--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was studying comedy in Chicago, it…" description: "\"When I was studying comedy in Chicago, it wasn't long after 9/11. There were a lot Middle Eastern comedians who were doing bits about hailing cabs and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_chicago_when-i-was-studying-comedy-in-chicago-it_1432451.jpg" --- # When I was studying comedy in Chicago, it wasn't long… ![“When I was studying comedy in Chicago, it wasn't long after 9/11. There were a lot Middle Eastern comedians who were doing bits about hailing cabs and being terrorists. So the first two years, I didn't do any of that because I wanted to separate myself from those guys. But race is a big part of…” quote by Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_chicago_when-i-was-studying-comedy-in-chicago-it_1432451.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_chicago_when-i-was-studying-comedy-in-chicago-it_1432451.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1f/kumail-nanjiani-7820_chicago_when-i-was-studying-comedy-in-chicago-it_1432451.jpg) > “When I was studying comedy in Chicago, it wasn't long after 9/11. There were a lot Middle Eastern comedians who were doing bits about hailing cabs and being terrorists. So the first two years, I didn't do any of that because I wanted to separate myself from those guys. But race is a big part of who I am, and it should be a big part of my comedy.” [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Comedy should reflect personal identity, even when it risks controversy; authenticity outweighs avoidance. **In simple terms:** Comedy should reflect personal identity despite controversy. Key Takeaway Embrace authentic voice in comedy, even if risky. Themes authenticity identity courage Mood hopeful reflective Type humorous inspirational When to use this quote - social commentary - cultural dialogue - personal branding Key Concepts stand-up comedy media representation Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of your identity do you avoid in your work? - How can humor bridge cultural gaps? A Different Perspective Audience backlash can limit reach; balance risk and impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Comedians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedians/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) ## Related quotes > [It's really not my thing to go after what comedians are doing. Because I always feel like we're jesters at the end of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/it-s-really-not-my-thing-to-go-after-what-comedians-are-doing-because/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [Part of the problem of comedians doing specials every year - when the masters do it, it's like, 'Okay, I guess, go for it'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-kasher/part-of-the-problem-of-comedians-doing-specials-every-year-when-the/) [Moshe Kasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-kasher/) > [I mean, all alternative comedy is are comedians that have being doing it for so long, for so long, that they were relaxed enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patton-oswalt/i-mean-all-alternative-comedy-is-are-comedians-that-have-being-doing/) [Patton Oswalt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patton-oswalt/) > [I didn't have enough money to go to New York or L.A. so I had a couple of friends who were moving to Chicago…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-stalter/i-didn-t-have-enough-money-to-go-to-new-york-or-l-a-so-i-had-a-couple/) [Megan Stalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-stalter/) > [But it's fun to be something, have that, and you don't have to be real. It's like, comedians. They go on and they're doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parker-posey/but-it-s-fun-to-be-something-have-that-and-you-don-t-have-to-be-real/) [Parker Posey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parker-posey/) > [I am a big comedy fan, having been in 'Coupling.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-bellman/i-am-a-big-comedy-fan-having-been-in-coupling/) [Gina Bellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-bellman/) > [ \[Beaches\] is a pretty picture and I just liked having somebody like Bette \[Mudler\] who can be flying in the big comedy scenes and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-marshall/beaches-is-a-pretty-picture-and-i-just-liked-having-somebody-like/) [Garry Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-marshall/) > [To me Psycho was a big comedy. Had to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-hitchcock/to-me-psycho-was-a-big-comedy-had-to-be/) [Alfred Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-hitchcock/) > [I think that a big part of comedy is being made fun of, and it is looking silly or looking stupid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-brie/i-think-that-a-big-part-of-comedy-is-being-made-fun-of-and-it-is/) [Alison Brie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-brie/) > [Big comedy is good, I like things that are big, but good comedy has to be truthful I think and has to reflect some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-coogan/big-comedy-is-good-i-like-things-that-are-big-but-good-comedy-has-to/) [Steve Coogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-coogan/) > [Comedy can be fun no matter what you're playing small or big comedy part. It always has the potential to be a blast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ty-burrell/comedy-can-be-fun-no-matter-what-you-re-playing-small-or-big-comedy/) [Ty Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ty-burrell/) > [I'm not a big comedy show-watcher, but I love Ricky Gervais' stuff and Sacha Baron Cohen's things. But I'm not an expert on them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-lilley/i-m-not-a-big-comedy-show-watcher-but-i-love-ricky-gervais-stuff-and/) [Chris Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-lilley/) > [You know, I'm a big comedy fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judd-apatow/you-know-i-m-a-big-comedy-fan/) [Judd Apatow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judd-apatow/) > [I'm a big comedy nerd, so I'm always looking for the chance to be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-hanks/i-m-a-big-comedy-nerd-so-i-m-always-looking-for-the-chance-to-be-funny/) [Colin Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-hanks/) > [I'm