ask Me Another host Ophira Eisenberg. "I decided that if I put on a glove, teased out my hair and put the shades on, I could perform [as him] at the talent show."
Mandvi's Michael was a hit, and inspired him to pursue acting beyond high school. Naturally, The King of Pop seemed like the perfect topic for Mandvi's Ask Me Another Challenge.
Watch below as Mandvi awards the show's grand prize winner with a how-to lesson on three signature Michael Jackson dance moves.
Interview Highlights
On becoming The Daily Show's "Senior Muslim Correspondent"
It evolved over time. I was originally just the "all things brown" correspondent. Then they were like, "Oh, he's Indian. That's the kind of brown he is, so let's have him do Indian stuff." Then they found out I was a Muslim. So I did Muslim stuff. They said, "Since we have him doing those, let's have him do Asian stuff." Whatever it was that wasn't Caucasian became my territory.
On feeling pressure to represent people who look like him
You may realize that television is mostly full of white people, with a few brown people peppered in. Really, it's all white people and Aziz Ansari. So there does end up being a little bit of a responsibility that you don't necessarily ask for....
When I first got on The Daily Show, it was mostly Upper West Side Jews that would come up to me and hug me on the street and be like, "We love you!" That changed, and soon brown people were coming up to me, and hugging me on the street. And then Muslims came up to me and hugged me, which made me really uncomfortable, because they also wanted me to meet their daughters. You do feel like you're representing in some way, even though you never asked for that.
On moving to America because of brunch
[My father] came to America on a reconnaissance mission where he was going to see if he liked it. Somebody took him out for this thing called "brunch," which he had never experienced before. He fell in love with it: "In America they have so much food, that between breakfast and lunch, they have a third meal! Anything you want, $7.95! We're moving!"
On his Michael Jackson impersonation
[As a teenager in Tampa,] I was a fish out of water. I found theater and acting, and through that I found this ability to impersonate Michael Jackson. I was also 120 pounds, at the time, a junior in high school, and both Michael and I, at that time, looked like an Indian girl. We had a lot in common. I decided that if I put on a glove, teased out my hair and put the shades on, I could perform it at the talent show in high school. Then people would come up to me in the hallway and ask me to do Michael Jackson....
I got stoned one time and wrote a poem called "You Can't Be Michael Jackson All The Time." It was this very philosophical poem, I thought I was being really deep, like, "This Michael Jackson thing is really wearing on me." I was having an existential crisis.
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Transcript
OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:
Welcome back to ASK ME ANOTHER, NPR and WNYC's hour of trivia, puzzles and word games. I'm Ophira Eisenberg.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE DAILY SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) On the best [expletive] news team on the planet, Aasif Mandvi is brown.
AASIF MANDVI: (As Correspondent) This color doesn't run from a story.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) If it's all the stories you want covered, there's just one question you have to ask yourself.
MANDVI: (As Correspondent) What can brown do for you?
EISENBERG: I'm delighted to welcome our very important puzzler from "The Daily Show" and author of the new memoir "No Land's Man," Aasif Mandvi.
(APPLAUSE)
MANDVI: Hi.
EISENBERG: Hello. Now, you've described yourself as a Indo-Muslim, British-American actor that has spent more times in bars than in mosques over the last few decades.
MANDVI: Yes.
EISENBERG: So when you were first on "The Daily Show" in 2006 and Jon was like, you are going to be our senior Muslim correspondent, how did you react to being given that title?
MANDVI: I don't think he ever said that because I don't think he knew I was Muslim until I started praying, and then he was like, oh. No, I think it just sort of - it evolved over time. Like, I was originally just the all-things-brown correspondent.
(LAUGHTER)
EISENBERG: Right.
MANDVI: And then I was like, oh, he's Indian. That's the kind of brown he is...
EISENBERG: Right.
MANDVI: ...So let's have him do Indian stuff. And then they were like, oh, he's also a Muslim, so let's have him do that. And you know what? Since we have him doing those, let's just have him do Asian stuff. And then it was just whatever there was that was not Caucasian became my territory...
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: ...As it were.
