In September 2023, The New Yorker published an article titled “Emotional Truths” questioning the authenticity of the personal stories told by comedian Hasan Minhaj in his specials “Homecoming King” (2017) and “The King’s Jester” (2022). ). The article and Minhaj’s reaction took the internet by storm.

The backlash took away his chance to be host of “The Daily Show.”

Today, almost a year after the turmoil his image went through, Minhaj is back with a new Netflix special “Off With His Head,” released October 22.

“Off With His Head” presents a more honest, more self-aware and relaxed Minhaj compared to the theatrical stand-ups we’ve seen from him previously.

But is this change due to a backlash?

This seems likely.

Once known for his punchy humor in “Patriot Act” and “The King’s Jester,” Minhaj’s new special now seems hesitant, caught in the tension of trying to be authentic while wary of controversy.

Directed by Tyler Babin, the hour-long show focuses very little on the New Yorker investigation, which fact-checked the comedian and found him guilty of exaggeration.

“I don’t know if you saw that. Last year, the New Yorker fact-checked my stand-up,” he said.

“It was like breaking news: magicians are not wizards,” he laughed, adding: “I got caught embellishing for dramatic effect. The same crime your aunt is guilty at Thanksgiving.”

He later explained that there is now a controversy tab on his Wikipedia and calls it the “stupidest” controversy.

Minhaj acknowledged using some artistic license, but maintained that his stories, which depicted the racism he faced as an Indian-American Muslim after 9/11, conveyed “emotional truths” rooted in real-life experiences.

He also clarified that there was a distinction between his news shows, where “the truth comes first”, and his stand-up performances, where “the emotional truth” takes precedence.

A journey through “Beigeistan”

Moving away from backlash, he draws public attention to a term he coined, called “Beigeistan,” to describe South Asian immigrant communities.

With a witty tone, he describes his audience in “Beigeistan” as “much more practical than the progressives,” eliciting laughter and applause.

Once the crowd is on his side, he launches into a scathing critique of diaspora communities and their selfish voting habits.

Highlighting the four key issues of priority for these communities – “No. 1: Give me a green card, No. 2: Believe in God, No. 3: I don’t like paying taxes and No. 4: Don’t bomb my home country” – he then adds, slyly, “But if you give me No. 1, I’ll let you do No. 4.”

In a bold move, Minhaj discusses the experience of “Beigeistan,” highlighting how South Asian immigrants often prioritize the “American dream,” turning a blind eye to broader injustices.

He also discusses American foreign policy and the war in Palestine and the Middle East, noting that “every president goes in and out like a war criminal.”

“Off With His Head” doesn’t hit as hard as Hasan Minhaj’s previous specials, not because of wasted talent, but because it lacks his signature style of weaving humor through deeply personal stories .

It covers themes such as Indians in politics, generational divides and boundary conflicts.

While some moments were funny, most were just worth a chuckle.

Reflecting on The New Yorker’s investigation into Minhaj’s story, one wonders: Was revealing the whole truth worth it?

Would it have been so wrong to let his artistic freedoms slip away? Hasn’t such freedom been offered to all existing actors?

Or did Minhaj’s emotional truths hit too close to home for a predominantly white audience, afraid to confront their inherent Islamophobia?