Comedy and identity intersect: An interview with writer Sameer Asad Gardezi

Muslim screenwriters are still a rarity in Hollywood, but that may soon be changing. I recently conversed with the quick-witted Sameer Asad Gardezi, winner of the Writers Guild award for his work on ABC’s Modern Family. His previous projects include writing for the groundbreaking Aliens in America on the CW network, which sympathetically portrayed a young Muslim immigrant. The USC film school graduate shares with us his perspective on identity politics, the unique opportunity Muslims have in reshaping representation, and his advice to aspiring Muslim writers and artists.
How did you get into writing for television?

My short Equal Opportunity played a major role in making me visible. I had written the short as part of my sketch packet for one of my USC classes. My friend, Camille Mana, decided she wanted to produce it and from there it was just asking everyone for favors. The short did very well in the festival circuit and allowed me to get a lot of television meetings.

Aliens in America was your first writing gig with a primetime sitcom on the CW network. Did you explore your own religious identity when writing for Raj’s character, a Pakistani Muslim immigrant in Wisconsin?

Absolutely. Oddly enough though, I felt more connected with Justin’s character. The bare bones of Raja’s religious practices and ethnic identification was something that I tried to convey through my own experiences growing up in America. However, Raja’s undying confidence, to some naïveté, was something that I felt was fresh and unique to the Muslim-American voice. Like Justin, most of my formative years involved avoiding bullies.

Did you ever feel like the token brown Muslim guy in the writing room?

Yes, not only do I feel it, I actually am the token brown Muslim guy in the room. That’s the nature of the business right now and I guess most of the world. It’s an incredibly white, male, heteronormative environment. It’s very uncommon to see writer’s rooms with more than a couple people of color and/or women.

Can you share an experience when being the token brown Muslim guy came in handy?

It can come in handy sometimes. I’m in a field competing against very few other South Asians and/or Muslims. It’s easier for me to discuss certain issues and be a little bit more visible. Other times, it’s pretty pathetic. Some people are so far removed from “difference” that I’ve felt like a museum exhibit. I imagine it’s pretty much the same when you’re working in other industries except we have a huge responsibility shaping images and representation.

What kind of role do you see Muslims having in the arts?

Hopefully a much larger one. In the past few years that I have been in the industry, there have been some tremendous changes for the better, with some Muslims having created their own production companies and others locking down book deals. We still have a very long way to go. But, with that in mind, I can’t stress enough how this battle for representation has to be in tandem with other social groups. As long as there are more people of color and gender difference having a larger role in the industry, I feel like our chances are much better.

Traditionally, South Asian men are expected to pursue careers in engineering, computer science and medicine. Did it go over well with the parents when you told them you wanted to write for TV sitcoms?

I think they gave up on me early on, though my dad still calls me now and then and asks me to apply to MBA programs. I believe they take comfort in knowing that I didn’t jump into this industry blindly. I interned for many years, got a feel for the industry and wrote as much as possible.

Who and what are the biggest influences on your writing? Comedians? Thinkers?

To this day, Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing is an endless barrel of inspiration. Even though for the most part I’m a comedy writer, the film speaks very loudly to me. In terms of comedians, I’m very influenced by Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and Louis C.K. Their ability to weave ideas of identity politics and make it palatable is mind-blowing. It reminds me a lot of Malcolm X and his gift of taking high theory and mixing it with popular culture. And speaking of which, I don’t think I have the mind that I have without Malcolm X, Bobby Seale, Abbie Hoffman, James Baldwin, Che Guevara and other literary revolutionaries.

What went through your mind when you won the Writers Guild award for Modern Family?

I was very humbled. It’s not an individual award; it’s a team award so it’s something closer to winning the World Series than it is winning an individual award. Writers on a show typically work in a very close-knit fashion; knocking ideas back in forth throughout the day (sometimes night) and then break stories. It’s a chaotic yet very organic process. Often times, people ask, “What character do you write for?” No one is assigned to anyone; it’s pretty much a full free-for-all.

What advice do you have for women wanting to go into this male-dominated profession?

I would say definitely own your female voice. There’s not always going to be a brown guy in a show or movie. There will always be a woman. A female perspective is tantamount to a successful and authentic product. As a male writer, I’ve been in countless situations where I feel a women’s voice would shed light to a particular character situation or story arc.

Any thoughts for aspiring writers and artists?

Stick to being an engineer or doctor. If for some reason you’re insane and can’t let go of the Hollywood bug, then make sure your voice is unique and true to yourself. I feel that a lot of Muslim artists find themselves over-compensating for their identity and exploring a world that has limited access to others. I am not saying that we shouldn’t delve deep into our own experiences but if the piece is solely political or a post-911 sampler, then you’re doing a disservice to the medium and yourself. I don’t want to watch a story that feels like a MSA meeting or something about hijabi snowboarders. I think it really limits us, particularly as Americans whose experience with diversity is very apparent. Other than that, keep on writing.

Anything else you’d like to add?

As Muslims, I think we have a very unique opportunity to fight for our identity and representation. But with that, we really have to understand what we’re fighting for. We shouldn’t be fighting against negative depictions of Muslims. We should be asking for more depictions of Muslims. Our goal shouldn’t be to have a showcase of “good” Muslims because that in itself is tokenism and just as dangerous as having an image of a crazed, bearded- terrorist — we need to have a plurality of representation. Our goal should be to have sexy, ugly, intelligent, moronic, educated, illiterate, buff, wimpy, egotistical, self-hating, manipulative, naive, bossy, spineless, humble-minded, gossipy, open-minded, close-minded, talkative, timid, out-going, reserved, clingy, distant, neurotic, careless, sophisticated, and immature Muslims because that’s the Muslims I know and I think it’s worth a shot to let others know about them too.
Sarah Jawaid is Associate Editor of Altmuslimah.