DAVE MERHEJE
Laughter as Antidote
Comedy has always been in the background of my life ever since I was a little boy. My family were jokers, and as I (@davemerheje) was growing up, I started to fall in love with it without even realizing; it was all over television, the cinema, everywhere. My uncle introduced me to the greats, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, you know, all those people that I grew so fond of over the years as I’m sure so many other comics did.
My family weren’t easily offended and–looking back on it now–understood the art form, or at least what it meant. They were never bothered by what I talked about and what I shared. My mother especially understood that it wasn’t nothing but comedy, a way to make people laugh, have a good time, art instead of reality. I would sometimes talk about my childhood, growing up in Canada as a Lebanese, my parents’ roots, their funny little idiosyncrasies, stuff people could relate to.
And even then, no one criticized me, or told me I had no business saying what I said. I remember this competition I participated in back in 2011 when I was 31 years old called Homegrown in the Just for Laughs festival. I won! I remember how excited I got especially after being frustrated for so long and realizing that nothing was going my way in this business. So this win, however distant it might seem now, changed me, because it set me on the right path to keep pursuing this passion of mine that I knew I loved.
Photo credit: Jordan Ashleigh (@jordanashleighf)
Photo credit: Fay Photography (@fay_photo)
The material I create is widely based on my roots, my background, where I come from, the hilarious Lebanese idiosyncrasies I see in the people closest to me. Talking about these intermingled cultures was a great starting point for me, to grow my relationship with my country, one that still demands a lot of work and has only hit the periphery. I visited Lebanon for the first time last year, and I think it was a step in the right direction because despite the tragedies and what the country has gone through, I loved it. I loved the people, the city. It was just beautiful.
When I was out there doing comedy, I felt I was doing it for myself more than for the people. Not selfishly but rather therapeutically. I could talk about my experiences and it would be as if a load was lifted off my chest and this is a beautiful feeling. That is why I feel I was meant to do comedy. Of course, I could have found something else to do with my time. The possibilities are endless after all. But to be very frank with you, this–what I do–inspires me, persistently, always gives me the energy to keep pushing, to pay me dues, bide my time, and never give up. And that’s what I always say, “bide your time, take it one step at a time,” because this patience, that I learned little by little as I matured in the business, was the silver lining that I saw after all these years and the lesson I would give to up and coming comedians.
Five years ago, I was given the chance to star in a TV Show Ramy. Ramy Youssef -the series’ lead actor- and I were doing stand up together. One day, we were chatting and he said, “Hey, man, do you want to audition?” and I agreed, of course!
The audition was a self-tape that I had to prepare and I was away in China doing stand-up comedy. I didn’t have a clear idea about what the pilot was about. I mean they had told me bits and pieces of it. So, the promoter was with me in the car and I asked if we could make a self-tape about the show, on the phone and as I was trying to explain to her what a self-tape was and talking about the show, she just said, “can we shoot that again?” and that made me laugh because I wasn’t even aware that she was shooting. It makes me happy that it came so naturally to me and that I could be myself doing this show.
Photo credit: Ramy (TV Show)
Ramy became a second family to me. It was a very creative environment and I managed to learn more about acting and improve so many of my skills. It also got me out of my comfort zone as a comic, to truly get in touch with my darker emotions and express them. But it wasn’t just about professional growth and fulfillment but also the little moments that mean the most to me, just going out for ice cream with the team, joking around, hanging out at someone’s house… I have developed such warmth for these memories that I will be able to remember them for a long time.
I feel like I’m on a creative roll currently. I recently released my stand up special on YouTube called Miseducation of a F***boi that you can check out. It was super fun working on this one. And watch out for the new movie coming out, Sometimes I Think About Dying which offers a new and exciting creative space for me to explore new genres of self-expression.
If I could give one piece of advice, I would say to everyone coming up “Be patient!” Because when you’re in the grind, you always feel like nothing you do is ever enough, and as you’re in the moment, you lose this presence, and you’re always looking at the next task, the next hustle, that you fail to make the best out of this one, driving on a path to inevitable failure. It was only when I learned to master this state of mind that the successes came pouring into my life and it changed me, for the very best.
