TV Review: Patriot Act

This past October, comedian Hasan Minhaj debuted his own late night-esque show titled "Patriot Act." Previously known for his work on "The Daily Show" and his Netflix standup special "Homecoming King," Minhaj showed himself to be an ambitious writer as well in the making of Patriot Act. “I wanted to make a show that was about culture, politics and the news, and I wanted to do it surrounded by iPads,” Minhaj said. I, for one, don’t think there’s a more accurate way to describe his new show. In his first episode, Minhaj uses his perspective as an Asian-American to discuss Affirmative Action and the Students for Fair Admissions’ lawsuit against Harvard University. Cracking jokes about Asian cultural pressures that no other host on TV would dare to make, he pokes fun at the plaintiffs of the case and firmly advocates for Affirmative Action while still addressing the drawbacks of the college admission processes. It’s very refreshing to see someone who is knowledgeable enough about Affirmative Action to recognize that the system is flawed and analyze the effects of the lawsuit.In subsequent episodes, Minhaj talks about a variety of topics ranging from Amazon’s business model and its betrayal of ethics to the corruption in Saudi Arabia and the US’s complacency in the monarchy. In fact, after the Saudi government censored his episode about them, he decided to create an episode focused on the topic of censorship. Each half-hour-long episode is packed with historical context, current news and Minhaj’s personal outlook on the future. Watching the show feels like one is taking part in a rapid-fire, socially conscious history lesson. Somehow, the show’s educational component is engaging because the hard-hitting facts are interspersed with jokes, relevant footage and gorgeous infographics. More impressively, Minhaj manages to make sharp observations on American politics and society in a way that isn’t condescending by using self-depreciation. For example, after detailing the borderline-monopoly that Amazon is building, Minhaj says to the camera, “Despite knowing all of this, I’m not gonna lie, I’m still gonna use Amazon. It’s an essential utility for me! I need water, heat and Prime Now. And if I had to choose between the three, Prime Now delivers water.” The popularity of "Patriot Act" can be attributed to the platform on which it is broadcasted and the regular weekly production of episodes. Since Netflix episodes can be viewed at any time, "Patriot Act" does not need to address daily breaking news events like nightly television shows. Rather, Minhaj can take the time in his show to discuss larger international and societal issues that need to be spoken about but are too complex and large-scale to be addressed in a daily show.Previously, Netflix has had problems with talk shows; after all, people usually go on the platform to binge-watch seven episodes at a time. Viewers are more likely to turn to traditional TV stations to catch up on current events and hear timely jokes. Minhaj seems to get past this challenge by finding relevant, but not fleeting, topics to discuss in a funny yet intense manner. I’ve found myself refreshing Netflix on Saturday nights and queueing up the newest episode of "Patriot Act." I watch it for the roasts and for the laughs, of course, but above all, I enjoy it for the insight.