Double standards of Bassem Youssef viewers

Editor-in-Chief

Bassem Youssef’s show produced 29 episodes during the reign of ousted president Morsi, all of which poked fun at Morsi, Muslim Brotherhood figures and the government. Needless to say, he received heavy criticism from Morsi supporters.

Of course, at the time, the liberals condemned the Islamists and claimed that they were intolerant and had no sense of humor. They praised Youssef for his comical performances

One would think that they’d accept the same kind of humor if it were directed at a figure or a group that they are fond of – after all, they expressed so much disbelief at the Islamists for their lack of sense of humor. Surprisingly (or not), this did not prove to be the case. and the show eventually turned into a national event.

Indeed, in the previous season, when Ahmed Shafik, former Prime Minister and presidential candidate, was criticized by Youssef, the candidate’s supporters got angry – those who had criticized the Islamists’ lacking ‘sense of humor.’

In his second season’s commencement on Oct. 25, Youssef satirically criticized how Egyptians hailed army chief Gen. Abdelfattah El Sisi as a national hero, especially those who protested on June 30 and celebrated the ouster of Morsi on July 3.

Youssef was heavily condemned from two opposing fronts. On one hand, some viewers claimed his analysis on El-Sisi and the way he expressed his opinion, were significantly downplayed in comparison to his criticism of Morsi. They accused Youssef of having a relatively ‘conservative’ approach out of fear of the army.

On the other hand, the viewers who once blamed the Islamists for their lack of sense of humor when they criticized Youssef seemed to lack that sense themselves. The

y expressed extreme anger at the fact that their own hero seemed to take Morsi’s place on Youssef’s show.

Prior to the start of his program – in both seasons – a disclaimer is displayed saying that it is satirical, biased and is for ages 18 and above. However, when viewers decide to comment on Youssef’s lack of objectivity, they completely disregarded the statement.

Youssef wrote an opinion piece for Egyptian newspaper El Shorouk. He explained that people claimed to criticize his show because of “religious reasons” or display of “unsuitable content,” but that the real reason was because the content was simply contrary to their own beliefs or “taste.” He did not limit this explanation to Islamists, but extended it to supporters of Ahmed Shafik and El- Sisi.

A seemingly big portion of viewers had blamed both: those who condemned Youssef’s technique of criticizing Shafik and those who blamed him for attacking the Islamists.

This brings me to my point. Why is it that those viewers can blame Brotherhood and Shafik supporters for ‘lacking sense of humor’, but cannot blame themselves?