Comedy has always been in the background of my life ever since I was a little boy. My family were jokers, and as I (@davemerheje) was growing up, I started to fall in love with it without even realizing; it was all over television, the cinema, everywhere. My uncle introduced me to the greats, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, you know, all those people that I grew so fond of over the years as I’m sure so many other comics did.
My family weren’t easily offended and–looking back on it now–understood the art form, or at least what it meant. They were never bothered by what I talked about and what I shared. My mother especially understood that it wasn’t nothing but comedy, a way to make people laugh, have a good time, art instead of reality. I would sometimes talk about my childhood, growing up in Canada as a Lebanese, my parents’ roots, their funny little idiosyncrasies, stuff people could relate to.
Photo credit: Jordan Ashleigh (@jordanashleighf)
And even then, no one criticized me, or told me I had no business saying what I said. I remember this competition I participated in back in 2011 when I was 31 years old called Homegrown in the Just for Laughs festival. I won! I remember how excited I got especially after being frustrated for so long and realizing that nothing was going my way in this business. So this win, however distant it might seem now, changed me, because it set me on the right path to keep pursuing this passion of mine that I knew I loved.
The material I create is widely based on my roots, my background, where I come from, the hilarious Lebanese idiosyncrasies I see in the people closest to me. Talking about these intermingled cultures was a great starting point for me, to grow my relationship with my country, one that still demands a lot of work and has only hit the periphery. I visited Lebanon for the first time last year, and I think it was a step in the right direction because despite the tragedies and what the country has gone through, I loved it. I loved the people, the city. It was just beautiful.
Photo credit: Fay Photography (@fay_photo)
When I was out there doing comedy, I felt I was doing it for myself more than for the people. Not selfishly but rather therapeutically. I could talk about my experiences and it would be as if a load was lifted off my chest and this is a beautiful feeling. That is why I feel I was meant to do comedy. Of course, I could have found something else to do with my time. The possibilities are endless after all. But to be very frank with you, this–what I do–inspires me, persistently, always gives me the energy to keep pushing, to pay me dues, bide my time, and never give up. And that’s what I always say, “bide your time, take it one step at a time,” because this patience, that I learned little by little as I matured in the business, was the silver lining that I saw after all these years and the lesson I would give to up and coming comedians.
Five years ago, I was given the chance to star in a TV Show Ramy. Ramy Youssef -the series’ lead actor- and I were doing stand up together. One day, we were chatting and he said, “Hey, man, do you want to audition?” and I agreed, of course!
Photo credit: Ramy (TV Show)
The audition was a self-tape that I had to prepare and I was away in China doing stand-up comedy. I didn’t have a clear idea about what the pilot was about. I mean they had told me bits and pieces of it. So, the promoter was with me in the car and I asked if we could make a self-tape about the show, on the phone and as I was trying to explain to her what a self-tape was and talking about the show, she just said, “can we shoot that again?” and that made me laugh because I wasn’t even aware that she was shooting. It makes me happy that it came so naturally to me and that I could be myself doing this show.
Ramy became a second family to me. It was a very creative environment and I managed to learn more about acting and improve so many of my skills. It also got me out of my comfort zone as a comic, to truly get in touch with my darker emotions and express them. But it wasn’t just about professional growth and fulfillment but also the little moments that mean the most to me, just going out for ice cream with the team, joking around, hanging out at someone’s house… I have developed such warmth for these memories that I will be able to remember them for a long time.
I feel like I’m on a creative roll currently. I recently released my stand up special on YouTube called Miseducation of a F***boi that you can check out. It was super fun working on this one. And watch out for the new movie coming out, Sometimes I Think About Dying which offers a new and exciting creative space for me to explore new genres of self-expression.
If I could give one piece of advice, I would say to everyone coming up “Be patient!” Because when you’re in the grind, you always feel like nothing you do is ever enough, and as you’re in the moment, you lose this presence, and you’re always looking at the next task, the next hustle, that you fail to make the best out of this one, driving on a path to inevitable failure. It was only when I learned to master this state of mind that the successes came pouring into my life and it changed me, for the very best.
