Somebody...

Russell Peters is a name probably familiar to most NRIs in the US and Canada. For those who come in late, he is a Canadian desi stand-up comic who has gained quite a reputation among South and East Asians for his comedy routines, especially since they draw heavily on the immigrant experience. (Think of a desi Mencia). It's come to a point where some of his standard routines (circulated widely via peer-to-peer and otherwise) are now common lingo among Indians (and even East Asians) here.

For those in the know, "Be a Man!" Watch these videos, finally out in the public where junta can actually enjoy his comedy. Or "Somebody gonna getta hurt real bad...."

Video1 (the one that really made him) - RealVideo, some issues with watching in Firefox. 20 mins+.

There's a bunch more videos here... enjoy.

I was fortunate enough to catch his show last month at the Moore Theater in Seattle. Sold-out show. A crowd of yellow and brown faces (maybe 10 whites in the crowd). Pointed, occasionally below the belt jokes about Indians, Chinese, and everyone around. Laughter till my jaws hurt. Paisa vasool. The opening act was Daniel Nainan, who was pretty good too. But Russell Peters was something else.

For some reason, posting about it without offering a sampling of the videos seemed cruel. Now that the videos are easily available online, share the love. Forward these links to everyone you know.

On a tangential note, this is an excellent example of how word-of-mouth publicity due to bootlegs and free downloads can help build a star. I (and many other people I know) wouldn't have paid the money we did to see a comic on reputation. The videos sold me on watching this man.

Check here if you have a show in your area.