A Sikh Joke: A Turbaned Comedian Reflects on the Wisconsin Shooting

By Rachel Belle

Listen to Sikh Joke: A Turbaned Comedian Reflects on the Wisconsin Shooting

You never know how you might react in an emergency situation. But when white supremacist Wade Page opened fire on a Wisconsin Sikh temple, two little kids jumped into action to warn others.

“We heard a shot which we thought was a fireworks, but then it wasn’t fireworks. It was, um, bullets,” says 9-year-old Amanat Singh.

Amanat, and her 11-year-old brother Abhay, told ABC News they were playing outside when they heard the gunshots, so they ran inside to alert others.

“Actually, as soon as we got in the kitchen I started yelling. I’m like, ‘There’s a guy with a gun! Hide! Hide!'” explains Abhay.

Amanat told the reporter that she was scared the gunman was going to “kill everyone.” They warned more than a dozen people, saving all of their lives.

Standup comedian, Manvir Singh, may not be saving lives, but he’s trying to educate people on Sikhism through comedy. A performer in New York, and on the Big Brown Comedy Hour, Manvir performs in his turban and full beard. He often opens his set by telling people not to be afraid. People roar with laughter.

“You know, just after 9/11, people have gotten confused because of the fact that we wear a turban, the fact that we keep our beards. They kind of associate us with Osama bin Ladin. That’s kind of why I got into comedy: To show them, you know what, just because we dress a certain way, just because we look a certain way, it doesn’t mean that we act the same exact way.”

He also wanted to prove that a guy in a turban can tell jokes on a stage and get laughs. Just this week, comedian Jeffrey Ross made a joke about the Colorado movie theater shooting on a roast for Roseanne Barr. It will not be aired on TV because people felt it was inappropriate and “too soon.” I wondered if there will ever be a time when this Wisconsin shooting isn’t “too soon” for Manvir.

“Personally, because I’m a Sikh, I would not ever never joke about something like that. I do comedy to make people laugh and I need to feel comfortable with the jokes that I’m making. I don’t ever see myself being comfortable joking about a situation like this. You know, it’s a part of me, it’s something that happened, it’s a very tragic event. Whether it’s tomorrow or thirty years down the line, I don’t see myself ever joking about something like this.”

But can other people make jokes about it?

“Everybody does their own thing, and obviously people make jokes about other religions and stereotypes, but it really comes down to how comfortable you’re feeling. I’ve made jokes that have offended others and people would say, ‘I would never have said that joke on stage.’ As a comedian, I’m open to different perspectives; just because I don’t make a joke doesn’t mean that somebody else can’t make a joke about it.”

Manvir thinks tragedies like this happen because people are uneducated about different religions and cultures. He hopes to bring a little awareness through his comedy, by pointing out things that have happened to him and other Sikhs.

“Try to make a bad situation into a little lighter situation. Try and at least make people laugh about it. We’re aware of what you guys are thinking and we kinda want to correct that.

Click here to see a video of Manvir’s standup, but please keep in mind that there are curse words.