Aasif Mandvi, widely known as the Senior Muslim Correspondent on The Daily Show, is premiering a new sitcom parody "Halal in the Family" on award-winning humor website, Funny Or Die, tonight, April 9. The short-form web series, which uses humor to examine anti-Muslim bias, stars Mandvi, Sakina Jaffrey (House of Cards) and notable special guests Samantha Bee (The Daily Show), Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter (The Roots) and Jordan Klepper (The Daily Show).
In 2011, "The Daily Show" aired a single episode parody starring Aasif as part of a segment on anti-Muslim bias. Mandvi and Lillian LaSalle of Sweet 180 recognized and seized the opportunity to turn this single episode into a web series for social good. Halal in the Family builds on work Mandvi has done with Muslim groups by addressing a range of issues, including cyber bullying and hate networks, media bias, and the exploitation of anti-Muslim prejudice for political gain.
Halal is produced by LaSalle and directed by Miles Kahn, a producer on The Daily Show. It was developed as part of a campaign to combat anti-Muslim bias coordinated by Moore + Associates, a strategic communications firm. Themes for the series were chosen in consultation with the project's Advisory Council, including such prominent Muslim, interfaith and civil rights organizations as the Center for New Community, ACCESS/National Network for Arab American Communities, Muslim Advocates, Auburn Seminary, and SAALT.
"Through my work on The Daily Show, I saw how satire can open people's eyes and shift perspectives on controversial topics," says Mandvi. "With Halal in the Family I had a chance to create an all-American Muslim family dealing with common forms of ignorance and prejudice, resolving them - in classic sitcom fashion -by the end of each episode. I'm excited that all four episodes will premiere on Funny Or Die, which is a trail blazer in the world of comedy."
Halal in the Family will continue to work with its Advisory Council to provide viewers with a unique opportunity to engage more deeply in the issues raised by the web series. Ways to get involved in the social action campaigns and additional information on the series can be found at [
www.halalinthefamily.tv] and on Facebook or Twitter.
About
Aasif Mandvi
Aasif (@Aasif) has become known for projects that take on the issue of race and religion, from "The Daily Show" to his much acclaimed roles in the off-Broadway show "Disgraced," and "Sakina's Restaurant." Best known for his role as Senior Muslim Correspondent on "The Daily Show," Aasif's next role is starring in HBO's "The Brink", where he is also a writer and producer. He also recently released the book "No Land's Man" from Chronicle Books, which is a laugh-out-loud account of a second-generation immigrant's search for meaning and identity in an increasingly confusing world.
About Lillian LaSalle/Sweet 180
Lillian LaSalle and Sweet 180, the producer of Halal in the Family, is a talent management and production company that specializes in the representation of award winning actors, writers, directors and composers and produces feature film and television properties, such as Mandvi's feature film, TODAY's SPECIAL, Independent Spirit Award winner, SWEET LAND, starring
Alan Cumming and
Sundance film, LOGGERHEADS.
About Moore + Associates
Moore + Associates, the communications firm managing this project, is responsible for some of the most successful cause-based viral campaigns. During the 2012 presidential election its award-winning pro-Obama videos included Wake the f Up! with
Samuel L. Jackson and Let My People Vote with
Sarah Silverman.