EISENBERG: Did you ever feel pressure being the - I mean, it's a comedy show, and we know that it's a satire, even though we also know that a lot of Americans do get their news from watching "The Daily Show."
MANDVI: That's what I've heard.
EISENBERG: Yes, did you ever feel the pressure being the spokesperson for all brown people?
MANDVI: Sure, yes. I was - yeah, there was a sort of a sense of, like - you know, like, you may realize that television is mostly full of white people with a few brown people sort of peppered in there. And really, it's all white people and Aziz Ansari. That's what it is.
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: It's like - so there does end up being a little bit of, like, you know, a sort of a responsibility that you don't necessarily ask for. You know, I did - when I first got on "The Daily Show" initially, after being on for a little while, it was, you know, mostly Upper West Side-Jews that would come up to me and hug me on the street and be like, hey, we love you, you know?
EISENBERG: Yeah, yeah.
MANDVI: And then that changed, and soon brown people were coming up to me and hugging me on the street. And then Muslims started coming up to me and hugging me on the street, which made me really uncomfortable because they also wanted me to meet their daughters.
(LAUGHTER)
EISENBERG: Oh, yeah.
MANDVI: And they were like (imitating Middle Eastern accent) are you single? I have a lovely daughter. You know, and so - yeah, it sort of evolved that way, and then you do start to feel like you're kind of representing in some way, even though you never asked for that.
EISENBERG: Right, so in your new memoir, "No Man's Land..."
MANDVI: "No Land's Man."
EISENBERG: Oh, "No Land's Man..."
MANDVI: Yes.
EISENBERG: Right.
MANDVI: It's written backwards...
EISENBERG: Exactly.
MANDVI: ...Like that so people have to say it twice.
EISENBERG: Right, in your new memoir, "No Land's Man..."
MANDVI: Right, yes.
EISENBERG: ...You describe your parents - I mean, reminds me of mine. My parents are immigrants that moved to Canada for a better life for their kids.
MANDVI: Right.
EISENBERG: They're kind of traditional, a little strict, perhaps.
MANDVI: Right.
EISENBERG: They obviously were working hard to provide you with a good life. But you state that- and we teased it earlier in the show - that one of the things your father was obsessed with was the idea of American brunch.
MANDVI: Yes.
EISENBERG: And that was a real reason why he wanted to move.
MANDVI: That's why he came to America.
EISENBERG: For brunch?
MANDVI: Because...
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: Yeah, he came to America on sort of like a reconnaissance mission where he was just going to come and see if he liked - you know, I grew up in the North of England, and it's very cold and industrial and sort of, you know, mining town. And then he was going to move us to Tampa, Fla. And so...
(APPLAUSE)
MANDVI: Oh, wow, really?
EISENBERG: Yeah (Laughter).
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: Don't ever admit that.
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: If you're here - no, I love Tampa. No, I love it. But, like - so he came out, and I guess somebody took him out for this thing called brunch, which he had never experienced before. And he fell in love with it. And he literally called us and was he like, in America they have so much food that between breakfast and lunch they have a third meal.
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: It's called brunch and - anything you want, $7.95. You know, it's great. You know, like, we're moving. And that was it. We were like - you know (Laughter). And we were like, there should be other reasons we're moving, Dad.
EISENBERG: So we all - we have many things in common. When your father, in the UK - Brandford (ph), is that right?
MANDVI: In Bradford, yes.
EISENBERG: Bradford? He had a corner shop selling...
MANDVI: Yes.
EISENBERG: So I grew up in a grocery store...
MANDVI: Oh, right.
EISENBERG: ...Like a small grocery store.
MANDVI: Wow.
EISENBERG: We both probably saw...
MANDVI: You didn't have a house as well?
EISENBERG: We had a house - small, but mostly in the grocery store because they put the kids to work at an early age.
MANDVI: Right, right, yeah, that's - we did, too, yes.
EISENBERG: Yeah.
MANDVI: Yeah.
EISENBERG: So we probably both saw our first glimpse of porn in our parents' store.
MANDVI: Exactly. Yes, yes.
EISENBERG: Yes. It's very interesting.
MANDVI: Wow, wow. I didn't know you were going there. I did not see that coming, but...
