Hasan Minhaj addresses fact-checking controversy in new Netflix special
In his new Netflix special, Hasan Minhaj touched on the fact-checked jokes scandal that led to him losing his job as the new host of the “The Daily Show.”
In his new Netflix special, Hasan Minhaj touched on the fact-checked jokes scandal that led to him losing his job as the new host of the “The Daily Show.”
Minhaj’s dives into with a punchline about a “white BMW 3 Series,” where he corrects himself with, “I don’t own a white BMW 3 Series. I lease a 2023 Kia Carnival.” He went on to joke that he “has to do this now” following the backlash.
“I have to be factually accurate. Because — I don’t know if you saw this last year — The New Yorker fact-checked my standup comedy,” Minhaj said in his special, “Off With His Head,” which premiered Tuesday on Netflix. “They were just like ‘Ah! Ho-ho-ho! Breaking news. Magicians aren’t wizards.’ And now I have a controversies tab on my Wikipedia.”
In September 2023, The New Yorker published a profile reporting that Minhaj had fabricated several stories in his stand-up specials, specifically ones which outline hate crimes and acts of political violence. In “The King’s Jester,” Minhaj tells a story about how he was mailed an envelope of white powder which he accidentally spilled on his infant daughter. Fearing it was anthrax, he rushed her to the hospital, where the doctors told him the powder was completely harmless.
Minhaj revealed to The New Yorker that his daughter never came in contact with the powder and was never hospitalized. An envelope with white powder was mailed to his house, however, which eventually inspired the joke.
Rating: 5