TV Review: Hulu’s Ramy Wins My Heart
You will see a lot of reviews mention how “revolutionary” Hulu’s Ramy is as a tv show, but what they are really saying is that it blasts away negative stereotypes that make people believe Muslims are bad, disabled people are incapable, women are “too emotional,” and being young is the same as being stupid. Ramy is a young, Muslim guy that is also an incredible human being who has NO IDEA what he wants for himself and his future. Thus, the “revolution” occurs in that you see a Muslim guy as a person, and, even CRAZIER!, you like him and wish him the best. WHHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTTT!!!!!!! CALL GLENN BECK!
Ramy Youssef portrays Ramy as a sweet dope. He has these big, brown eyes that seem to look at you straight from the screen and turn your heart into a puddle. You want to hug him, and say, “It will be okay. You are not making bad life choices. You are just not making any choices.” The nuance of Ramy, as a show and character, is that he speaks to what so MANY Millennials feel: plain. He is simply living his life like it is an endless wave, but he can’t decipher whether he is swimming, surfing, or drowning in it. He is just “okay,” and, like any person, he longs for adventure and a grander meaning to his life.
If there is one thing I know about EVERY GENERATION OF YOUTH is that we live according to an existential crisis. We are having weed, gummy bears and asking ourselves if God/ Allah, which is the same being with a different name, likes us? Moreover, do we like him? The latter question might be the most important to Ramy’s growth because how we see God/ Allah does reflect how we see ourselves. For Ramy, God/Allah is a strict, loving being with a lot of petty rules, a massive need to be prayed to, and a “plan” for you that really should involve your consent. Thus, such a perspective feeds Ramy’s hopelessness and journey to self-empowerment. After all, can you really flourish yourself when you think the universe has forgotten a purpose for you?
Such deep questions narrate the funny comedy, and will make any youth, with a religious background, laugh at the anxiety and fear that goes into being raised with a God. Yet, when you are a Muslim, you are raised with “the God” version many love to hate/ blame. This dynamic comes forward in the powerful episode of “Strawberries;” where Ramy is a child accused of being terrorist after 9/11, and Youssef’s writing displays he is unafraid to get quiet, pensive, and confrontational with humanity’s cruelty. For Ramy Youssef, self-reflection and truths hold the keys to humanity’s healing.
Ramy’s gets into some heart-warming mis-adventures that make you want to join in for pancakes, with his friends, and tease/teach him. He has such amazing people in his life. Mohammed Amer’s Mo and Shadi Alfons’ Shadi are his boys, and remind viewers of the friends you want in your corner. They rib on Ramy, but they got his back. Moreover, Steve, played by Steve Way, is HILARIOUS! The actor is a “revolution”, as well, because he actually suffers from muscular dystrophy while playing a character that suffers from it, as well. This may not seem like a big deal until you realize Eddie Redmayne just won an Oscar for portraying disabled pets that simply lived his own life. Don’t get me wrong! It was a great performance, but disabled people are not running around self-pitying themselves to get awards, which is why Steve is such an impactful character. Yet, again, Ramy is a show that is revolutionary because it is obvious.
Nearly EVERY FEMALE CHARACTER in Ramy is strong and has their stuff together. WHAAATTTTT!!! Somebody call Tucker Carlson! From Ramy’s mom, Maysa (Hiam Abbass), to his sister, Dena (May Calamawy), the ladies prove that even when you are “down,” you have to stand strong. They carry a cool, solid dignity that balances the big personalities of the guys. Still, no one beats my love for Ramy because I admire any person whose main goal in life is to be good to others. Honestly, I do not know many that have such a motivation. Ramy Premieres on Hulu on April 19.
