As her first comedy special gains traction, Zainab Johnson reflects on her early career and how she strives to be relatable to those in the Muslim community.
In her very first comedy special, “Hijabs Off”, Zainab Johnson dives deeply into her experience growing up in a Muslim household having 12 siblings, all with varying lifestyles and personalities. The special is also unique as Johnson performs in a round setting. In other words, the setting encourages an intimate, conversational feeling, which is something Johnson said she really wanted to create.
“I want them to feel they’re sitting in a chair in my living room. And I want it to feel like a conversation. Most times it’s a conversation that I’m leading and I’m doing most of the talking, but in a good conversation, you’re speaking and you’re an active listener.”
I also spoke to the comedian about the inclusion of her family within her special and how she strives to be relatable to other Muslims.
“My family is a big part of me, being from a large family and just me growing up with so many different characters”, Johnson said. “In terms of being Muslim, as a civilian in the world or a bystander…I always felt like there were very specific conversations and narratives being had about Muslims or the Muslim identity and then more specifically, the Muslim identity in America. And I never once felt like it was speaking to me.”
Through her comedy, Johnson strives to provide “another part of the conversation” by speaking about her experiences to provide “more information.” She also spoke about how the comedy surrounding the Muslim community has been consistently harsh and rarely sheds light on such an expansive community.
“We are having a very human experience too. We laugh all the time…What about being Muslim? What about talking about this experience? Why is it not funny? I’m going to make it funny cause I’m having humorous, funny experiences.”
Zainab Johnson’s new comedy special, “Hijabs Off” is now streaming on Prime Video.