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: That's not (Laughter)...
EISENBERG: I like surprising. And we both were obsessed...
MANDVI: With, with - go on.
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: Juggs - Juggs magazine, right?
EISENBERG: I was going to...
MANDVI: Oh, no, no, no.
EISENBERG: I was going to say Michael Jackson.
MANDVI: Oh, right. The porn/Michael Jackson segue is odd, but OK.
EISENBERG: I know. I know.
MANDVI: I've never seen that one done before.
EISENBERG: Well, it's me. I've got these strange segues. This is my - this is my specialty. 'Cause it was the 80s, and I was crazy about Michael Jackson.
MANDVI: Yes.
EISENBERG: But you - you were particularly crazy about Michael Jackson because you were convinced to perform...
MANDVI: Right.
EISENBERG: ...As Michael Jackson.
MANDVI: Yeah, well, when I first got to Tampa I was, like, in this American high school. And I was, you know, a fish out of water kind of thing, and so I found - well, I found theater and acting. And through that I found this ability to sort of impersonate Michael Jackson. And, you know - and I was also 120 pounds at the time. I was, you know, a junior in high school. And both Michael and I, at that time, looked like an Indian girl, so...
(LAUGHTER)
EISENBERG: So true. Perfect.
MANDVI: ...So we, you know...
EISENBERG: Perfect.
MANDVI: ...We had a lot in common. And I felt, you know, with the afro and the thing, and I - you know, so I decided that if I put on a glove and teased out my hair - Jheri curled my hair - I could - and put the shades on, I would do - and I performed it in the talent show in high school.
EISENBERG: And how did it go?
MANDVI: It went really well. Then people would come up to me afterwards in the hallway and be like, hey man, do Michael Jackson. And then I also, like, sort of was - I got stoned one time and wrote a poem called "You Can't Be Michael Jackson All The Time."
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: It was like this very philosophical poem because I thought I was being really deep, you know? I was like, this Michael Jackson thing is really wearing on me, you know. And so I wrote this very deep poem.
EISENBERG: That is the epitome of an 80s existential crisis.
MANDVI: Right, exactly. I was having an existential crisis, yeah.
EISENBERG: OK, well, we have concocted the perfect game for you based on that...
MANDVI: Really? All right.
EISENBERG: ...To showcase your knowledge of all things Michael Jackson.
MANDVI: OK.
EISENBERG: So are you ready for your ASK ME ANOTHER challenge?
MANDVI: Sure, yes.
EISENBERG: How about a big hand for Aasif Mandvi.
(APPLAUSE)
EISENBERG: So your game is called The King of Pop Quizzes, right? And of course it's about Michael Jackson.
MANDVI: Right.
EISENBERG: As a former M.J. impersonator, I'm sure you're well-versed in the man, the magic, the mystery that is the King of Pop.
MANDVI: Oh, man. All right.
EISENBERG: So to help us with the music, welcome back John Flansburgh.
(APPLAUSE)
JOHN FLANSBURGH, BYLINE: Hola.
EISENBERG: And there's something at stake here because if you get enough questions right...
MANDVI: Yeah.
EISENBERG: ...Brian Bunton in Myrtle Beach, S.C....
MANDVI: Yeah.
EISENBERG: ...Is going to win a prize.
MANDVI: Oh, nice.
EISENBERG: Yeah.
MANDVI: I don't know Brian.
EISENBERG: Yeah.
MANDVI: But I'm glad.
EISENBERG: He's right now...
MANDVI: Yeah, he's on the edge of his car seat right now.
EISENBERG: Yeah, that's right, freaking out. All right, so here we go.
At the end of the song "The Girl Is Mine," Paul McCartney says, Michael, we're not going to fight about this, OK? To which Michael replies, Paul, I think I told you I'm a what?
MANDVI: Lover not a fighter.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN #1: Yes.
MANDVI: Yes.
(APPLAUSE)
MANDVI: (Imitating Michael Jackson) A lover not a fighter.
EISENBERG: By far the cheesiest of all Michael Jackson duets.
MANDVI: Yeah, it really is, yeah.
EISENBERG: The doggone girl is mine, yet I was totally into.
