Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 8pm Zellerbach Hall

Free Speech and Social Change

Bassem Youssef in Conversation with Chancellor Nicholas B. Dirks

Berkeley Talks is co-presented by Cal Performances and UC Berkeley. Cal Performances’  !–  " season is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Berkeley Talks is a new series of conversations time on YouTube in May 2011 and gained five hosted by UC Berkeley’s chancellor, Nicholas B. million views in only three months. Nine we - Dirks, and co-presented by Cal Performances bisodes later, Egyptian channel ONTV offered that brings together international thought Dr. Youssef the opportunity to create a weekly leaders, public scholars, creators, and innova - show, accomplishing tors to examine the distinctive issues of our the first -to-TV conversion in the time. These luminaries will engage in dialogue . The offer forced Dr. Youssef to at the sometimes surprising nexus between choose between television broadcasting and their area of expertise and the University’s core the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at mission, celebrating the Chancellor’s vision of Cleveland Clinic in the United States. a vibrant, engaged, and forward-looking cam - Al-Bernameg premièred during pus culture. 2011 and gave voice to the millions of who were seething with anger from Bassem Raafat Muhammad Youssef is a for - the traditional media’s coverage of the mer Egyptian cardiac surgeon, satirist, and Egyptian Revolution. It became the platform columnist, who hosted Al-Bernameg (“The for many writers, artists, and politicians to Program”), a satirical news program, from speak freely about the social and political 2011 to 2014 . The press has compared scene. Al-Bernameg ’s success inspired a num - Dr. Youssef with American comedian Jon ber of amateur initiatives on various social Stewart, whose satire program media channels, which credit Dr. Youssef as inspired Dr. Youssef to begin his career. their inspiration. In June 2012 , Mr. Stewart Mr. Youssef graduated from invited Dr. Youssef to The Daily Show for an University’s Faculty of Medicine, majoring in extended interview and remarked: “I do know cardiothoracic surgery, in 1998. He passed the a little something about the humor business. United States Medical License Exam and has Your show is sharp, you’re really good on it, been a member of the Royal College of it’s smart, it’s well executed. I think the world Surgeons since February 2007. He also re - of what you’re doing down there.” The seg - ceived training in cardiac and lung transplan - ment was one of the highest in viewership on tation in Germany, after which he spent a year The Daily Show ’s website. and a half in the United States working for a For its second season, which premièred in company that produces medical equipment November 2012 on the CBC network, Al- related to cardiothoracic surgery. In January Bernameg moved from ONTV’s smallest stu - 2010, Dr. Youssef assisted the wounded in dio to Radio Theatre in Cairo’s downtown, during the Egyptian Revolution. becoming the first live-audience show in the Following the 18-day protests of the Middle East. Following the move, Dr. Youssef January 25th revolution, Dr. Youssef teamed succeeded in increasing the show’s viewership up with Tarek El-Kazz az, Amr Ismail, by eight times in one year. For the season’s pre - Mohamed Khalifa, and Mostafa Al-Halawany mière, Dr. Youssef made the owner and work - to create a political satire show commenting ers of his channel the subject of his show, as on the political events and how the main - an assurance that he is granted full freedom of stream media presented them. Influenced by expression and that no topic was off limits. Mr. Stewart, host of The Daily Show in the CBC did not, however, air his second episode, United States, Dr. Youssef broadcast his talent which also featured criticism of a TV-show from his laundry room, with just a table, a host who had filed a lawsuit against chair, one camera, and a mural of amateur Dr. Youssef. The show returned to its regular photos from Tahrir Square. Starting with only schedule for the third episode. five minutes per episode, The B+ Show (named The show gained tremendous success after his blood type) was uploaded for the first through its humorous yet bold criticism of

