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Mohammed in Texas

Mo Amer

Netflix · 2021 · 65 min

Mo Amer returns to Houston for a physical, culture-clashing hour.

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Mo Amer is at his best when he is translating the exhausting cultural friction of being an Arab-American refugee who grew up in the suburbs of Houston. This friction shows up physically, whether he is demonstrating the proper circular motion required to scoop hummus or acting out the agonizingly long, polite greetings of Arabic shopkeepers. His style is conversational and deeply expressive, utilizing sudden shifts in tone and accent to highlight the absurdity of modern assimilation.

Filmed in his hometown of Houston, Texas, and released in late 2021, the special caught Amer at a transitional moment in his career. He was preparing his autobiographical sitcom Mo for Netflix and shooting the superhero film Black Adam alongside Dwayne Johnson—who makes a surprise appearance to introduce him on stage.

Amer spends the first chunk of the hour addressing the chaos of the pandemic, reflecting on his divorce and the corporate push to keep capitalism running while citizens struggled to pay rent. The set occasionally runs into some logical snags when he boasts about performing in packed pandemic crowds with Dave Chappelle, only to immediately admit that he caught COVID-19 twice during those tours. But he finds firmer footing when he shifts to personal storytelling, detailing airport bag etiquette and his first trip to Palestine to visit his family’s ancestral village near Nablus.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Catching COVID-19 twice through Dave Chappelle and personifying vaccines with distinct accents.

    Recounts getting coronavirus during Chappelle's Ohio summer camp and while sharing a cigar with Chappelle in Austin, before adopting European, Mexican, and redneck accents for Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.

  2. The stock market skyrocketing during pandemic lockdowns and receiving stimulus checks.

    Critiques the disconnect of market gains when everyday citizens were trapped at home, calling it a Ponzi scheme and mocking $1,200 stimulus checks as hush money that lasted a week.

  3. The proliferation and appropriation of Arab culture in the West.

    Highlights Western adoption of hookahs, bidets, and hummus, contrasting the historical fear of Middle Eastern men with white tourists enjoying hookahs and Mexican beaches without understanding cultural contexts.

  4. Political polarization versus real-world Texas solidarity.

    Frames red vs. blue media polarization as akin to Bloods vs. Crips, pointing out that in reality, an Arab-American Mohammed and a neighbor named 'Redneck Scott' help each other out with generators after a hurricane.

  5. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Visiting the Middle East after obtaining a U.S. passport. closer

    Narrates over personal home video footage about returning to the region, reuniting with cousins, and visiting the local mosque.

How it plays

Tone
Jovial yet incisive, irreverent, and unifying.
On stage
Charismatic, proud immigrant son, outspoken, and energetic with an accessible personal storytelling approach.
Pace
Outspoken and energetic; starts somewhat unevenly in the first half before building momentum and hitting a stronger rhythm in the second half.
About
COVID-19 pandemic panic and vaccines, Arab culture and cultural appropriation, Islamophobia and immigrant double standards, Economic absurdity and the stock market, Political division vs. local neighborliness in Texas

What the critics said

Praised as an incisive and jovial denunciation of Islamophobia and anti-migrant sentiment that delivers strong laughs and unity, though critics noted occasional first-half pacing issues and reliance on broad stereotypes for side impressions.

In the room: Warm and responsive, laughing at collective pandemic anxieties and cheering for Amer's hometown Houston return.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: bbfc.co.uk, variety.com, themoviedb.org, decider.com, nytimes.com, martincid.com, en.wikipedia.org, pbs.org.

Backstory

Filmed in his adopted hometown of Houston, navigating post-lockdown COVID-19 pandemic politics and anxieties, his divorce during the pandemic, and his personal background as a Palestinian refugee.

Details

Released
Runtime
65 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Jay Chapman
Topics
Before
The Vagabond (2018)
After
Wild World (2025)

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