Middle Western Middle Eastern: A Q&A with Paul Farahvar

December 8, 2024

What do these things have in common: Attorney, Actualizer, and Authentic? An Accurate answer is Paul Farahvar, an A-List multi-talented comedian known for his unique life, original wit, and a knack for comedic storytelling that will have you hanging on to every word.

His most recent special Middle Western Middle Eastern is a shining example of all these … well, Attributes. How did Paul choose the material? It is, Paul says, the best of his best work that he didn’t release on his Dry Bar special last year. That Dry Bar special was a hit, too, but Dry Bar is family-friendly, while Middle Western Middle Eastern does not hold back. In MWME, Paul “kept the themes of being a former lawyer, talking about my family and being a first-generation immigrant, and being single, of course, which is a big part of my life.” The stories take you behind the scenes of his immigrant family history and its impact on his guest appearance on Chicago Med, among other things. Paul will also take you behind the doors of his dating life as an “aging” bachelor who refuses to age out of fun and mischief. I’ve repeated one of those stories in particular to tons of friends because it is so incredibly smart, iconic and hilarious. Even with my own notably less talented telling, every single person widens their eyes in surprise and delight and then cracks up and can’t stop laughing. So definitely, you must go listen to MWME and hear this collection of stellar comedic stories from Paul himself.

In many of the stories, Paul has a blast (so does the audience) as he portrays himself as a player who while just trying to have a good time, ends up wreaking hilarious unexpected chaos. Let’s be honest – we’ve all been there one way or another, and it’s incredibly, reassuringly relatable as well as extremely funny. Apologies to Paul because this will probably embarrass him – but off stage and in life, he’s an Amazing dude known for his generosity, creativity and professionalism. He always has time for people who need any kind of advice, legal or otherwise. He is the creator of an impressive number of hit shows and podcasts, and donates profits from his merch to worthy causes. He is also a regular guest host on WGN radio. On December 15, Paul will hold his annual fundraiser Stand Up for Parkinson’s at Zanies Rosemont with Brittany Brave, hosted by Blake Burkhart and featuring a lineup of special guests. Paul kindly took time out of this busy schedule to speak with me.

WRITING A HIT SPECIAL

Teme: What was your process for writing Middle Western Middle Eastern? I especially noticed how one story seamlessly leads to the next.

Paul: Whether I’m doing an hour or twenty minutes, I always search for how to group jokes together. I’m very OCD about that. All my family stuff in one section. All dating and relationship stories in one section. I always like to end with revealing that I’m a lawyer. If I switch gears where I’ve already talked about dating and I forgot to do one joke, I’m like, well, that’s too late, I can’t do it now. I’ve always been really strict about that.

Teme: Which parts of being Middle Western and Middle Eastern have most influenced your life?

Paul: My moral compass is driven by my parents who taught me right and wrong. That’s also true of being Midwestern. We’re just nice people. I have friends who moved to L.A. They all hang out with other Midwestern people. Everywhere you go, we just kind of find each other. Midwesterners don’t have an ulterior agenda. In some places, you have to worry about that, like what do you bring to the table that I can benefit from? In the Midwest, we’re not like that. I like to think that we’re looking for genuine connections with people and friendships. In the comedy community, we have each other’s backs. We promote each other’s successes. I’d like to think that, and even if I sometimes feel like it’s not reciprocated, it’s not going to stop me from doing it. Several friends had specials that dropped at the same time as mine and we all promoted each other. We’re all doing this together.

Being Middle Eastern is a big influence on me. I grew up as a first-generation immigrant and have a lot of stories about that, including the work ethic that was instilled in me by my father. He was a hardworking guy.

Teme: I’ve thought about how Iranian-American culture produces so many great people in comedy. I think of you, Maz Jobrani, Tehran Von Ghasri, Jamie Masada, Amir K, Max Amini, Negin Farsad, Dan Ahdoot. There are so many!

