Murahd Shawki - From Fired to Funny: The Viral Success of Dirty Little Immigrant Boy

Kidding

Episode 14: Life, Laughter, and Virality with Murahd Shawki

Join Reece Kidd for a lively discussion with Murahd Shawki, an Egyptian-American comedian hailing from San Francisco. Murahd's witty and candid brand of humor, as featured in his viral taping of "Dirty Little Immigrant Boy," has captured the attention of millions. Garnering over 30 million views across major social media platforms and YouTube Shorts, Murahd's comedic content has amassed a substantial following exceeding 350,000 across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Murahd is a familiar figure at renowned comedy clubs and events like The San Francisco Punch Line, Cobb's Comedy Club, SF Sketchfest, and The San Jose Improv. He's shared stages with notable comics such as Vir Das, Kyle Kinane, Michael Longfellow, Damon Wayans Sr, Sugar Sammy, and Brandon Wardell.

In this episode, Reece and Murahd traverse a variety of topics. Beginning with a discussion on the Pokemon TV show controversy, they delve into the connection between weed and mediocrity, and then explore the more controversial aspects of comedy, such as racial ambiguity. They discuss the challenges and rewards of running and performing shows, career independence, and the strategy behind building a substantial social media following.

Reece and Murahd also touch on the SF comedy scene's Sunday Showcase, sharing stories of worst bombing experiences at a birthday party and navigating the world of corporate Zoom gigs. They dive into the worst advice given to comics, reflect on the insightful explanations of Louis C.K., and discuss the strategies behind booking shows in advance and managing intermissions during comedy shows.

The pair conclude the conversation with a deep dive into the complexities of social media algorithms and their role in engagement, and discuss Murahd's experiences performing at the Bill Murray.

This episode offers an intriguing look into the world of a comedian on the rise, providing listeners with a rare glimpse into the intersection of comedy, digital culture, and the nuances of navigating a career in the age of social media.
Murahd's instagram

Follow Kidding on social media for clips, live event info and behind the scenes
Kidding Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddingpodcast/
Kidding Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kiddingpodcast
Kidding Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU49TsZVIbI7vak-EKOBSbA
Follow Reece:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reecek1dd/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reecekidd

Chapters

1. Murahd Shawki - From Fired to Funny: The Viral Success of Dirty Little Immigrant Boy (00:00:00)

2. PR for Pokemon controversy. (00:03:15)

3. Weed and tolerating mediocrity (00:04:35)

4. Eating ass and racial ambiguity. (00:08:38)

5. Running shows (00:13:26)

6. Independence and career choices (00:17:00)

7. Building a social media following (00:19:29)

8. An anarchist tech co-op (00:23:11)

9. SF comedy scene's Sunday Showcase (00:26:27)

10. Worst bomb at birthday party. (00:31:17)

11. Corporate Zoom gigs (00:36:24)

12. Worst advice given to comics (00:37:30)

13. Louis C.K (00:41:15)

14. Booking shows in the UK (00:45:21)

15. Intermissions in comedy shows (00:49:46)

16. Social media algorithms and engagement. (00:51:23)