Comedy has always been in the background of my life ever since I was a little boy. My family were jokers, and as I (@davemerheje) was growing up, I started to fall in love with it without even realizing; it was all over television, the cinema, everywhere. My uncle introduced me to the greats, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, you know, all those people that I grew so fond of over the years as I’m sure so many other comics did.
My family weren’t easily offended and–looking back on it now–understood the art form, or at least what it meant. They were never bothered by what I talked about and what I shared. My mother especially understood that it wasn’t nothing but comedy, a way to make people laugh, have a good time, art instead of reality. I would sometimes talk about my childhood, growing up in Canada as a Lebanese, my parents’ roots, their funny little idiosyncrasies, stuff people could relate to.
Photo credit: Jordan Ashleigh (@jordanashleighf)
Photo credit: Fay Photography (@fay_photo)
And even then, no one criticized me, or told me I had no business saying what I said. I remember this competition I participated in back in 2011 when I was 31 years old called Homegrown in the Just for Laughs festival. I won! I remember how excited I got especially after being frustrated for so long and realizing that nothing was going my way in this business. So this win, however distant it might seem now, changed me, because it set me on the right path to keep pursuing this passion of mine that I knew I loved.
The material I create is widely based on my roots, my background, where I come from, the hilarious Lebanese idiosyncrasies I see in the people closest to me. Talking about these intermingled cultures was a great starting point for me, to grow my relationship with my country, one that still demands a lot of work and has only hit the periphery. I visited Lebanon for the first time last year, and I think it was a step in the right direction because despite the tragedies and what the country has gone through, I loved it. I loved the people, the city. It was just beautiful.
When I was out there doing comedy, I felt I was doing it for myself more than for the people. Not selfishly but rather therapeutically. I could talk about my experiences and it would be as if a load was lifted off my chest and this is a beautiful feeling. That is why I feel I was meant to do comedy. Of course, I could have found something else to do with my time. The possibilities are endless after all. But to be very frank with you, this–what I do–inspires me, persistently, always gives me the energy to keep pushing, to pay me dues, bide my time, and never give up. And that’s what I always say, “bide your time, take it one step at a time,” because this patience, that I learned little by little as I matured in the business, was the silver lining that I saw after all these years and the lesson I would give to up and coming comedians.
Five years ago, I was given the chance to star in a TV Show Ramy. Ramy Youssef -the series’ lead actor- and I were doing stand up together. One day, we were chatting and he said, “Hey, man, do you want to audition?” and I agreed, of course!
Ramy became a second family to me. It was a very creative environment and I managed to learn more about acting and improve so many of my skills. It also got me out of my comfort zone as a comic, to truly get in touch with my darker emotions and express them. But it wasn’t just about professional growth and fulfillment but also the little moments that mean the most to me, just going out for ice cream with the team, joking around, hanging out at someone’s house… I have developed such warmth for these memories that I will be able to remember them for a long time.
I feel like I’m on a creative roll currently. I recently released my stand up special on YouTube called Miseducation of a F***boi that you can check out. It was super fun working on this one. And watch out for the new movie coming out, Sometimes I Think About Dying which offers a new and exciting creative space for me to explore new genres of self-expression.
If I could give one piece of advice, I would say to everyone coming up “Be patient!” Because when you’re in the grind, you always feel like nothing you do is ever enough, and as you’re in the moment, you lose this presence, and you’re always looking at the next task, the next hustle, that you fail to make the best out of this one, driving on a path to inevitable failure. It was only when I learned to master this state of mind that the successes came pouring into my life and it changed me, for the very best.
Karim Carlo Mitri lives in a little olive town in the North of Lebanon named Koura. He is a writer, a researcher in the humanities and social sciences, and frankly, an avid observer of the human condition. He received his Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Philosophy from the Lebanese American University and has published in the fields of Renaissance Literature and Women’s Studies.
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Karim Mitri
