I try to look at it like an angry optimist. In other words, I'm not happy with the state of affairs that we have. The rise of nationalism under the guise of patriotism is so effed up, and underneath this banner of "patriotism" is the worst of nationalist rhetoric: racism, xenophobia, sexism, pitting communities against each other, implicitly inciting race wars and stuff like that. So that's the angry part of it, but I'm incredibly optimistic about the potential to redefine what it means to be a "patriotic American" .
Hasan MinhajFor 18 months, leading up to the November election, I did everything in my power to show how ridiculous and crazy Trump's rhetoric was. I literally did a piece called "Donald Trump Is White ISIS." But, partisanship aside, there's a huge populace of people that were like, "I hear what you're saying, but I need something to change in my life, and I would like to have a representative that I think will do that for me."
Hasan MinhajWhen it comes to matters of health, it's the one thing you can't control. Being healthy is the crown that only the sick can see. A lot of times, we take it for granted. But the few times that I've seen loved ones in the hospital or not being able to do something they could normally do, it really sucks.
Hasan MinhajI will say that the thing that I use too much, and I need to stop, but the F-word is pretty great. When you say it, it's so viscerally strong. It also serves as a great punctuation point - it can really emphasize how dumb something is.
Hasan MinhajIf I were a medical doctor, I would probably be a dermatologist, because they have great work-life balance. Not because I'm passionate about people's skin. They have great hours. I have friends who are dermatologists, and they tell me it's great.
Hasan MinhajI'm very, very specific about sneakers. I've always been a fan. It's not just certain brands, it's also the model of the shoe, the cut of the shoe, the colorway of the shoe. Someone will say, "Hey, this is the Air Jordan this." And I'm like, "Yeah, but that's not as rare as this Air Jordan, in this colorway." It gets very specific - it's the make, the model, the colorway. As a kid, I always wanted to have sneakers, but I didn't always get the ones that I wanted. So now, I'm reliving my childhood through my feet.
Hasan Minhaj