Sammy Obeid

Sammy Obeid
Born (1984-02-09) February 9, 1984
Comedy career
Medium
Genres
Websitesammyko.com

Sammy K. Obeid (born February 9, 1984) is a Palestinian-American[1][2][3] writer and stand-up comedian. He has released one comedy album, Get Funny or Die Tryin. The New York Times described his comedy as displaying "an analytic style full of wordplay, clever misdirection and ethnic humor riffing on his Middle Eastern roots".[4] On his website, Obeid is described as 'Lebanese-Palestinian-Syrian-Italian-American'.[5][6][4]

Obeid has been featured on America's Got Talent, Conan and Last Comic Standing. He once performed 1,001 nights of comedy in a row, which he claimed as a world record.[7] Obeid is also a host for the Netflix show 100 Humans and the founder of KO Comedy.[8]

Career

Obeid was scheduled to perform two shows at the Victoria Theatre in Singapore on August 31, 2025.[9] On August 27, Obeid announced on Instagram that Singapore's Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) had refused to issue permits for the performance.[9] In an August 28 statement, IMDA stated they had not requested edits of Obeid's script, but claimed Obeid's application came less than 40 working days before the performance. On August 31, Sammy posted a video to Instagram of him on a call with an unknown party, where he used it to claim that the issue was over censorship.[9][10][11] On September 1, Obeid was issued a Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) correction order for over the claims he was told to edit his script by the regulators.[12] On September 4, the Government of Singapore announced that it had directed Meta and Twitter to issue correction notices, after Obeid did not comply with the correction order. The requirement obliges them to inform users in Singapore who have viewed or may view the posts.[13]

Political Activism

Obeid is an outspoken advocate for the Palestinian rights, and he frequently incorporates political commentary on Palestine and Israel into his stand-up comedy.[14][15] He has described his approach to comedy about Palestine as filling a void left by other comedians, stating, "Really, I treat comedy about Palestine like an illegal settler does land in the West Bank. Like, if I do not take this, someone else will".[16] He has also organized an international "Ceasefire Comedy" tour,[15] launched a platform called Pal Collective to connect individuals with families in Gaza for support,[14] and has been open about facing potential career repercussions, including losing booked shows and feeling pressure to self-censor due to his pro-Palestine views.[9][17] He has been described as "antisemitic" by JWeekly.[18]

Obeid was interviewed and featured in the award-winning documentary feature film Seeds for Liberation (2026) by director Matthew Solomon.[19] The film discusses the Free Palestine movement.

See also

References

  1. ^ Hasan, Mehdi (2025-11-07). "A Palestinian and a Jew Walk Into a Podcast - Sammy Obeid & Matt Lieb Reflect on the Oct. 7 Anniversary". zeteo.com. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
  2. ^ Layla, Quran (2025-07-15). "Palestinian American comedian uses humor to process the war in Gaza". PBS News. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
  3. ^ Fadel, Leila (2024-08-14). "Former math teacher turned stand-up comic weaves the war in Gaza into his act". NPR. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
  4. ^ a b Zinoman, Jason (September 20, 2013). "Wake Up, Be Funny, Do it Again 999 Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  5. ^ "About Us". Sammy Obeid. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
  6. ^ "US comedian says he was told to remove mentions of Palestine for Singapore show". The Independent. 2025-08-30. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
  7. ^ Kavanagh, Niall (23 May 2013). "1,001 Straight Nights of Standup". Vulture. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Sammy Obeid". KP Comedy. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  9. ^ a b c d "US comedian Sammy Obeid claims censorship after shows cancelled; IMDA says application was late". The Straits Times. 2025-08-28. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  10. ^ "Comedian Sammy Obeid alleges censorship as shows cancelled; IMDA cites late licence application". CNA. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  11. ^ "US comedian alleges censorship after Singapore show cancelled". South China Morning Post. 2025-08-28. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  12. ^ "Singapore issues correction order to US comedian over censorship claims". South China Morning Post. 2025-09-01. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  13. ^ "US comedian Sammy Obeid fails to comply with POFMA correction order; Meta, X directed to take action". CNA. Archived from the original on 2025-09-04. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
  14. ^ a b "Palestinian American comedian uses humor to process the war in Gaza". CANVAS Arts. 2025-07-15. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  15. ^ a b "Comedian Sammy Obeid talks politics and the Middle East - Student Life". www.studlife.com. Archived from the original on 2025-02-21. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  16. ^ ZAINAL, NURSYAHMINA (2025-09-02). "Palestine joke or paperwork problem? Why Sammy Obeid's Singapore show was cancelled". Sinar Daily. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  17. ^ "Is Cancel Culture Bad For Business? Comedian Sammy Obeid Discusses Canceling Comics and Activists - Habibi House Podcast - Podcast on iVoox". iVoox. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  18. ^ Stutman, Gabe (2025-03-27). "Comic criticized for 'antisemitic' set at South Bay high school". J. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  19. ^ "Cast and Crew". Seeds For Liberation. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
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