The Instagram Comedians Of Iran

Image: Instagram

The government of Iran could politely be called “repressive” and not so politely called “totalitarian.” Born from an Islamic revolution in the 1970s, the modern state of Iran bans things not in keeping with its interpretation of the religion. Everything from skinny jeans to mullets are illegal in Iran as they are seen as not in keeping with a good Islamic lifestyle.

Also illegal: pretty much every form of social media you can think of. YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and even Gmail, are all illegal.

Surprisingly, though, there is one app that has managed to escape the net of the government censors, at least for the time being. Instagram is still free and legal in the country. Primarily because as the newest social media platform, the Iranian government is still waiting to see if it becomes a tool for voicing dissent against the government or not before cracking down on it. So for the time being, Instagram is the only game in town for Iran.

And as a result, Iran’s youth are flocking to the platform to get their taste of shared videos and pictures. And so are the countries budding comedians, who see the only way to share videos in the country as the perfect platform to reach new viewers.

Instagram has become the best way for young Iranians hungry for a taste of Internet stardom to share their creative works with the world.

So what are the Instagram comedians of Iran like? A lot like comedians everywhere else:

There are your standard jokes about annoying mothers-in-law, and the merits of fast food, or even the moment of terror you feel when your girlfriend wants to look through the people you’ve been speaking to on Instagram.

One thing most of the Instagram comedians of Iran won’t touch however is politics. Many hope to one day appear on mainstream television in Iran, which is a difficult thing to achieve when you are best known for satirizing the government in a country that takes satire very seriously.

The video above on the Instagram comedians of Iran is well worth watching if you have the time. It’s a rare look inside the average life of people in Iran and a reminder that no matter where you live or what kind of government you live under, everyone just wants to laugh.