a big comedy fan, and a fan of films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-scanlon/i-m-a-big-comedy-fan-and-a-fan-of-films/) [Dan Scanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-scanlon/) ## More by Kumail Nanjiani > [One of my favorite comedies is 'Shaun of the Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/one-of-my-favorite-comedies-is-shaun-of-the-dead/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I was extremely shy and had a terrible fear of public speaking. But I had fallen in love with stand-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-was-extremely-shy-and-had-a-terrible-fear-of-public-speaking-but-i/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I was on this path to becoming a computer-science guy, but I didn't like it. I got no joy from it. It was very,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-was-on-this-path-to-becoming-a-computer-science-guy-but-i-didn-t/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [TV requires a lot more patience. No one's ever like, 'I gotta get up at 5 A.M. and write my stand-up!' It's an easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/tv-requires-a-lot-more-patience-no-one-s-ever-like-i-gotta-get-up-at/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I want to be so famous that I'm the pop-culture reference that people would make to try and be racist to me. So I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-want-to-be-so-famous-that-i-m-the-pop-culture-reference-that-people/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [When I started working on 'Michael And Michael,' it was my life for three to four months, and then suddenly it's gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/when-i-started-working-on-michael-and-michael-it-was-my-life-for/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Because of the Internet, you're sort of forced to deal with people from very different backgrounds and beliefs. It's a great challenge of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/because-of-the-internet-you-re-sort-of-forced-to-deal-with-people/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I didn't know if I could be funny on stage or write a joke. But I saw that there are no rules. If you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-didn-t-know-if-i-could-be-funny-on-stage-or-write-a-joke-but-i-saw/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [A lot of times, it seems like social media has devolved into people just yelling at each other and not really conversing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/a-lot-of-times-it-seems-like-social-media-has-devolved-into-people/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Just because you saw a vampire doesn't mean that a snowman or a Loch Ness Monster also exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/just-because-you-saw-a-vampire-doesn-t-mean-that-a-snowman-or-a-loch/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [You really need to have that discipline. It's not even discipline. I just put down these rules. It's not like a vague, 'Motivate yourself!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/you-really-need-to-have-that-discipline-it-s-not-even-discipline-i/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Studio execs were like, ''Lord of the Rings!' People want to see sword-and-dragon-type things!' No, people just want to see great stories. Hollywood always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/studio-execs-were-like-lord-of-the-rings-people-want-to-see-sword-and/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [Living in Pakistan, you didn't have a sense of how huge and varied America was, geographically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/living-in-pakistan-you-didn-t-have-a-sense-of-how-huge-and-varied/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [You can get stuck in the trap of reading your YouTube comments all the time. Sometimes I regret it. Not everyone is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/you-can-get-stuck-in-the-trap-of-reading-your-youtube-comments-all/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) > [I moved to New York first and was really apprehensive about moving to L.A., but I really, really like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kumail-nanjiani/i-moved-to-new-york-first-and-was-really-apprehensive-about-moving-to/) [Kumail Nanjiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) [Explore all 87 Kumail Nanjiani quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kumail-nanjiani/) ## More Chicago quotes > [I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/i-m-proud-to-say-i-had-a-bet-with-a-guy-from-chicago-who-said-chicago/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) Uncle Arnie Mamath > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever I was flying commercial, I would land in Chicago, and they would announce, 'Get your passports out.' It happened so often, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/whenever-i-was-flying-commercial-i-would-land-in-chicago-and-they/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm from Chicago. And I was an actor in high school and college, and I wanted to see if I could make a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/i-m-from-chicago-and-i-was-an-actor-in-high-school-and-college-and-i/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [“I will have both of you," he said. "My Sentinel and my city. And the GP will learn exactly how stubborn we both can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/i-will-have-both-of-you-he-said-my-sentinel-and-my-city-and-the-gp/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Chicago is unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-merriam/chicago-is-unique-it-is-the-only-completely-corrupt-city-in-america/) [Charles Edward Merriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-merriam/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) [Browse all 1,655 Chicago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was studying comedy in Chicago, it wasn't long after 9/11. There were a lot Middle Eastern comedians who were doing bits about hailing cabs and being terrorists. So the first two years, I didn't do any of that because I wanted to separate myself from those guys. 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