PLAYBILL ABOUT THE SPEAKERS former Egyptian President , Morsi administration and the people’s idoliza - who represented the . tion of the Egyptian Defense Minister, Abdul Soon after the show débuted, complaints were Fatah al-Sisi. In response to the criticism and filed against Dr. Youssef, accusing him of in - discontent the program caused, CBC distanced sulting and the President and disrupt - itself from the show and its creators, and de - ing public order and peace. On January 1, cided to stop airing it on its channels. 2013, t he daily newspaper Al-masry Al-youm Meanwhile, more than 30 complaints against reported that an Egyptian prosecutor was in - Dr. Youssef and Al-Bernameg were filed at the vestigating Dr. Youssef on charges of malign - General Prosecutor’s office, accusing him of ing President Morsi, whose office claimed that insulting the Armed Forces, President Adly Dr. Youssef’s show was “circulating false news Mansour, and describing the June 30 revolu - likely to disturb public peace and public secu - tion as a military coup , in addition to disrupt - rity and affect the administration.” ing public order and peace. The General In March 2013 , Dr. Youssef began writing a Prosecutor has transferred some of the com - weekly column for Al-Shorouk , one of ’s plaints for investigation, which currently re - most prominent and independent daily news - main subject to his decision and judgment. papers, where he tackled taboo such subjects Al-Bernameg reappeared on MBC Masr as atheism and questioning the commonly satellite channel on February 7, 2014, achiev - held view that apostasy from Islam should be ing unprecedented weekly viewership ratings punishable by death. On March 30, an arrest for eleven consecutive weeks. But the program warrant was issued for Dr. Youssef for al - was suspended by MBC during the 2014 legedly insulting Islam and President Morsi. Egyptian presidential election campaign, and The move was seen by opponents as part of an in June 2014 Dr. Youssef a nnounced that he effort to silence dissent against Morsi’s gov - was ending Al-Bernameg , since he felt that the ernment. Dr. Youssef confirmed the arrest political climate in Egypt made it too danger - warrant on his account and said he ous to continue. would hand himself in to the prosecutor’s of - Despite the controversy it has sparked, fice, jokingly adding, “Unless they kindly send Al-Bernameg has been a major success. It is a police van today and save me the trans - constantly topping the regional YouTube portation hassle.” The following day, he was charts, making Dr. Youssef’s YouTube channel questioned by authorities before being re - the most subscribed to in Egypt. leased on bail of 15,000 Egyptian pounds. In 2013 , Dr. Youssef was named one of the The event sparked international media at - “100 most influential people in the world“ by tention as well as a segment on The Daily Time magazine and one of Foreign Policy mag - Show in which Mr. Stewart declared his sup - azine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers. He was port for Dr. Youssef, calling him a “friend” and also awarded with the International Press “brother.” A month later Dr. Youssef appeared Freedom Award of 2013 from the Committee on The Daily Show for the second time, and in to Protect Journalists and was announced the June Mr. Stewart visited Cairo and appeared most searched figure in 2013 by Google. as a guest on Al-Bernameg , marking one of the Al-Bernameg was chosen by SXSW, one of the all-time highlights of the show. largest international interactive festivals, as the In October 2013 , after a four-month break, first and most successful Internet-to-TV con - Mr. Youssef reappeared on air with a program version story in the Middle East. Al-Bernameg ’s that stirred considerable controversy and crit - YouTube channel was the first channel in the icism. The season première marked the first MENA region to reach one million subscribers broadcast for the show since the 2013 Egyptian and was awarded the Gold Button trophy. protests had deposed Morsi from the Egyptian A practicing Muslim, Dr. Youssef lives in presidency. Dr. Youssef criticized both the Cairo with his wife, an Egyptian Palestinian,

CAL PERFORMANCES ABOUT THE ARTISTS and their daughter. He continued his work as behalf of undergraduate programs, he im - a cardiothoracic surgeon when Al-Bernameg proved and diversified the faculty, putting was on hiatus. special emphasis on interdisciplinary and in - ternational initiatives. The Franz Boas Nicholas B. Dirks be - Professor of Anthropology and History, came the tenth chancel - Chancellor Dirks joined Columbia in 1997 a s lor of the University of chair of the anthropology department. Prior California, Berkeley, on to his appointment at Columbia, he was a pro - Jun e 1, 2013. An inte r- fessor of history and anthropology at the nationally renowned University of Michigan for ten years, before historian and anthro - which he taught Asian history and civilization pologist, he is a leader at the California Institute of Technology. in higher education and Chancellor Dirks has held numerous fel - well-known for his lowships and scholarships and received sev - commitment to and advocacy for accessible, eral scholarly honors, including a MacArthur high-quality undergraduate education in the Foundation residential fellowship at the liberal arts and sciences, to the globalization of Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, a the university, and to innovation across the dis - Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Lionel ciplines as well as in applied and basic fields. Trilling Award for his book Castes of Mind . He Before coming to Berkeley, he was the serves on numerous national and interna - executive vice president for the arts and sci - tional bodies, as adviser or member of the ences and dean of the faculty at Columbia board, and is a Fellow at the Council on University, where, in addition to his work on Foreign Relations.

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