In the third part of this four part episode, DET Podcast Presenter Mariem Dekhili discusses the power of comedy as a form of ‘resistance‘ in light of the genocide in Gaza alongside Comedian, Artiste, and Broadway Dancer: Mina Liccione.
(00:00) Comedian, Artiste, Dancer, Mina Liccione: Oh my gosh, you know, there is no such thing as balance for me.
I think a lot of artists feel this way, right? I’m a religious person. It stays with me wherever I go. I’m a comedian. If I go to a hospital and I go to a visit, I did a lot of clowning in hospitals back in the day.
Consent, Meaning, and Higher Purpose
One of the first things we learned is you always ask, can I enter the room? You get their permission.
(00:29) Comedian, Artiste, Dancer, Mina Liccione: From then, you ask a question and you let them lead the way.
I remember a time so special, making one child and his mother laugh while he was trying to heal and go through chemotherapy, stages and stages of it, it is so painful. to help them, inshallah, remember the laughter more than the pain, something so meaningful.
(00:56) Comedian, Artiste, Dancer, Mina Liccione: I was blessed to be able to do this as a teenager and as a young adult.
There is never a balance or segregation from the two. If I take the stage, I am always, I’m gonna make you laugh, but I’m gonna make you think then afterwards. Like now I got your attention, I got you laughing, but now let’s like, there’s a lot of truth in the gesture.
Using Your Platform and Speaking Out: Gaza
As someone with a platform and with a microphone, I would not, how can I?
(01:25) Comedian, Artiste, Dancer, Mina Liccione: I call myself an artist and a comedian if I’m not calling out what needs to be called out.
A lot of times too, what's interesting is for years, for many years, I have been invited to either host or perform at fundraisers for Gaza, for Palestine, internationally.
(01:54) Comedian, Artiste, Dancer, Mina Liccione: Sometimes I curate them and I love putting together different lineups.
This year, I remember, and I love this as I love doing charity, but I remember almost getting frustrated and being like; I’m tired of doing these events… I am tired of it… I just want Palestine to be free already.
A lot of times people will say, why do you do comedy at something for Gaza? They don’t fit. And I’m like, are you crazy? Yes, they do. The thing we should not just think about Palestine and associate it with sadness and with war.
Redefining Resistance: Sumud as Resistance
We also need to think of the culture and the food.
My gosh, the kunafa and dukkah, the art, the poetry, the culture, and the cuisine.
There is so much. the comedy. I mean, come on, and I got news for everyone. Laughter in comedy is a form of resistance. I asked my friend who is from Palestine and I said, you know, when he says this too, he said, he's like, I asked myself, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Every time he chooses to laugh, that’s resistance.
(03:18) Comedian, Artiste, Dancer, Mina Liccione: That is resistance.
We have to associate positivity and love along with this horrific, horrific time and genocide that is happening there. I can’t imagine not, I would never not talk about it. I would never not show up to an event or a media interview without representing Gaza.
It’s just not possible. It’s all about the higher purpose and it will just always be there.
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