Paul: Well, we have something to say. The Iranian community is very successful because we’ve seen how bad things can get. Our parents are so hard on us. They want us to become doctors and lawyers and engineers. So you’re going to work extra hard because you can’t screw around. If you’re not successful, you have to deal with your parents! And we have a unique story. If you look at the immigrants that come to America, Iranians come in at the top of contributing to the economy. We have that crazy work ethic and maybe an unhealthy drive.

Teme: What’s something you want to say to fans about Middle Western Middle Eastern?

Paul: I want to know what resonates so I can write more about things that people like. What did I do well? Did I do too much about being a lawyer? Did I do too much about being Iranian? Is it too much about being single? I love feedback. Most people get work reviews once a year. As comedians, when we’re on stage we get reviewed every thirty seconds.

Teme: Which parts of Middle Western Middle Eastern were most fun to write? What was most challenging?

Paul: I was most excited about stories that I have perfected over the years. I am a storyteller. I always want to make sure the stories flew and didn’t go too long, but I also want to make sure that I was getting a laugh every thirty seconds. So the joke about my experience with Covid and the scare of having an STD was the most fun for me.

I mostly stuck to the script on the special. It was hard for me to not go into the audience at all. To prepare, during the three months leading up to it, I forced myself never to do crowd work at my shows unless I absolutely had to address something and there were so many things I wanted to address. That was the most challenging part.

IS THERE A LAWYER IN THE HOUSE?

Teme: Speaking of audience interactions, what’s been your favorite?

Paul: I’ve asked people about their worst tattoos. That’s always fun for me to riff off. Also, when I’m crapping on marriage, I like to talk to people who are married. It’s fun to watch people defend it. Those are the fun moments – when I try to talk people into telling me marriage is good, especially if they’re with their significant other. It’s always fun for me to watch them squirm. When there are lawyers in the audience, I like making fun of whatever practice they’re in. To a lot of people, lawyers are all the same. It’s fun to explain to the non-lawyers how me and this corporate lawyer are totally different.

Teme: I love the stories in Middle Western Middle Eastern of people asking you for all sorts of random legal advice.

Paul: Oh, yeah, that’s true. Like with all the political indictments, I know the minute they happen, I’m going to get eighty calls asking my thoughts. It is funny that people still come up to me whenever they have a legal question, which I love, too.

Teme: One thing you don’t say in your standup, but that I know is that you’re very generous with giving people your time and expertise.

Paul: I do like to help. Anytime someone has a legal question, I always try to steer them to someone that can help. I always say, “I’ll answer all the questions, but just so you know, I don’t practice anymore. But I can give you free comedian’s advice!”

HOW TO ELEVATE YOUR CAREER AND CREATE HITS

Teme: Has your comedy and writing process evolved over time?

Paul: I’ve matured. I feel I’m a much better writer now than I was when I started. I think that I’m coming to grips with being an aging comedian. The stories that I’m writing now are about being this older guy who is in denial about aging because I’m hanging out with people, comedians, who are half my age. I have to remind myself that I can’t go out until four in the morning anymore. I’m talking more about things that separate me from other people.

Some of the stuff I talk about is relatable to Gen Xers, but also, I am very different than most Gen Xers. I’m doing this work that less than 1% of us do. I am writing more about that and how I have this weird job that I do when everyone else has their free time.

Teme: You’re also a prolific actualizer of creative ideas. You’ve developed hit shows and podcasts. How do your ideas go from first spark to reality?

Paul: For better or for worse, the trait that I’m most proud of is I don’t just think about something. If I feel like it has to be done, I just do it and then adjust.

When I come up with an idea, I always bounce it off one or two people. If I get any feedback that I’m going in the right direction, I act on it. Laugh Factory has given me this awesome opportunity when I create a show of, “Alright, let’s try it.” Then you see what works and what doesn’t work. From there I think, “Where can I take this next?” Then I try to pitch it to a network or something else. That’s always my goal, to make things bigger and better and have a bigger audience to reach with whatever I create.

Teme: What would you advise someone who wants to accomplish on that scale?

