A Night of Laughs With Sammy Obeid

On January 14, American writer and stand-up comedian Sammy Obeid gave a welcoming performance full of banter and cleverly timed antics to his JWU student audience. His approach to comedy came with understanding and connection, yet playful judgment that he related to a college aged level. By the end of his set, it seemed Obeid knew a little something about every member of the audience- and attached it to a personal comedic bit of his own. After his show, I sat down with him to get to know more about this entrepreneur, comedian, mathematician, and 2036 presidential candidate.  

The special bond the audience felt throughout the performance was clearly reciprocated by Obeid, as he stated “Everybody was so nice, that I felt like I had to take it in for a moment, because you don’t get that a lot. You don’t get a crowd that’s that warm and receptive”. Our own student body had a spirited love for Obeid’s questions; “I took it in and brought the energy… I enjoyed it”. He certainly has dedication for his craft, and is partially known as the man who performed 1,001 nights of comedy in a row. When asked what inspired him to take in this challenge, Obeid stated “I just wanted to get good. And I knew that to get good I would have to work nearly every day, so I said ‘why not just do it every day?’.  

His comedic experience can also be found off the stage and on a live stream. As the founder of KO comedy, a digital platform that streams live comedy events through Zoom, Obeid has helped to break through traditions in tough times such as the Covid-19 pandemic. “When the pandemic started, all comedians were scrambling for a way to make the craft work- and Zoom turned out to be the best option” he explained, “I got to work with comedians I wouldn’t have otherwise; comedians in different countries, comedians in different time zone, so it was a really cool and unique experience”.  

Although he started the company himself, Obeid is humble in regards to the virtual comedy space and his additions. “I’m by no means the first comedian to do Zoom comedy or have the idea to do comedy on Zoom, but what I contributed to the movement was that I decided when you have people become designated laughers… and they share their laughter… that changed the game. Suddenly the shows were super fun, so I would host them every weekend for that whole first year in 2020”. I asked him how he sees the future of this virtual comedy world, to which he stated “I was definitely saying that a couple years ago. I think that we’re still in this phase right now where everybody wants to be back out again, having fun with people. So there’s this resistance to go back to that, but I think as time continues… you know it’s so easy to be able to tune into a show”. Yet there are still some instances where in the future, KO comedy might be just what we all need; “If you’re sick or if there’s a new virus going around- there;s so many reasons you might want to do that. So I still believe that down the line it is a growing medium”. If we ever find ourselves in another lockdown, his jokes will be there on our screens. JWU appreciates his humor as much as he appreciates our laughs- until next time Sammy!  

Questions and Answers Transcribed

• How did you enjoy performing for JWU? Providence?

“It was a super cool crowd”

“Everybody was so nice, that I felt like I had to take it in for a moment, because you don’t get that a lot.  You don’t get a crowd that’s that warm and receptive”

“I took it in and brought the energy… I enjoyed it” 

• What inspired you to take on 1,001 nights of comedy?

“I just wanted to get good.  And I knew that to get good I would have to work nearly every day, so I said why not just do it every day?” 

• How would you describe your experience working with other comedians on the KO zoom comedy platform?

“When the pandemic started, all comedians were scrambling for a way to make the craft work- and Zoom turned out to be the best option”

“There were problems with it at first, and we had figure out how to make it feel as much like a show as possible”

“I’m by no means the first comedian to do Zoom comedy or have the idea to do comedy on Zoom, but what I contributed to the movement was that I decided when you have people become designated laughers… and they share their laughter… that changed the game.  Suddenly the shows were super fun, so I would host them every weekend for that whole first year in 2020”

“I got to work with comedians I wouldn’t have otherwise; comedians in different countries, comedians in different time zone, so it was a really cool and unique experience” 

• Do you think virtual comedy will be the next big thing in the comedian space?

“I was definitely saying that a couple years ago.  I think that we’re still in this phase right now where everybody wants to be back out again, having fun with people.  So there’s this resistance to go back to that, but I think as time continues… you know it’s so easy to be able to tune into a show”