“We struggle to be earnest and we are comedians because we’re covering up things that we haven’t dealt with in the past,” he joked.
“That’s why we become comedians, because we wanna make a room full of strangers laugh and make ourselves feel good. And so we struggle with being earnest and that’s why we make jokes about everything because we don’t want to face reality a lot of times.
“But on the flip side of that, comedy does have the ability to be the easiest way to swallow a hard pill. And the concept of endangered species and comedy actually becomes a really good pairing, done with a level of tact and a level of like class and not knowing where the line is.”
He said that comedy is a key part of New Zealand’s culture and it allows us to laugh at the things that might make us cry otherwise.
Noting that it may sound “high and mighty” to say, Assadi regards comedy as a “spiritual force” in the way it can unite people, and not just those who perform it.
“Comedy can start out as like a lifeline for a lot of people. And there are many people who don’t really give a lot of attention to comedy’s role as something that contributes to the forward movement or the betterment of society, and that’s okay.
“Like, you don’t have to be a comedian that has this righteous purpose, but that doesn’t change the fact that comedy still has that potential.”
Throughout his comedy career, Assadi has often tackled difficult subjects head-on.
His father came to New Zealand as a refugee, after fleeing Iran when he was 17, and spent four years seeking asylum around the world.
It’s a subject Assadi has addressed in stand-up and in his sitcom, Raised by Refugees, that explored his childhood growing up in a post 9/11 world.
One storyline drawn from his real life was how Assadi pretended to be Tongan after the attacks, because it was easier than being Middle Eastern.
“In the show, it’s like two days, but in real life it was like four years of pretending to be Tongan. I had to learn how to break dance and I had to play touch rugby. I hated it. I was the worst on the team. They were like, there’s something wrong with you.”
While his parents struggled to fit into New Zealand when they first got here, Assadi believes New Zealand has evolved in recent decades and is far more accepting than it once was.
“And now we’re moving into a space where it’s like, okay, acceptance is one level, but like what does it mean to celebrate that diversity and go, actually, that diversity is this country’s strength?
“That’s like the next level. And I don’t think we’re fully there as a country, but I think we’re moving, we are going in that direction where diversity is not something we just have to accept, rather, it’s the thing that makes this country strong.”
Listen to the full episode for more from Pax Assadi about life as a comedian and growing up as the child of immigrants.
Endangered Species Aotearoa airs on TVNZ1 on Monday nights and is available to catch up on TVNZ+
Ask Me Anything is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett. New episodes are available every Sunday.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