Paul: I get a lot done between 11:00 PM and 2:00 AM. There’s no distraction then. Find the time where you’re not distracted. The goal is to be productive during those hours. Sometimes it doesn’t work. But if you at least put aside the time and trust your instincts, you’ll find your lane.

Teme: How did you decide to end your podcast Singles Only, which was very popular, and launch your new podcast Why Are You Awake?

Paul: Singles Only ran for seven years. It started to feel a little weird and repetitive. I felt like I was hearing the same things. I also didn’t want to be that guy who was this old man talking to people who are really young about singlehood. I needed a break. I thought maybe I would go back to it again, and maybe I will.

I created Why Are You Awake? because the things that were interesting me were about being a night owl. I wanted to find people like me who suffer in a society that doesn’t appreciate staying open after 9:00 PM. Like getting food at night is impossible, especially on the road.

Teme: What was your inspiration for your Laugh Factory interview show Stand Ups, Sit Down?

Paul: With Stand Ups, Sit Down, I like talking to other comedians and I love talking about comedy. It can be kind of “inside baseball,” so I make it more all-encompassing. These are the things that are fascinating me. It’s still not as big an audience as I had with Singles Only, but I do feel there are enough people like me who love hearing about other people’s process and stories.

Teme: You’re an especially excellent interviewer. What is your goal when you sit down for an interview?

Paul: I love interviewing people, but Sit Down is a little different because you also have to entertain people. It’s hard for me sometimes because I’m like, “I really want to learn more about this person!” But we also have only five minutes and I also have to entertain a group of 150 people, versus Why Are You Awake? where I talk to guests for a full 45 minutes and get everything I want.

It’s two different skill sets. It’s trying to get a laugh, trying to make the person look good in both situations, but when you have a live audience, comedians just naturally need a laugh every minute. So in Sit Down we have games that we play with different people. The audience gets to submit questions, too. It’s fun to see what people want to hear from comedians. People that come to Sit Down are mostly fans of comedy, so they get to see standup, and then they get to ask about it themselves.

LIFE INSIGHTS

Teme: What’s a perfect day for you? Or maybe as another night owl, I should ask what’s a perfect night?

Paul: My goal is one day to headline a big theater in Chicago and then afterwards go on stage and play with a band at the Metro. I used to play guitar and bass. I played in a lot of singer-songwriter indie-rock bands. So that would be the ultimate. And then obviously, go get food somewhere.

Teme: You’ve said Mr. Rogers’ outlook on life really speaks to you. What is something about Mr. Rogers that the world most needs right now?

Paul: He was genuine. He taught how to be who you are and how to love who you are. The movie Won’t You Be My Neighbor kind of restored my faith in humanity. I have a tattoo of Mr. Rogers as a result. We need more of him right now.

Teme: What was a recent thing that made you laugh?

Paul: I’ve been watching old episodes of Newhart. He’s such a dry and hilarious comedian. And Stand Ups, Sit Down makes me laugh every Monday because some of the interviews are just so fun. We had Em Brown on the show. We played a trick on Lele Mason where we had her go up against Em on some questions about Washington, DC, where she is from. I told Em all the answers in advance. We were having so much fun. When she figured it out, we all laughed so hard. The clip is on my Instagram. Right now I’m just having fun with creating Stand Ups, Sit Down for Chicago comedy fans. Eventually, I want to take it on the road, too.

Teme: What’s one last thing everyone should know about Middle Western Middle Eastern?

Paul: If you are a Gen Xer or a lawyer or a first-generation immigrant or from Chicago or single, you’ll like it. Or if you’re someone who loves comedy and loves to laugh. I’m very proud of it. I hope people are exposed to it and spread the word. I hope it creates some opportunities and I hope I get to have new fans on the road now.

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Middle Western Middle Eastern is available on YouTube.

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Stand Up for Parkinson’s TICKETS here!

Details: Sunday, December 15, 2024, 7:00 p.m.

Zanies Rosemont

5437 Park Place

Rosemont, IL 60018

(847) 813-0484

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Follow Paul at paulfcomedy.com

More upcoming shows: paulfcomedy.com/shows.html