MANDVI: Yeah, I loved it. I loved that - yes.
EISENBERG: I think the next question is going to involve some music.
FLANSBURGH: A mannequin used in CPR training inspired the chorus to a Michael Jackson song. Here's the chorus. Name the song.
(Singing) Annie, are you OK? Are you OK? Are you OK, Annie? Annie, are you OK? Are you OK? Will you tell us if you're OK? Annie, are you OK? Are you OK? Annie, are you OK? Are you OK, Annie?
(APPLAUSE)
EISENBERG: So what's the name of the song?
MANDVI: That would be "Smooth Criminal."
EISENBERG: Yes.
(APPLAUSE)
FLANSBURGH: Parentheses, "(Annie, Are You OK?)," end parentheses.
EISENBERG: And the name of the CPR doll is Annie.
MANDVI: Right.
EISENBERG: You're supposed to keep asking her...
MANDVI: If she's OK.
EISENBERG: ...If she's OK.
MANDVI: Yeah. That's how...
EISENBERG: Which is what that's all about.
MANDVI: Is that what that's about?
EISENBERG: Yeah.
MANDVI: Oh.
EISENBERG: And you're also supposed to use that to create a multiplatinum album.
MANDVI: Totally makes sense.
EISENBERG: Only Michael could do that.
MANDVI: Only Michael, yes.
EISENBERG: To replicate his dance moves in the video for "Smooth Criminal," in his live performances Michael invented a, quote, "method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion," unquote. He actually received a patent for what article of clothing?
MANDVI: A pair of shoes.
EISENBERG: Yes.
(APPLAUSE)
MANDVI: Brian Bunton is so excited right now.
EISENBERG: I know. Brian's freaking out. The song "Bad" was originally going to be a duet between Jackson and another legendary artist who reportedly bailed because he didn't want to sing, your butt is mine - or have it sung to him. Who decided he wasn't "Bad" enough?
MANDVI: Wow.
FLANSBURGH: (Singing "Jeopardy" theme song).
EISENBERG: I found this surprising.
MANDVI: I - you know what? I don't think I know the answer to this.
FLANSBURGH: Here's a hint: He would have played the Wesley Snipes character in the video, but maybe with a purple hood on it.
MANDVI: Oh, Prince?
EISENBERG: Yes.
MANDVI: Really?
EISENBERG: Yes.
MANDVI: What a [expletive].
(LAUGHTER)
EISENBERG: I know.
MANDVI: Well, you're either in the Michael camp or the Prince camp, you know, and it was...
EISENBERG: True.
MANDVI: So that...
EISENBERG: Although, not like it could happen, but that was Prince then. Prince would do it now.
MANDVI: Prince would totally do it now.
EISENBERG: Yeah, he's on "New Girl." He's on "Golden Globes." That guy is like, what do you got?
(LAUGHTER)
EISENBERG: I'm doing it.
FLANSBURGH: Nothing generates misheard lyrics like Michael Jackson with just these fractured words of the song's amazing coda, name the hit.
(Singing) Gonna save on the price of mongoose hide. Gonna save on the price of mongoose hide. I'm a say, I'm a saw, I'm an applesauce. I'm a say, I'm a saw, I'm an applesauce. I'm insane. I'm the sound of Microsoft. I'm insane. I'm the sound of Microsoft.
All found on Google.
MANDVI: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
MANDVI: Wait, those aren't the lyrics? That's not? That's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."
FLANSBURGH: Correct.
MANDVI: Yes.
EISENBERG: Yeah.
MANDVI: Mama se mama sa mamacu sa.
EISENBERG: Yes. Congratulations, you and Brian Bunton from Myrtle Beach, S.C., win an ASK ME ANOTHER prize. It's Rubiks cubes.
MANDVI: Oh, nice.
(APPLAUSE)
FLANSBURGH: (Singing) I hit my head. I hear the phone ring. I was distracted by my friend Joe. I hit my head. Now I'm left-handed. Lost my sublet to my friend Joe. I've lost my superpowers. I was invisible. I could just cut myself right out my will. I was unsupervised, and I had a real good time until I hit my head.
(APPLAUSE) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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