‘Daily Show’ debut could be his big opportunity

Aasif Mandvi had a memorable debut last week on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.” But the producers of the fake-news show are being as cagey as White House spinmeisters when it comes to their new “Middle Eastern Affairs correspondent.”

Mandvi appeared on a segment last Wednesday that parodied Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s widely reported remarks that the world is witnessing the “birth pangs of a new Middle East” and that the region’s troubles represent an “opportunity.”

Stewart then turned to Mandvi, who he told viewers could “bring us a unique perspective for less than half the price of an American reporter.” Using the show’s familiar mock field-reporter style, an on-screen graphic said that Mandvi was speaking from Beirut, where he pretended to praise American plans for the Mideast.

With deadpan sarcasm, Mandvi informed Stewart that “every day the cafes and outdoor markets of the Middle East explode with anticipation, from what I’m told. It’s very exciting.”

Reminded by Stewart of the violence in the region, Mandvi replied, “You can’t get hummus without smashing some chickpeas,” adding: “As Secretary Rice said, we’re going through some birth pangs here. And you know how people tend to scream and say things they don’t mean when they’re in labor. Nonsense like, ‘How could you do this to me?’ Or, ‘Death to America.’ ”

Most of the segment was greeted by hearty laughter from the studio audience, although the kicker drew some gasps: Mandvi claimed that Middle Eastern attitudes today are “no different from the way your nation views the events of Sept. 11: Tough day, great opportunity.”

The tartness of the bit has quickly drawn attention, making it a video favorite on YouTube, Crooks & Liars and other popular websites. Also not unnoticed is the fact that with regulars such as Rob Corddry, Ed Helms and Samantha Bee, “The Daily Show” has typically been a whites-only affair. As TV Squad blogger Annie Wu wrote: “A ‘TDS’ correspondent who’s not white!”

But the producers aren’t eager to discuss any of this. A request to interview Mandvi was rejected. “They are trying him out as a correspondent, a fairly common practice with potential correspondents, and as such, they don’t feel he is ready to speak for the show,” spokesman Tony Fox wrote in an e-mail.

According to IMDB.com, Mandvi was born in Chicago, is in his early 30s and has appeared in numerous TV roles.