Comedian and Daily Show alum Aasif Mandvi created the 4-part web series, Halal in the Family, in 2015 as a way to use comedy and creativity to combat negative stereotypes of Muslim Americans. He is current developing an animated version of the series. The short web episodes play off the typical American family sitcom, as they feature a Muslim family with two teenagers who get into trouble, corny dad jokes and wacky neighbors. What distinguishes this sitcom spoof is that each episode focuses on a real-life challenge facing Muslim Americans, such as surveillance programs, online harassment, and media stereotypes. The show is effective at using humor and levity to connect to viewers in a way that previous shows, such as Will and Grace or The Cosby Show, have done with gay and African American characters respectively. What distinguishes this show, however, is the incorporation of serious political issues that Muslim Americans deal with on a daily basis. While it shouldn’t be revolutionary to see a Muslim American family in a sitcom, this short web series is a tongue-in-cheek attempt to show an average Muslim American family.
Kristin M. Peterson 